Authenticate with Microsoft

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

Authenticate Through the UI

Use the UI to authenticate with Microsoft and create a Microsoft Graph element instance. Microsoft authentication follows the typical OAuth 2.0 framework and you will need to sign in to Microsoft 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 Microsoft Graph 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. In OAuth API Key enter your app's Application Id.
  5. In OAuth API Secret enter your app's Password/PublicKey.
  6. In OAuth Scope leave the default scopes unless you extended the element. If so, add the required scopes for any resources that you add.
  7. Optionally type or select one or more Element Instance Tags to add to the authenticated element instance.
  8. Click Create Instance.
  9. Log in to Microsoft, 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, microsoftgraph.

curl -X GET /elements/{keyOrId}/oauth/url?apiKey=<Microsoft Application Id>&apiSecret=<Microsoft Password/PublicKey> &callbackUrl=<Microsoft Redirect URL>

Query Parameters

Query Parameter Description
apiKey The API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Application Id that you recorded in API Provider Setup.
apiSecret The client secret obtained from registering your app with the API provider. This is the Password/PublicKey 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 Redirect URL that you recorded in API Provider Setup

Example Request

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

Example Response

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

{
"oauthUrl": "https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/authorize?scope=Calendars.Read+Calendars.ReadWrite+offline_access&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mycoolapp.com%2auth&state=microsoftgraph&client_id=Rand0MAP1-key",
"element": "microsoftgraph"
}

Authenticating Users and Receiving the Authorization Grant Code

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Provide the oauthUrl in the response from the previous step to the users. After users authenticate, Microsoft provides the following information in the response:

  • code
  • state
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 (microsoftgraph) .

Authenticating the Element Instance

1
Redirect URL

2
Authenticate Users

3
Authenticate Instance

Use the code from the previous step and the /instances endpoint to authenticate with Microsoft 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": "microsoftgraph"
      },
      "providerData": {
        "code": "<AUTHORIZATION_GRANT_CODE>"
      },
      "configuration": {
        "oauth.api.key": "<Microsoft app Application Id>",
        "oauth.api.secret": "<Microsoft app Password/PublicKey>",
        "oauth.callback.url": "<Microsoft app Redirect URL >",
        "oauth.scope": "Calendars.Read Calendars.ReadWrite offline_access"
      },
      "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 Request

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": "microsoftgraph"
  },
  "providerData": {
    "code": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.api.key": "Rand0MAP1-key",
    "oauth.api.secret": "fak3AP1-s3Cr3t",
    "oauth.callback.url": "https;//mycoolapp.com",
    "oauth.scope": "Calendars.Read Calendars.ReadWrite offline_access"
  },
  "tags": [
    "Docs"
  ],
  "name": "API Instance"
}'

Authentication Parameters

API parameters in the UI are bold, while parameters available in the instances API are in code formatting.

Parameter Description Data Type
key The element key.
microsoftgraph
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 Application 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 Password/PublicKey that you noted in API Provider Setup. string
oauth.callback.url The URL that the API provider returns a user to after they authorize access. This is the Redirect URL that you noted in API Provider Setup. string
OAuth Scope
oauth.scope
The permissions required to access resources set up on the element. string
Tags
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": 17314,
      "name": "Microsoft Graph",
      "key": "microsoftgraph",
      "description": "Add a Microsoft Graph instance to connect your existing account allowing you to manage calendars and sync to a variety of microsoft endpoints. You will need your AWS account information to add an instance",
      "image": "http://developers.cloud-elements.com/assets/img/default-ce-logo-element-builder.png",
      "active": true,
      "deleted": false,
      "typeOauth": false,
      "trialAccount": false,
      "resources": [ ],
      "transformationsEnabled": true,
      "bulkDownloadEnabled": true,
      "bulkUploadEnabled": true,
      "cloneable": true,
      "extendable": true,
      "beta": false,
      "authentication": {
          "type": "oauth2"
      },
      "extended": false,
      "hub": "general",
      "protocolType": "http",
      "parameters": [  ]
    },
    "elementId": 17314,
    "tags": [
        "Docs"
    ],
    "provisionInteractions": [],
    "valid": true,
    "disabled": false,
    "maxCacheSize": 0,
    "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
    "providerData": {
        "code": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
    },
    "configuration": {    },
    "eventsEnabled": false,
    "traceLoggingEnabled": false,
    "cachingEnabled": false,
    "externalAuthentication": "none",
    "user": {
        "id": 123456,
        "emailAddress": "claude.elements@cloud-elements.com",
        "firstName": "Claude",
        "lastName": "Elements"
    }
}