How to create a custom REST API connector for Qlik Cloud

Integrate Qlik Cloud and Custom API
Integrate Qlik Cloud and Custom API

Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect Custom API with Qlik Cloud for smooth data access.

Read / write Custom API data without coding. You can do it all using the high-performance Custom API ODBC Driver (powered by Custom API Connector for ZappySys API Driver). We'll walk you through the entire setup.

Ready to dive in? Download the product to jump right in, or follow the step-by-step guide below to see how it works.

Create Custom API Connector

First of all, you will have to create your own API connector. For demonstration purposes, in this section we will create a simple Hello-World API connector that calls ZappySys Sandbox World API endpoint https://sandbox.zappysys.com/api/world/hello. When developing your Custom API Connector, just replace it with your real API method/endpoint. Let's dive in and follow these steps:

  1. Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):

    Open ODBC Data Source

  2. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys JSON Driver driver:

    ZappySys JSON Driver
    Create new User DSN for ZappySys JSON Driver

  3. Once the data source configuration window opens, enter this URL into the text box:

    https://sandbox.zappysys.com/api/world/hello

  4. Then go to the Preview tab and try to say "Hello!" to the World!

  5. Since the test is successful, you are ready to create the Hello-World Connector:

  6. The API Connector File Wizard opens, click Next:

  7. Leave the default option, and click Next again:

  8. Just click Next in the next window:

  9. Let's give our new custom connector a name it deserves:

  10. Then just click Next in the Connection Types window:

  11. Let's name the hello endpoint (it deserves a name too!):

  12. When the next window opens, delete the default table (we won't need it for now):

  13. Finally, specify a path, where you want to save the newly created API Connector:

Create data source using Custom API ODBC Driver

Video instructions

Watch this quick walkthrough to see how to configure your Custom API ODBC data source, or scroll down for the step-by-step written guide.

While this video uses the OData Connector as an example, the core concepts and setup process are exactly the same for the Custom API Connector.

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from Custom API using Qlik Cloud, we first need to create an ODBC data source. We will later read this data in Qlik Cloud. Perform these steps:

  1. Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).

  2. Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):

    Open ODBC Data Source

  3. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys API Driver driver:

    ZappySys API Driver
    Create new User DSN for ZappySys API Driver

  4. When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already. Then set the path to your created Custom API Connector (in the example below, we use Hello-World Connector). Finally, click Continue >> to proceed:

    Create ODBC data source based on API Driver

  5. Now it's time to configure the Connection Manager. Select Authentication Type, e.g. Token Authentication. Then select API Base URL (in most cases, the default one is the right one). Check your Custom API reference for more information on how to authenticate.

    Authenticating to your Custom API in ODBC application

  6. Once the data source connection has been configured, it's time to configure the SQL query. Select the Preview tab and then click Query Builder button to configure the SQL query:

    ZappySys API Driver - Custom API
    Read / write Custom API data without coding.
    CustomApiDSN
    Open Query Builder in API ODBC Driver to read and write data to REST API

  7. Start by selecting the Table or Endpoint you are interested in and then configure the parameters. This will generate a query that we will use in Qlik Cloud to retrieve data from Custom API. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step. 

    SELECT * FROM Orders
    Configure table/endpoint parameters in ODBC data source based on API Driver
    Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the Custom API, e.g. filtering parameters. It means that filtering will be done on the server side (instead of the client side), enabling you to get only the meaningful data much faster.

  8. Now hit Preview Data button to preview the data using the generated SQL query. If you are satisfied with the result, use this query in Qlik Cloud:

    ZappySys API Driver - Custom API
    Read / write Custom API data without coding.
    CustomApiDSN
    SELECT * FROM Orders
    API ODBC Driver-based data source data preview
    You can also access data quickly from the tables dropdown by selecting <Select table>.
    A WHERE clause, LIMIT keyword will be performed on the client side, meaning that the whole result set will be retrieved from the Custom API first, and only then the filtering will be applied to the data. If possible, it is recommended to use parameters in Query Builder to filter the data on the server side (in Custom API servers).

  9. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Set up Qlik Direct Access data gateway

To connect to the Custom API data, you need a secure pipeline between your Qlik Cloud tenant and the Custom API ODBC DSN. Let's download, deploy, and register the Qlik data gateway to make this happen.

