Skip to main content

API Connections

API Connections

FactoryThread connects to web services over HTTP. There are three connectors:

ConnectorProtocolSchema discovery
REST APIAny REST/JSON endpointYou define entities
ODataOData v4Automatic (from $metadata)
SOAPSOAP 1.1 / 1.2You define entities

Settings common to all three​

  • Static or Dynamic URL. Static uses one fixed base URL. Dynamic leaves the URL to be supplied per entity at run time — useful when the endpoint varies by record.
  • Authentication — the available methods vary by connector (see below).
  • Request headers — repeatable key/value pairs sent with every request.
  • Timeout (milliseconds).
  • Allow self-signed certificates — disables TLS certificate verification. Use only against trusted internal endpoints.

REST API​

Connect to any REST endpoint.

  • API URL (the base endpoint), Static or Dynamic.
  • Authentication — Bearer Token, Client Credentials (Access Token URL, Client ID, Client Secret, Scope), Basic (Username, Password), Token With Credentials, or No Auth.
  • Request headers, timeout, and the self-signed toggle.

REST connections don't auto-discover a schema, so you define each entity yourself (its path and its request/response shape). They support reads (GET) and write-back (POST, PUT, PATCH).

OData​

Connect to OData v4 services — the protocol behind many ERP and Microsoft APIs.

  • API URL — the OData service root.
  • Authentication — all the REST options plus Session Auth (Login URL, Username, Password, and optional Company and Branch), the pattern several ERP systems use.
  • Request headers, timeout, and the self-signed toggle.

Because OData services describe themselves, FactoryThread reads the service's $metadata and discovers entities and schemas automatically — Test Connection checks the metadata, and the Entities list is populated for you. Supports read and write-back (including bound actions).

Several MES/MOM connectors (Opcenter RD&L, Acumatica, i3X) are built on this OData connection under the hood — see MES / MOM.

SOAP​

Connect to SOAP 1.1 / 1.2 web services.

  • API URL — the service endpoint.
  • SOAP Version — 1.2 (default) or 1.1.
  • Authentication — No Auth, Bearer Token, Client Credentials, or Basic.
  • Request headers, timeout, and the self-signed toggle.

SOAP connections don't import a WSDL, so you define the operations and their request/response shapes yourself. FactoryThread builds the SOAP envelope, parses the XML response, and surfaces SOAP faults. Supports write operations.

Next steps​