Guidance Needed: Setting Up Bridge Integrations with Company Microsites

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Answers

  • Gina Smith
    Gina Smith ✭✭✭✭

    Hoping to get some guidance here. I am trying to create some Bridge integrations to web microsites that our company owns. I am not sure how to get started. Do I need to request in inbound webhook from our web owners? If so, is that what it is called or do I use different terminology?

    Thanks,

  • Darren Mullen
    Darren Mullen ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    @Gina Smith Are you trying to send data TO the microsites from Smartsheet or are you trying to get data FROM the microsites into Smartsheet?

  • Gina Smith
    Gina Smith ✭✭✭✭

    I am trying to bring data from the Microsites into a Smartsheet grid. I am not sure what an Inbound Webhook is. Is it similar to an API that must be generated on the backend or is it as simple as a URL that points to the page the data lives on?

  • Hi @Gina Smith

    A Webhook is a back-end API URL (not one from your browser) that sends information to another place (e.g. to Bridge) in live-time as a change happens.

    There are API calls you can do that run on a schedule… as an example, you could say "once an hour, get a list of all new Community posts as a list from this past hour". This would be an API GET request.

    However a Webhook "listens" for new posts and as soon as one is submitted it sends that data to Bridge.

    Another analogy… think of it like you're going to the Library to pick up all 7 Harry Potter books:

    • You can go about your day wandering around town, and at a certain point pop in and say "Hey Librarian, what Harry Potter books came in?" and she gives you the 3 books that had come in while you were away (GET API call)
      - OR -
    • You could sit next to the Librarian and wait for each book to be returned. The minute one person returns a book, the Librarian actively turns to you and hands it over without you saying anything. (Webhook)

    Either way you go - a Webhook or an API call - Bridge can be the connection between your Microsite and Smartsheet. Without knowing your scenario, I would probably suggest simply using the API Module to make your requests to the Microsite, and then have your Smartsheet Modules after it.

    What you can do will depend on the Microsite APIs and the actions you can take there. Bridge can read that data then send it to your sheet.

    Here's more information:

    Cheers,
    Genevieve

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  • Gina Smith
    Gina Smith ✭✭✭✭

    Thank you @Genevieve P. This is helpful. Are you able to send me an example of an Inbound Webhook? So far, none of the staff I have talked with know what an Inbound Webhook is. I am thinking if I have an example, maybe that would help them figure out how to get them.

    Thanks,

  • Hi @Gina Smith

    No problem! Here's the Smartsheet API Documentation on Webhooks that you can pass along:

    https://smartsheet.redoc.ly/tag/webhooksDescription/

    This is an example. In your case, you would need the Webhook URL to be from the Microsite, so it depends on what that site's abilities and documentation are. Not all sites have the ability to send information this way.

    You would need the site's API documentation (like our Smartsheet documentation above) to see how to get a Webhook URL to pass to Bridge. I would recommend reaching out to that site's Support channels if you don't know where to go for this.

    I hope that helps!
    Genevieve

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  • Gina Smith
    Gina Smith ✭✭✭✭

    Thank you, very helpful!