Integration via API (REST)

The following graphic shows the integration via API schematically:

Serverscript is an application or code which is placed between the FactFinder search server and the destination pages. It governs the communication between the two. This part has to be generated before an API-Integration.

The steps are as follows:

  1.  Search query is sent to FactFinder: The search parameters entered in the search box by the user (query) must be sent to the FactFinder search server by means of an HTTP request (request).
  2. Search results are received (response): The FactFinder search server delivers the search results via an XML response.
  3. Search results are processed: the returned XML must be interpreted (parsed) by the shopping system.
  4. Search results page is generated (display): the structure of the HTML display of the search results page must be based on the search results information that is delivered.

The most important difference between this method and the Web Components result is that the design of the search results page is created by the shop. In this way the design is centrally managed and does not need to be monitored and corrected at multiple locations.


The integration via API comes in two flavours:

  1. You can develop the code, that is necessary for the integration, from scratch. All necessary informations can be found on the swagger-ui page of your FactFinder : https://[your fact-finder setup here]/fact-finder/swagger-ui.html . Demos and examples for this integration can be found here: https://github.com/FACT-Finder

  2. You can use Swagger-Codegen. This way classes like SearchRequest, SearchParams and TrackingApi will be generated automatically. This simplifies the code that you write for the integration of FactFinder into your shop. Informations about this way of integration via API can be found here: how to use swagger codegen for the integration via API