Working with the Clever API

The recommended method of making manual queries to the Clever API is by using Postman. The Clever API Developer Collection workspace in Postman offers a secure environment for you to make calls and troubleshoot any issues you may be experiencing. You can access the Postman Workspace here.

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Security on Postman

To learn more about security on the Postman platform, see https://www.postman.com/trust/security/.

Using the Workspace

In order to use the Postman workspace, you will need to create a free Postman account and create a fork of each API collection you'd like to use (Data API, Events API, and Identity API). It's important to note that for the Identity API, you will need to use a bearer access_token that is obtained via the Clever SSO login flow.

As for the Data API, you will need to use a District-App token to access these endpoints, with some exceptions for endpoints that are accessible by Library applications which will need to be accessed via a bearer access_token.

A District-App token will also need to be accessed using a district-app token. In addition, you will need to enable the Events API in your application dashboard on the Settings > Integration page.

To Fork a Collection

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Forking in Postman

To learn more about forking in Postman, see https://learning.postman.com/docs/collaborating-in-postman/using-version-control/forking-elements/.

In order to use these collections, you will first need to fork them into your Postman account. After you've created an account, click on the related actions (three dots) to the right of the collection you'd like to use. Selected "Create a fork". Follow the prompts and you should be good to go!

To Fork Environment Variables

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Using Environment Variables in Postman

To learn more about the benefits of storing variables in Postman, see https://learning.postman.com/docs/sending-requests/variables/.

You will also need to fork over the environment variables. You can create your own environment variables, but the "Development" environment is set up to work well with the collections we've provided.

Once you've set up your environment variables, be sure to configure the environment before making API calls. In the screenshot below, if "Development" is not selected as the environment, the collection will not know where to grab variables from. As a result, your API calls will not work.