  1. First, log into your My Qlik tenants portal and choose your tenant:

    • Navigate to Administration.

    • Select Spaces.

    Open Spaces in Qlik Cloud Administration

  2. Create a shared space if you do not have one yet:

    • Click Create new.

    • Name shared space and confirm.

    Create shared space in Qlik Cloud

  3. Next, let's grab the gateway installer:

    • Navigate to Administration.

    • Select Data gateways.

    Open Data gateways in Qlik Cloud Administration

  4. Download the gateway:

    • Click Deploy.

    • Select Data Gateway - Direct Access (Windows).

    • Check acknowledgement box.

    • Click Download.

    Click Deploy to download Qlik data gateway

  5. If you are not running this locally, copy the installer to your target machine.

    The ODBC PowerPack and the Qlik Direct Access gateway must be installed on the exact same machine.

  6. Install the Qlik Direct Access gateway.

  7. Once installed, open an elevated Command Prompt on the gateway machine:

    Open command prompt as administrator for gateway setup

  8. Link the gateway to your tenant:

    • Navigate to ConnectorAgent directory.

    • Run tenant URL setup command.

    Link Qlik data gateway with tenant URL 
    cd \
cd "Program Files\Qlik\ConnectorAgent\ConnectorAgent"
ConnectorAgent.exe qcs set_config --tenant_url https://<tenant>.qlikcloud.com

  9. Generate your data gateway key:

    Generate gateway key in Qlik tenant 
    ConnectorAgent.exe qcs generate_keys

  10. Start the gateway service:

    Start Qlik data gateway service 
    ConnectorAgent.exe service start

  11. Generate and copy the registration payload:

    • Run registration command.

    • Copy output text.

    Open Qlik gateway configuration details 
    ConnectorAgent.exe qcs get_registration

  12. Now let's head back to the Qlik Cloud Administration page to complete the data gateway registration.

  13. Create the gateway entry in your tenant and apply the key:

    • Name gateway.

    • Select Direct Access for Gateway type.

    • Select shared space.

    • Paste generated key.

    • Click Create.

    Create Qlik data gateway and set key in tenant portal

  14. Finally, verify the status shows Connected:

    Verify Qlik data gateway status as Connected

Create ODBC connection in Analytics

With the gateway actively running, let's build the actual ODBC connection in Analytics.

  1. Navigate to your My Qlik tenants page, choose your tenant, select the Analytics tile, and click the Create menu item:

    Open Analytics catalog and go to Create section in Qlik Cloud

  2. Click the Data connection tile:

    Click Create connection in Qlik Analytics

  3. Next, let's create the ODBC data connection by selecting your shared space and finding the right connector:

    • Pick your shared space.

    • Search for odbc.

    • Choose the ODBC (via Direct Access gateway) option.

    Select ODBC connector via Qlik data gateway

  4. Finally, configure the ODBC connection fields to wrap up the setup:

    • Select your Data gateway.

    • Select the System DSN option.

    • Choose the ODBC source (DSN).

    • Select the DB2 SQL syntax.

    • Name the connection.

    • Click Test connection, then click Create.

    CustomApiDSN
    Configure and create ODBC connection in Qlik Cloud

  5. Connection is ready!

You are now successfully wired up to your Custom API data. Let's see how to actually load it into your dashboard.

Load Custom API data into Qlik Cloud

Depending on your specific use case, you can choose one of the two methods below to bring your data into the Qlik Cloud environment for analysis.

Use Analytics app with Data load editor

This is the best method if you need to run dynamic SQL. We will use your new gateway connection in the Data load editor to pull the data and verify it visually.

  1. Navigate to your My Qlik tenants page, choose your tenant, select the Analytics tile, and click the Create menu item:

    Open Analytics catalog and go to Create section in Qlik Cloud

  2. Click the Application tile to start creating a new application:

    Click Application to create a new app in Qlik Cloud

  3. Next, create the application within your shared space:

    • Name the application.

    • Select your shared space.

    • Click the Create button.

