This article will take you through the steps to configure your Booking Automation account, so that it is ready for easy API integration.
For the purpose of this article, we will configure Booking Automation to work with the following integrations:
Charge Automation - Payment processing automation solution.
BedPlus - Owners portal and cleaner task management solution.
BA Properties WordPress Plugin - WP-Rental plugin that syncs your data with a full featured direct booking website system.
Other Applications - We will create an additional API key to support other third party applications.
Once you complete this article, you will understand the Booking Automation integration architecture and be able to utilize it for future integrations.
So lets begin ...
A) Create and Log Into Account
You will receive your password via email.
B) Open Setting Page
From your Booking Automation homepage, click on the “Settings” menu option on the top right hand corner of your screen.
C) Open Account Access Page
Next, click on the "Account Access" page.
Detailed explanation: Click the ‘+’ symbol beside the “Account” menu option and then click on “Account Access”.
D) Create API Keys
Next, you will create API keys for the four application we initially mentioned (Charge Automation, BedPlus, BA-Properties and Custom App).
Charge Automation API
First, we will add an API key for Charge Automation. We need to set the following fields:
API Key - Any unique text that is at least 16 characters long. I like to give it a name that matches its purpose, so its easier to identify when I see it. We will set this to "chargeautotest12"
API Key Access - Set this to "allow whitelist IP only". This setting is required for security reasons.
IP Whitelist - This is where you set the server's IP address. This tells Booking Automation that only requests from this specific server are allowed and all other requests will be rejected. For Charge Automation, we will set this to IP: 159.203.34.189.
Allow Writes - This tells Booking Automation that the API will allow updates to data. If set to "No", BA will only allow for reading data and all updates will be rejected. For Charge Automation, we need to update booking data, so we will set this to "Yes".
Property Access - Set this to "Owned or linked to this account". This allows any account or sub account's property data to be accessed.
Here is what it should look like:
Bed+ API
Next, we will add an other API key for Bed+, under "API Key 2". Similar to what we did previously, we need to set the following fields:
API Key - "bedplusapptest12"
API Key Access - Set this to "allow whitelist IP only".
IP Whitelist - For Bed+, we will set this to IP: 159.203.30.183 185.52.2.198.
Allow Writes - Set this to "Yes".
Property Access - Set this to "Owned or linked to this account".
Here is what it should look like:
BA-Properties WordPress Plugin API
Next, we will add an other API key for BA-Properties WordPress Plugin, under "API Key 3". Similar to what we did previously, we need to set the following fields:
API Key - "bapropertieswptest12"
API Key Access - Set this to "allow whitelist IP only".
IP Whitelist - This setting will depend on where the WP-Rental website is hosted, but if this is not yet known, we can use our own host address. Set this to IP: 77.104.162.59.
Allow Writes - Set this to "No".
Property Access - Set this to "Owned or linked to this account".
Here is what it should look like:
Custom Application API
Next, we will add an other API key for "Custom Application", under "API Key 4". This can be any third part application or your own custom application. Similar to what we did previously, we need to set the following fields:
API Key - "customappatest12"
API Key Access - Set this to "allow any IP". This can be made more restrictive once you know what your new integration needs.
IP Whitelist - You can leave this blank.
Allow Writes - Set this to "No". You can change this to "Yes" once you know more about your new integration.
Property Access - Set this to "Owned or linked to this account".
Here is what it should look like:
E) Note All API Keys Created
You will need to use the API keys you created above, note them and save them somewhere for future use.
F) Go To Property Keys
For added security, Booking Automation requires that applications access property details using a "propkey". This must be set before integrating with other applications.
Make sure all your properties are configured with a 16-character long Prop-Key. To do this, navigate to Settings >> Properties page. From the properties navigation on the left hand side, click the link labeled “Link”:
G) Set All Property Key Values
From the property “Link” page, you can see all the API keys that are currently set. If one is not set, you must set it to a 16-character long text. You can use the drop down of properties to navigate through and check that all your properties have an API key present.
H) Property OTA Keys
This step is required for integration with BA-Property WordPress plugin and WP-Rentals. In order for BA-Properties WordPress plugin to receive information about booking availability and prices, we must ensure each property has an OTA property key set.
To find the OTA property key settings, navigate to Settings >> Channel Manager >> OTA. Here, we have a drop-down on the top left hand side to select the property to setup. For each property we must set the following values:
An OTA password for each property (must be unique)
Select what to sync for each room (inventory, prices and bookings). Select all if you are not sure.
Repeat for all properties using drop down select box at top right.
Here is what the screen looks like:
I) Note down all OTA Keys
Note down each OTA key used and what property it is for, this information will be handed off to the Booking Automation team to quickly setup your website.
J) Sync Airbnb data
In order to make sure you have rich data present about each property, it is suggested you sync all Airbnb property data. This will download all your content and property pictures.
Detailed steps coming soon...