Skip to main content

VinSolutions

VinSolutions is a leading provider of automotive CRM and dealership management solutions, offering tools for sales, marketing, and customer engagement to help automotive retailers improve performance and customer relationships.

VinSolutions icon

Power end-to-end data operations for your VinSolutions API with Nexla. Our bi-directional VinSolutions connector is purpose-built for VinSolutions, making it simple to ingest data, sync it across systems, and deliver it anywhere — all with no coding required. Nexla turns API-sourced data into ready-to-use, reusable data products and makes it easy to send data to VinSolutions or any other destination. With comprehensive monitoring, lineage tracking, and access controls, Nexla keeps your VinSolutions workflows fast, secure, and fully governed.

Features

Type: API

SourceDestination

  • Seamless API Integration: Connect to any endpoint as source or destination without coding, with automatic data product creation
  • Visual Composition & Chaining: Build complex integrations using visual templates, chain API calls, and compose workflows with data validation and filtering
  • API Proxy: Expose curated slices of your data securely with a secure and customizable API proxy that validates and transforms data on the fly
  • Request optimization with intelligent batching, retry, and caching to minimize API calls and costs

Prerequisites​

Before creating a VinSolutions credential, you need to obtain your Client ID, Client Secret, and API Key from your VinSolutions Developer account. VinSolutions uses OAuth2 client credentials (2-legged) authentication for all API requests, along with an API key sent in the request headers.

To obtain your VinSolutions OAuth credentials and API key, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to your VinSolutions account using your administrator credentials.

  2. Navigate to the VinSolutions Developer Portal or API settings in your VinSolutions account, typically accessible from the account menu or settings icon.

  3. In the Developer Portal or API settings, navigate to API Keys or OAuth Applications to access your OAuth application and API key management.

  4. If you don't have an OAuth application yet, click Create Application or Register Application to create a new OAuth application.

  5. Configure your OAuth application settings:

    • Enter a name for the application (e.g., "Nexla Integration")
    • Review and accept the VinSolutions API Terms of Service
    • Set the application type to Client Credentials or 2-legged OAuth
    • Set the scope to PublicAPI
    • Click Create or Register to create the application

  6. After the application is created, you will see your Client ID and Client Secret. Copy both values immediately, as the Client Secret may not be accessible again after you navigate away from the page.

  7. In the same Developer Portal or API settings, navigate to API Keys to access your API key management.

  8. If you don't have an API key yet, click Create API Key or Generate API Key to create a new API key.

  9. Configure your API key settings:

    • Enter a name for the API key (e.g., "Nexla Integration")
    • Review the API key permissions or scopes (if applicable)
    • Click Create or Generate to create the API key

  10. Copy the API Key value immediately after it's generated, as it may not be accessible again after you navigate away from the page.

  11. Store all three credentials securely, as you will need them to configure your Nexla credential. The Client Secret and API Key are sensitive information and should be kept confidential.

The Client ID and Client Secret are used in the OAuth2 client credentials flow to obtain access tokens. The API Key is sent in the api_key header for all API requests to the VinSolutions API. These tokens and keys are then used to authenticate your requests. If your credentials are compromised, you should immediately revoke them in your VinSolutions Developer Portal and generate new ones. For detailed information about obtaining OAuth credentials and API keys, API authentication, and available endpoints, refer to the VinSolutions API documentation.

Authenticate​

Credentials required​

FieldRequiredSecretDescription
Client IDYesNoVinSolutions Client ID
Client SecretYesYesVinSolutions Client Secret
API KeyYesNoVinSolutions API Key

Create a VinSolutions Credential​

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

New Credential Overlay – VinSolutions

VinSolutionsCred.png

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 provide information about the resource purpose, data freshness, etc. that can help the owner and other users efficiently understand and utilize the resource.

OAuth2 Client Credentials Authentication​

VinSolutions uses OAuth2 client credentials (2-legged) authentication for all API requests. This method uses your Client ID and Client Secret to obtain access tokens automatically. Additionally, an API Key is required and sent in the request headers.

  1. Enter your Client ID in the Client ID field. This is the OAuth2 client identifier you obtained from your VinSolutions Developer Portal (OAuth Applications). The Client ID is used to identify your application when requesting access tokens.

  2. Enter your Client Secret in the Client Secret field. This is the OAuth2 client secret you obtained from your VinSolutions Developer Portal. The Client Secret is used together with the Client ID to authenticate your application and obtain access tokens. The Client Secret is sensitive information and must be kept confidential.

