Overview
Using the Data Connect feature, you can automatically retrieve text, date, or images with an API from a data source to the Templates apps.
For information about accessing and learning the basics of the Templates app, visit the Templates App guide.
Contents of this guide
Web Data Connector
1. Click on the "Data" tab
2. Select "Connect Data"
3. Select "Web Data Connector"
4. Now you will connect your data source. Follow the steps below to set up the Pull or Push connection
Pull Connection
1. Select the "Pull Connection" tab
2. Enter your Web URL for your system's webhook
3. Add Query Parameters if you wish to make your request more specific
- Name the parameter
- Assign a value
- If you wish to encrypt the value, check the Encrypt box
- Check the Display Group box to apply it to your Display Groups. Check out this guide for more details
- Enter a Test Value
- Select “Add” to include additional parameters
- Remove parameters by selecting the
icon
4. Add HTTP headers to add information to your request
- Name the parameter
- Assign a value
- If you wish to encrypt the value, check the Encrypt box
- Select “Add” to include additional parameters
- Remove parameters by selecting the icon
5. Set an API Refresh Frequency to determine how often your data will be updated
6. Click “Test Connection”
- If the connection fails, correct errors and "Test Connection" again
- When the connection is successful, select "Next"
7. Enter a Data Path String if you're mapping data from a different path than the root of your data source
8. Create Mappings to generate template columns from the JSON data
- Assign a field name for the corresponding data type (text, image, or date)
- Select a corresponding JSON property from the auto-populated results
- Click "Add" button to add more fields
- Choose "Text", "Date", or "Image" for the appropriate data type
- Select to delete a row
9. Once you have created your mappings, select "Done"
10. Now you must populate the data
Push Connection
1. Select the "Push Connection" tab
2. Select "Copy URL" to copy and then paste the Enplug URL into your data system
3. Select "Next"
4. Enter a Data Path String if you're mapping data from a different path than the root of your data source
5. Create Mappings to generate template columns from the JSON data
- Assign a field name for the corresponding data type (text, image, or date)
- Select a corresponding JSON property from the auto-populated results
- Click "Add" button to add more fields
- Choose "Text", "Date", or "Image" for the appropriate data type
- Select to delete a row
6. Once you have created your mappings, select "Done"
7. Now you must populate the data
Data Population
Your template is ready for data population but you will need to first save the template and refresh to view the results
1. Click the "Save" button
2. Select the display group(s) to which to apply the template and click "Save Changes"
3. Refresh the browser
4. From the Templates Library, select your sign by clicking on the name
5. The data from your file source is now populated in the Data tab
Data Binding
Now that your data has populated in the spreadsheet, you can link the content to your template canvas to create dynamic signs and custom triggers.
Follow the Dynamic Templates guide to explore this process.
Change Data Settings
If you would like to change the data in your spreadsheet, you can edit the data connection.
1. Select "Edit Data Connection"
2. Your previous settings are populated on the Web Data Connector menu. Follow the same process as your setup steps to edit the Pull or Push connection
3. Make changes as needed, then select "Done"
4. To save the connection and populate the results, follow the on-screen Data Population prompts
5. The data can't be manually edited in the templates spreadsheet because it's linked to the API. To edit the data, do so from the file source.