Authenticate with Clover

You can authenticate with Clover to create your own instance of the Clover element through the UI or through APIs. Once authenticated, you can use the element instance to access the different functionality offered by the Clover platform.

Authenticate Through the UI

Use the UI to authenticate with Clover and create a Clover element instance. Clover authentication follows the typical OAuth 2.0 framework and you will need to sign in to Clover as part of the process.

If you are configuring events, see the Events section.

To authenticate an element instance:

  1. Sign in to Cloud Elements, and then search for Clover in our Elements Catalog. Search
  2. Hover over the element card, and then click Authenticate. Create Instance
  3. Enter a name for the element instance.
  4. 6. In OAuth API Key and OAuth API Secret enter the App ID and App Secret that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
  5. In OAuth Callback URL enter the Site URL that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
  6. In Sandbox select true if the app is on the Clover Sandbox server.
  7. In Merchant ID enter the Merchant ID that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
  8. Optionally type or select one or more Element Instance Tags to add to the authenticated element instance.
  9. Click Create Instance.
  10. Log in to Clover, and then allow the connection.

After successfully authenticating, we give you several options for next steps. Make requests using the API docs associated with the instance, map the instance to a virtual data resource, or use it in a formula template.

Authenticate Through API

Authenticating through API is similar to authenticating via the UI. Instead of clicking and typing through a series of buttons, text boxes, and menus, you will instead send a request to our /instances endpoint. The end result is the same, though: an authenticated element instance with a token and id.

Authenticating through API follows a multi-step OAuth 2.0 process that involves:

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Getting a Redirect URL

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Use the following API call to request a redirect URL where the user can authenticate with the service provider. Replace {keyOrId} with the element key, clover.

curl -X GET /elements/{keyOrId}/oauth/url?apiKey=<Clover App ID>&apiSecret=<Clover App Secret> &callbackUrl=<Clover Site URL>&merchantId=<Clover Merchant ID>

Query Parameters

Query Parameter Description
apiKey The API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the App ID that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
apiSecret The client secret obtained from registering your app with the API provider. This is the App Secret that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
callbackUrl The URL that the API provider returns a user to after they authorize access. This is the Site URL that you recorded in API Provider Setup
Merchant ID The Merchant ID that you recorded in API Provider Setup.

Example cURL

curl -X GET \
'https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/elements/clover/oauth/url?apiKey=Rand0MAP1-key&apiSecret=fak3AP1-s3Cr3t&callbackUrl=https:%3A%2F%2Fwww.mycoolapp.com%2auth&merchantId=5HBxxxxxxxxxxxxx' \

Example Response

Use the oauthUrl in the response to allow users to authenticate with the vendor.

{
"oauthUrl": "https://clover.com/oauth/authorize?client_id=Rand0MAP1-key&merchant_id=5HBxxxxxxxxxxxx",
"element": "clover"
}

Authenticating Users and Receiving the Authorization Grant Code

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Provide the response from the previous step to the users. After they authenticate, Clover provides the following information in the response, where code is the primary information required for the next step:

  • state
  • code
  • merchant_id
  • employee_id
  • client_id
Response Parameter Description
code The authorization grant code returned from the API provider in an OAuth 2.0 authentication workflow. Cloud Elements uses the code to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint.
state A customizable identifier, typically the element key (clover) .
merchant_id, employee_id, client_id Additional identifiers related to the request.

Authenticating the Element Instance

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Use the /instances endpoint to authenticate with Clover and create an element instance. If you are configuring events, see the Events section.

To authenticate an element instance:

  1. Construct a JSON body as shown below (see Parameters):

    {
      "element": {
        "key": "clover"
      },
      "providerData": {
        "code": "<AUTHORIZATION_GRANT_CODE>"
      },
      "configuration": {
        "oauth.api.key": "<Clover app App ID>",
        "oauth.api.secret": "<Clover app App Secret>",
        "oauth.callback.url": "<Clover app Site URL >",
        "clover.sandbox": "<true or false>",
        "merchantId": "<Clover app Merchant ID>"
      },
      "tags": [
        "<Add_Your_Tag>"
      ],
      "name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>"
    }
    
  2. Call the following, including the JSON body you constructed in the previous step:

    POST /instances
    
  3. Locate the token and id in the response and save them for all future requests using the element instance.

Example cURL

curl -X POST \
  https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/instances \
  -H 'authorization: User <USER_SECRET>, Organization <ORGANIZATION_SECRET>' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "element": {
    "key": "clover"
  },
  "providerData": {
    "code": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.callback.url": "https;//mycoolapp.com",
    "oauth.api.key": "Rand0MAP1-key",
    "oauth.api.secret": "fak3AP1-s3Cr3t",
    "clover.sandbox": "false",
    "merchantId": "5HBxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "tags": [
    "Docs"
  ],
  "name": "API Instance"
}'

Parameters

API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting.

Parameter Description Data Type
key The element key.
clover
string
code The authorization grant code returned from the API provider in an OAuth 2.0 authentication workflow. Cloud Elements uses the code to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint. string
Name
name
The name of the element instance created during authentication. string
OAuth API Key
oauth.api.key
The API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the App ID that you noted in API Provider Setup. string
OAuth API Secret
oauth.api.secret
The client secret obtained from registering your app with the API provider. This is the App Secret that you noted in API Provider Setup. string
OAuth Callback URL
oauth.callback.url
The API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Site URL that you noted in API Provider Setup. string
Sandbox
clover.sandbox
For connecting to an app on a Clover Sandbox server select True. Otherwise keep the default False. boolean
Merchant ID
merchantId
The Merchant ID that you recorded in API Provider Setup. string
tags Optional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance. string

Example Response for an Authenticated Element Instance

In this example, the instance ID is 12345 and the instance token starts with "ABC/D...". The actual values returned to you will be unique: make sure you save them for future requests to this new instance.

{
  "id": 12345,
  "name": "Instance via API",
  "createdDate": "2017-11-30T21:53:35Z",
  "token": "ABC/D...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "element": {
      "id": 5217,
      "name": "Clover",
      "hookName": "Clover",
      "key": "clover",
      "description": "Add a Clover Instance to connect your existing Clover account to the Employees Hub, allowing you to manage roles, timesheets, employees, etc. across multiple Employee Elements. You will need your Clover  account information to add an instance.",
      "image": "elements/custom-element-default-logo.png",
      "active": true,
      "deleted": false,
      "typeOauth": false,
      "trialAccount": false,
      "resources": [ ],
      "transformationsEnabled": true,
      "bulkDownloadEnabled": true,
      "bulkUploadEnabled": true,
      "cloneable": true,
      "extendable": false,
      "beta": false,
      "authentication": {
          "type": "oauth2"
      },
      "extended": false,
      "hub": "employee",
      "protocolType": "http",
      "parameters": [  ],
      "private": false
    },
    "elementId": 5217,
    "tags": [
        "Docs"
    ],
    "provisionInteractions": [],
    "valid": true,
    "disabled": false,
    "maxCacheSize": 0,
    "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
    "providerData": {
        "code": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
    },
    "configuration": {    },
    "eventsEnabled": false,
    "traceLoggingEnabled": false,
    "cachingEnabled": false,
    "externalAuthentication": "none",
    "user": {
        "id": 123456,
        "emailAddress": "claude.elements@cloud-elements.com",
        "firstName": "Claude",
        "lastName": "Elements"
    }
}