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Authorization

Follow this guide to create a new Dwolla credential that will allow Nexla to authenticate to and exchange data with your Dwolla account.
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Dwolla

Prerequisites​

Dwolla uses OAuth 2.0 with the Client Credentials flow for server-to-server API authentication. In this flow, your application exchanges its Client ID and Client Secret for a short-lived access token, which Nexla uses to make authenticated requests to the Dwolla API on your behalf.

Before creating a Dwolla credential in Nexla, you must register a Dwolla application and obtain your Client ID and Client Secret. Follow the steps below to complete this setup.

Register a Dwolla Application and Obtain Credentials​

  1. Sign in to your Dwolla account at the Dwolla Dashboard. If you are setting up a sandbox integration for testing, sign in to the Dwolla Sandbox Dashboard instead.

  2. Navigate to Applications in the left-hand sidebar of the Dashboard.

  3. Click Create Application (or select your existing application if one has already been created). The Sandbox environment automatically provides a pre-created application when you register.

  4. Give your application a descriptive name that helps identify its purpose (for example, "Nexla Integration").

  5. Once the application is created or selected, you will see the Client ID (sometimes labeled "App Key") and Client Secret (sometimes labeled "App Secret") for the application. Copy both values and store them securely—you will need them when creating the Dwolla credential in Nexla.

Important

Your Client Secret is sensitive and should be kept confidential. Do not share it publicly or store it in version control. Dwolla access tokens are short-lived (valid for 1 hour); Nexla automatically handles token renewal using your stored client credentials.

Choose Your API Environment​

Dwolla provides two API environments:

  • Sandbox (https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com): A risk-free testing environment that mirrors production behavior. Use this environment to develop and test your integration before going live.

  • Production (https://api.dwolla.com): The live environment for real money movement. Use this environment only after your integration has been validated in Sandbox.

Your Client ID and Client Secret are environment-specific. The credentials obtained from the Sandbox Dashboard are only valid against the Sandbox API, and production credentials are only valid against the Production API. For additional details about Dwolla API environments, refer to the Dwolla Developer Documentation.

Create a Dwolla Credential​

  • To create a new Dwolla credential, after selecting the data source/destination type, click the Add Credential tile to open the Add New Credential overlay.

Credential Name & Description​

  1. Enter a name for the credential in the Credential Name field and a short, meaningful description in the Credential Description field.

    Resource descriptions are recommended but are not required. They should be used to provide information about the resource purpose, data freshness, etc. that can help the owner and other users efficiently understand and utilize the resource.

OAuth2 Two-Legged (Client Credentials)​

Nexla connects to the Dwolla API using the OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials flow. This is a server-to-server authentication method in which Nexla exchanges your application's Client ID and Client Secret for a Bearer access token, which is then used to authenticate all subsequent API requests.

  1. Enter your Dwolla application's Client ID in the Client ID field. This is the unique public identifier assigned to your application and can be found on the Applications page of your Dwolla Dashboard.

  2. Enter your Dwolla application's Client Secret in the Client Secret field. This is the confidential password associated with your Client ID. This value is masked after entry and stored securely by Nexla.

    Your Client Secret should be treated as a password. Dwolla issues this value when your application is created. If you have lost your Client Secret, you can regenerate it from the Applications page of your Dwolla Dashboard—note that this will invalidate the previous secret.

  3. Select the Dwolla API environment that this credential should connect to from the Base URL field:

    • Sandbox (https://api-sandbox.dwolla.com): Select this option for development and testing.
    • Production (https://api.dwolla.com): Select this option for live production workflows.

    The default value is the Sandbox URL. Ensure you select the environment that matches the credentials you obtained from the Dwolla Dashboard.

Save the Credential​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Save button at the bottom of the overlay to save the configured credential.

  2. The newly added credential will now appear in a tile on the Authenticate screen during data source/destination creation and can be selected for use with a new data source or destination.