    Create application in shared space in Qlik Cloud

  4. Now, open the new application and click the Data load editor option:

    Open Data load editor in Qlik application

  5. With the editor open, you can configure your DSN and SQL query before running the data load:

    • Select your shared space connection.

    • Click the gateway connection button to use the ODBC (via Direct Access gateway) option.

    • Name the table as MyData and prepare your SQL load script.

    • Click Load data.

    SELECT * FROM Orders
    Configure SQL query in Qlik Data load editor using ODBC connection 
    LIB CONNECT TO 'My Shared Space:Gateway Connection';

MyData:

LOAD *;

SQL
SELECT * FROM Orders

  6. Once the data has successfully loaded, go to the sheet to build your dashboard:

    • Select the Sheet option.

    • Select the Fields section.

    • Drag and drop the fields onto the sheet to create your visuals.

    MyData
    Add fields from loaded MyData table to Qlik sheet

  7. Your Custom API data is now ready for analysis!

Use Data flow for data integration

Use this method if you want to build a complete source-to-destination pipeline directly inside Qlik Cloud.

  1. Navigate to your My Qlik tenants page, choose your tenant, select the Analytics tile, and click the Create menu item:

    Open Analytics catalog and go to Create section in Qlik Cloud

  2. Click the Data flow tile to start building your integration:

    Click Create data flow in Qlik Analytics

  3. Next, create the data flow within your shared space:

    • Name your data flow.

    • Select your shared space.

    • Click the Create button.

    Create data flow in shared space in Qlik Cloud

  4. Now that the data flow is created, open the editor and browse your available connections:

    • Select the Editor tab.

    • Click the Browse connections button.

    Open connection browser in Qlik data flow editor

  5. Select the gateway-backed ODBC connection we set up earlier:

    • Choose your gateway connection.

    • Click Next.

    Select gateway connection in Qlik data flow

  6. Select your source tables and the specific fields you want to import:

    • Select one or multiple tables.

    • Uncheck any unwanted columns (optional).

    • Click Finish.

    Select source tables in Qlik data flow

  7. Map your source and destination nodes to define the flow:

    • Connect the source node to the destination node.

    • Click Run flow to start the integration process.

    Connect source to destination in Qlik data flow

  8. Wait for the successful completion message to appear:

    Qlik data flow completed successfully

  9. Your Custom API data integration is now complete!

Optional: Centralized data access via ZappySys Data Gateway

In some situations, you may need to provide Custom API data access to multiple users or services. Configuring the data source on a Data Gateway creates a single, centralized connection point for this purpose.

This configuration provides two primary advantages:

  • Centralized data access
    The data source is configured once on the gateway, eliminating the need to set it up individually on each user's machine or application. This significantly simplifies the management process.
  • Centralized access control
    Since all connections route through the gateway, access can be governed or revoked from a single location for all users.
Data Gateway
Local ODBC
data source
Simple configuration
Installation Single machine Per machine
Connectivity Local and remote Local only
Connections limit Limited by License Unlimited
Central data access
Central access control
More flexible cost

To achieve this, you must first create a data source in the Data Gateway (server-side) and then create an ODBC data source in Qlik Cloud (client-side) to connect to it.

Let's not wait and get going!

Create Custom API data source in the gateway

In this section we will create a data source for Custom API in the Data Gateway. Let's follow these steps to accomplish that:

  1. Search for gateway in the Windows Start Menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway Configuration:

    Open ZappySys Data Gateway Service Manager

  2. Go to the Users tab and follow these steps to add a Data Gateway user:

    • Click the Add button
    • In the Login field enter a username, e.g., john
    • Then enter a Password
    • Check the Is Administrator checkbox
    • Click OK to save
    Data Gateway - Add User

  3. Now we are ready to add a data source:

    • Click the Add button
    • Give the Data source a name (have it handy for later)
    • Then select Native - ZappySys API Driver
    • Finally, click OK
    CustomApiDSN
    ZappySys API Driver
    Data Gateway - Add data source

  4. When the ZappySys API Driver configuration window opens, go back to ODBC Data Source Administrator where you already have the Custom API ODBC data source created and configured, and follow these steps on how to Import data source configuration into the Gateway:

    • Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
      ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
      ZappySys API Driver - Custom API
      Read / write Custom API data without coding.
      CustomApiDSN
      Copy connection string for ODBC application
    • The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard: Successful connection string copying for ODBC application

    • Then go to Data Gateway configuration and in data source configuration window click Load settings:

      CustomApiDSN
      ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
      ZappySys API Driver - Custom API
      Read / write Custom API data without coding.
      CustomApiDSN
      Load configuration in ZappySys Data Gateway data source
    • Once a window opens, just paste the settings by pressing CTRL+V or by clicking right mouse button and then Paste option.

