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Data Source

Follow the instructions below to create a new data flow that ingests data from a Bazaarvoice source in Nexla.
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Bazaarvoice

Create a New Data Flow​

  1. To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Then, select the desired flow type from the list, and click the Create button.

  2. Select the Bazaarvoice connector tile from the list of available connectors. Then, select the credential that will be used to connect to the Bazaarvoice instance, and click Next; or, create a new Bazaarvoice credential for use in this flow.

  3. In Nexla, Bazaarvoice data sources can be created using pre-built endpoint templates, which expedite source setup for common Bazaarvoice endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Bazaarvoice endpoint, making source configuration easy and efficient.
    • To configure this source using a template, follow the instructions in Configure Using a Template.

    Bazaarvoice sources can also be configured manually, allowing you to ingest data from Bazaarvoice endpoints not included in the pre-built templates or apply further customizations to exactly suit your needs.
    • To configure this source manually, follow the instructions in Configure Manually.

Configure Using a Template​

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure data sources to ingest data from common Bazaarvoice endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Bazaarvoice endpoint, making data source setup easy and efficient.

Endpoint Settings​

  • Select the endpoint from which this source will fetch data from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Available endpoint templates are listed in the expandable boxes below. Click on an endpoint to see more information about it and how to configure your data source for this endpoint.

    Get Manifest File List

    This endpoint retrieves the DCE manifest file list from your Bazaarvoice account. The manifest file list contains information about available data files, including product data, review data, and other content types. Use this endpoint when you need to see what data files are available for download.

    • This endpoint automatically retrieves the manifest file list. No additional configuration is required beyond selecting this endpoint template.
    • The endpoint uses GET requests to the Bazaarvoice DCE API endpoint ({base_url}/dce/v3/data). The endpoint URL is automatically constructed based on your credential's API base URL configuration.
    • The endpoint will return the manifest file list containing information about available data files. The response data is returned at the root level of the JSON response ($), containing manifest information, file paths, and metadata about available data sets.
    • The endpoint does not use pagination and returns the complete manifest file list in a single request.

    This endpoint retrieves the manifest file list, which is the first step in the Bazaarvoice DCE workflow. The manifest contains information about available data files, including full and incremental data sets. The endpoint requires HMAC authentication, which is handled automatically by your credential configuration. The HMAC signature is included in request headers (X-Bazaarvoice-Passkey, X-Bazaarvoice-Signature, X-Bazaarvoice-Timestamp). For detailed information about the manifest file list and DCE workflow, see the Bazaarvoice DCE documentation.

    Get Products

    This endpoint retrieves product data from your Bazaarvoice account using a multi-step process. The endpoint first fetches the manifest file list, then retrieves the product manifest file, and finally downloads the product data files. Use this endpoint when you need to access complete product data including reviews, ratings, and other product information.

    • Select the DCE data set type from the DCE data set type dropdown menu. Available options are:

      • incrementals: Retrieves incremental data sets containing only changes since the last export (default)
      • fulls: Retrieves full data sets containing all available data

    • The endpoint uses a multi-step process to retrieve product data:

      • Step 1: Fetches the manifest file list from {base_url}/dce/v3/data
      • Step 2: Retrieves the product manifest file path from the manifest list based on the selected data set type
      • Step 3: Downloads the product data files from the paths specified in the product manifest
    • The endpoint automatically handles the multi-step workflow, chaining API calls to fetch the manifest, locate product files, and download product data. The endpoint uses file-based iteration for the final step to process product data files.
    • The endpoint will return all product data from the selected data set type. Product data includes product information, reviews, ratings, and other product-related content. The response data is extracted from product files, with each product record processed individually.
    • The endpoint uses file-based pagination for the final step, automatically processing multiple product data files as needed.

    This endpoint uses a multi-step workflow to retrieve product data. The endpoint first fetches the manifest file list, then locates the product manifest file based on the selected data set type (fulls or incrementals), and finally downloads and processes product data files. The endpoint requires HMAC authentication, which is handled automatically by your credential configuration. The endpoint uses file-based iteration (iteration.type: body.as.file) for the final step to process product data files. For detailed information about the DCE workflow and product data retrieval, see the Bazaarvoice DCE documentation.

Endpoint Testing​

Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, Nexla can retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched according to the current settings. This allows users to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be fetched & displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the sample data is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the sample data to ensure that the correct information is displayed.

Configure Manually​

Bazaarvoice data sources can be manually configured to ingest data from any valid Bazaarvoice DCE API endpoint. Manual configuration provides maximum flexibility for accessing endpoints not covered by pre-built templates or when you need custom API configurations.

With manual configuration, you can also create more complex Bazaarvoice sources, such as sources that use chained API calls to fetch data from multiple endpoints or sources that require custom authentication headers or request parameters.

