The purpose of this guide is to walk a user through installing Postman, configuring authentication and making your first API requests. By the end, you will be able to retrieve your own call records using Postman.
What is Postman? #
From Postman.com: “Postman is an API platform for building and using APIs. Postman simplifies each step of the API lifecycle and streamlines collaboration so you can create better APIs—faster.” At ISI Analytics, we use Postman internally to develop and test APIs. Postman is a great tool for our customers to also get familiar with the APIs we offer for public consumption.
Getting Started #
Before you begin, please ensure you have:
- Internet access and the permission to install applications
- A general understanding of APIs
- Your ISI-provided Client ID
- Your ISI-provided Client Secret
Setting Up Your Environment #
Install Postman #
- Download Postman from the official website: https://www.postman.com/downloads/
- Install Postman on your system and launch the application
Download and Extract the ISI Samples #
ISI provides a ZIP file that contains example Postman Collections and Environment for easy setup.
- Download Data Export Postman Collection ZIP
- Locate the ZIP file and extract it on your computer
- Ensure the following files are extracted:
- Data Export API.postman_collection.json
- Data Export API.postman_environment.json
Import the Postman Collection and Environment #
- Open Postman.
- Click the Import button in the top left corner of the screen
- Select “Folders” and choose the location you extracted the json files in the prior step
- Make sure both the Collection and the Environment are selected.
- Click Import.
After import, ensure that “Data Export API” appears in both Collections and Environments.
Configure Environment Variables #
- In Postman, go to Environments
- Select the “Data Export API” environment in the left pane
- Locate the following variables and enter your values in the Current Value column:
- client_id: Enter your ISI-provided Client ID.
- client_secret: Enter your ISI-provided Client Secret.
- Click Save
- Set the Environment to Data Export API by selecting it in the top right corner.
The Postman Collection will automatically handle access token generation whenever you make an API request. Note that if you are building your own application, access token generation is a prerequisite step. More details can be found in the Developer Guide.
Running Your First API Query #
Run the “Get Processed Count” Request #
- Navigate to Collections in the left pane
- Expand Get Processed Count
- Select Relative 14 Days
- Click Try
If you configured your Environment properly you should receive a response similar to this:
Verify Your Response #
Success! You have successfully configured Postman to query records from the Data Export API.
If you receive this message:
You may have forgotten to select the Environment. Go back to Step 5 of the prior section.
What’s Next? #
- Use the other Example Requests: Familiarize yourself with more types of API queries
- Customize your own queries: Add filters to get exactly the information you need
- Build your application:
- Use Postman to validate your API requests
- Navigate to a successful request, click the Code button on the right side of the screen:
- Generate sample code for your application:
For more information about the API, download our Data Export Developer’s Guide.
Related Links #
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) #
What level of support is offered for the API? #
ISI provides limited support for the Data Export API. Support is only available via Postman using the provided collection and environment. ISI does not offer development support or assistance with integrating the API into custom applications.
How often is data updated in the API? #
Call records are processed and available within one hour of receipt from the Unified Communication platform. This data matches what is available in standard dashboards and reports.
Can I filter API queries by date, caller ID, or other parameters? #
Yes! The API supports a variety of filters, including date ranges, owner, call type, and more. Example requests are included in the Postman Collection.
How do I request additional fields or changes to the API? #
Customers can submit feature requests for new fields or modifications. However, ISI makes no commitment to develop requested features unless they are prioritized by the product team.
How do I retrieve additional pages of call records? #
If an API response includes a nextPageToken
, use it in your next request like this:
{
"query": "query { getProcessedRecords(pageLimit: 10, nextPageToken: \"abcdef12345\", filters: null) { count nextPageToken processedRecords { uniqueId callerID callType duration date time } responseStatus { status message } } }"
}
Continue making requests until nextPageToken
returns an empty string ""
, which indicates no more data.