  5. Once done, go to the Network Settings tab and Add a firewall rule for inbound traffic:

    Data Gateway - Add firewall rule for inbound connections
    • This will initially allow all inbound traffic.
    • Click Edit IP filters to restrict access to specific IP addresses or ranges.

  6. Crucial Step: After creating or modifying the data source, you must:

    • Click the Save button to persist your changes.
    • Hit Yes when prompted to restart the Data Gateway service.

    This ensures all changes are properly applied:

    ZappySys Data Gateway - Save Changes
    Skipping this step may cause the new settings to fail, preventing you from connecting to the data source.

Create ODBC data source to connect to the gateway

In this part we will create an ODBC data source to connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway from Qlik Cloud. To achieve that, let's perform these steps:

  1. Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):

    Open ODBC Data Source

  2. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver:

    ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
    Create new User DSN for ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
    If you don't see the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver in the list, choose a similar version.

  3. Then set a Name for the data source (e.g. Gateway) and the address of the Data Gateway:

    ZappySysGatewayDSN
    localhost,5000
    ODBC driver for SQL Server - Setting hostname and port
    Make sure you separate the hostname and port with a comma, e.g. localhost,5000.

  4. Proceed with the authentication part:

    • Select SQL Server authentication
    • In the Login ID field enter the user name you created in the Data Gateway, e.g., john
    • Set Password to the one you configured in the Data Gateway
    ODBC driver for SQL Server - Selecting SQL Authentication

  5. Then set the default database property to CustomApiDSN (the one we used in the Data Gateway):

    CustomApiDSN
    CustomApiDSN
    ODBC driver for SQL Server - Selecting database
    Make sure to type the data source name manually or copy/paste it directly into the field. Using the dropdown might fail because the Trust server certificate option is not enabled yet (next step).

  6. Continue by checking the Trust server certificate option:

    ODBC driver for SQL Server - Trusting certificate

  7. Once you do that, test the connection:

    ODBC driver for SQL Server - Testing connection

  8. If the connection is successful, everything is good:

    ODBC driver for SQL Server - Testing connection succeeded

  9. Done!

We are ready to move to the final step. Let's do it!

Access data in Qlik Cloud via the gateway

Finally, we are ready to read data from Custom API in Qlik Cloud via the Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:

  1. Go back to Qlik Cloud.

  2. Navigate to your My Qlik tenants page, choose your tenant, select the Analytics tile, and click the Create menu item:

    Open Analytics catalog and go to Create section in Qlik Cloud

  3. Click the Data connection tile:

    Click Create connection in Qlik Analytics

  4. Next, let's create the ODBC data connection by selecting your shared space and finding the right connector:

    • Pick your shared space.

    • Search for odbc.

    • Choose the ODBC (via Direct Access gateway) option.

    Select ODBC connector via Qlik data gateway

  5. Finally, configure the ODBC connection fields to wrap up the setup:

    • Select your Data gateway.

    • Select the System DSN option.

    • Choose the ODBC source (DSN).

    • Select the DB2 SQL syntax.

    • Name the connection.

    • Click Test connection, then click Create.

    ZappySysGatewayDSN
    Configure and create ODBC connection in Qlik Cloud

  6. Read the data the same way we discussed at the beginning of this article.

  7. That's it!

Now you can connect to Custom API data in Qlik Cloud via the ZappySys Data Gateway.

If you are asked for authentication details, use Database authentication, SQL authentication or Basic authentication option and enter the credentials you used when configuring the Data Gateway, e.g. john and your password.

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to Custom API in Qlik Cloud and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by Custom API ODBC Driver.

Download ODBC PowerPack now or ping us via chat if you have any questions or are looking for a specific feature (you can also reach out to us by submitting a ticket):

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