API Method​

  1. To manually configure this source, select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen.

  2. Select the API method that will be used for calls to the Bazaarvoice API from the Method pulldown menu. The Bazaarvoice DCE API primarily uses GET requests for data retrieval operations. The most common methods are:

    • GET: For retrieving data from the API (most common for Bazaarvoice DCE)
    • POST: For creating resources or triggering actions
    • PUT: For updating existing data
    • PATCH: For partial updates to existing data
    • DELETE: For removing data

API Endpoint URL​

  1. Enter the URL of the Bazaarvoice DCE API endpoint from which this source will fetch data in the Set API URL field. This should be the complete URL including the protocol (https://) and any required path parameters. Bazaarvoice DCE API endpoints typically follow the pattern {base_url}/dce/v3/{api_path} where {base_url} is your API base URL (e.g., https://api.bazaarvoice.com) and {api_path} is the specific API path (e.g., /data for manifest, /data?path={file_path} for data files).

Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct and accessible with your current credentials. The Bazaarvoice DCE API base URL is configured in your credential settings. You can test the endpoint using the Test button after configuring the URL. Bazaarvoice DCE API requests require HMAC authentication, and the HMAC signature headers (X-Bazaarvoice-Passkey, X-Bazaarvoice-Signature, X-Bazaarvoice-Timestamp) are automatically included in requests using your credential configuration. For detailed information about Bazaarvoice DCE API endpoints and available APIs, see the Bazaarvoice Displayable Content Export documentation.

Path to Data​

Optional

If only a subset of the data that will be returned by API endpoint is needed, you can designate the part(s) of the response that should be included in the Nexset(s) produced from this source by specifying the path to the relevant data within the response. This is particularly useful when API responses contain metadata, pagination information, or other data that you don't need for your analysis.

For example, when a request call is used to fetch a list of items, the API will typically return an array of records, along with metadata, in the response. By entering the path to the relevant data, you can configure Nexla to treat each element of the returned array as a record.

Path to Data is essential when API responses have nested structures. Without specifying the correct path, Nexla might not be able to properly parse and organize your data into usable records.

  • To specify which data should be treated as relevant in responses from this source, enter the path to the relevant data in the Set Path to Data in Response field.

    • For responses in JSON format enter the JSON path that points to the object or array that should be treated as relevant data. JSON paths use dot notation (e.g., $.products[*] to access an array of products within a response object).

    • For responses in XML format, enter the XPath that points to the object/array containing relevant data. XPath uses slash notation (e.g., /response/data/item to access item elements within a data element).

    Path to Data Example:

    If the API response is in JSON format and includes a top-level object with an array named products that contains the relevant data, the path to the response would be entered as $.products[*].

Autogenerate Path Suggestions​

Nexla can also autogenerate data path suggestions based on the response from the API endpoint. These suggested paths can be used as-is or modified to exactly suit your needs.

  • To use this feature, click the Test button next to the Set API URL field to fetch a sample response from the API endpoint. Suggested data paths generated based on the content & format of the response will be displayed in the Suggestions box below the Set Path to Data in Response field.

  • Click on a suggestion to automatically populate the Set Path to Data in Response field with the corresponding path. The populated path can be modified directly within the field if further customization is needed.

    PathSuggestions.png

Metadata​

If metadata is included in the response but is located outside of the defined path to relevant data, you can configure Nexla to include this data as common metadata in each record. This is useful when you want to preserve important contextual information that applies to all records but isn't part of the main data array.

For example, when a request call is used to fetch a list of items, the API response will typically include an array of records along with metadata such as total count, pagination information, or request timestamps. In this case, if you have specified the path to the relevant data but metadata of interest is located in a different part of the response, you can specify a path to this metadata to include it with each record in the generated Nexset(s).

Metadata paths are particularly useful for preserving API response context like request IDs, timestamps, or summary statistics that apply to all records in the response.

  • To specify the location of metadata that should be included with each record, enter the path to the relevant metadata in the Path to Metadata in Response field.

    • For responses in JSON format, enter the JSON path to the object or array that contains the metadata, and for responses in XML format, enter the XPath.

Request Headers​

Optional

  • If Nexla should include any additional request headers in API calls to this source, enter the headers & corresponding values as comma-separated pairs in the Request Headers field (e.g., header1:value1,header2:value2). Additional headers are often required for API versioning, content type specifications, or custom authentication requirements.

    You do not need to include any headers already present in the credentials. Common headers like Authorization, Content-Type, and Accept are typically handled automatically by Nexla based on your credential configuration. Bazaarvoice DCE API requests require HMAC authentication, and the HMAC signature headers (X-Bazaarvoice-Passkey, X-Bazaarvoice-Signature, X-Bazaarvoice-Timestamp) are automatically included in requests using your credential configuration.

Endpoint Testing​

After configuring all settings for the selected endpoint, Nexla can retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched according to the current configuration. This allows users to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be fetched & displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the sample data is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the sample data to ensure that the correct information is displayed.

Save & Activate the Source​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Create button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the new Bazaarvoice data source. Nexla will now begin ingesting data from the configured endpoint and will organize any data that it finds into one or more Nexsets.