  3. Enter your API Key in the API Key field. This is the API key you obtained from your VinSolutions Developer Portal (API Keys). The API Key is sent in the api_key header for all API requests to the VinSolutions API. The API Key is sensitive information and must be kept confidential.

    Your VinSolutions OAuth credentials (Client ID, Client Secret) and API Key can be found in your VinSolutions Developer Portal under OAuth Applications and API Keys. The Client Secret and API Key are sensitive information and must be kept confidential.

    If your credentials are compromised, you should immediately revoke them in your VinSolutions Developer Portal and generate new ones. The OAuth credentials and API Key provide access to your VinSolutions account data and should be treated as sensitive information. Keep your credentials secure and do not share them publicly.

    For detailed information about obtaining OAuth credentials and API keys, API authentication, and available endpoints, see the VinSolutions API documentation.

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.

Use as a data source​

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

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

VinSolutions sources can also be configured manually, allowing you to ingest data from VinSolutions 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 VinSolutions endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding VinSolutions 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 All Dealers

    This endpoint template retrieves the list of dealerships your client application can access from your VinSolutions account. Use this template when you need to access dealership information, dealership settings, or dealership metadata for analysis, reporting, or integration purposes.

    • This endpoint automatically retrieves the list of dealerships your client application can access from your VinSolutions account. No additional configuration is required beyond selecting this endpoint template.

    This endpoint returns the list of dealerships your client application can access from your VinSolutions account, including dealership IDs, names, and other dealership metadata. The endpoint provides access to all dealerships that your application has permission to view.

    For detailed information about dealerships, API response structures, and available dealership data, see the VinSolutions API documentation.

    Get All Users for a Dealer

    This endpoint template retrieves all ACTIVE users for a dealer, as well as their IlmAccess, which represents the user's role, from your VinSolutions account. Use this template when you need to access user information, user roles, or user metadata for a specific dealer for analysis, reporting, or integration purposes.

    • Enter the Dealer Id in the Dealer Id field. This should be the unique identifier of the dealer whose users you want to retrieve. The Dealer Id determines which dealer's users will be retrieved. You can find the Dealer Id by using the "Get All Dealers" endpoint.

    This endpoint returns all ACTIVE users for a dealer from your VinSolutions account, including user IDs, names, roles (IlmAccess), and other user metadata. The endpoint allows you to view all ACTIVE users, as well as their IlmAccess, which represents the user's role.

    The Dealer Id can be found by using the "Get All Dealers" endpoint. For detailed information about users, API response structures, and available user data, see the VinSolutions API 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​

VinSolutions data sources can be manually configured to ingest data from any valid VinSolutions 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 VinSolutions 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 VinSolutions API from the Method pulldown menu. The most common methods are:

    • GET: For retrieving data from the API (most common for VinSolutions data sources)

API Endpoint URL​

  1. Enter the URL of the VinSolutions 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.

Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct and accessible with your current credentials. You can test the endpoint using the Test button after configuring the URL.

Path to Data​

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 dealers, the API will typically return an array of dealer 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 VinSolutions 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., $.Items[*] to access an array of dealers 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/dealers/dealer to access dealer elements within a dealers element).

    Path to Data Example:

    If the VinSolutions API response is in JSON format and includes a nested array named Items that contains the relevant data, the path to the response would be entered as $.Items[*].

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

Endpoint Testing (Manual Configuration)​

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 VinSolutions 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.

Use as a destination​

  1. Click the + icon on the Nexset that will be sent to the VinSolutions destination, and select the Send to Destination option from the menu.

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

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

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

Configure Using a Template​

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure destinations to send data to common VinSolutions endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding VinSolutions endpoint, making destination setup easy and efficient.

  • To configure this destination using a template, select the endpoint to which data will be sent from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Then, click on the template in the list below to expand it, and follow the instructions to configure additional endpoint settings.

    Create Contact

    This endpoint template creates contacts from each record of the dataset in your VinSolutions account. Use this template when you need to automatically create contacts based on data from your Nexla flows.

    • This endpoint sends data as JSON in the request body to create new contacts. Each record from your Nexset will be sent as a separate API request to create a contact. The request body should contain the contact data in the format required by the VinSolutions API, including all required properties for contact creation.

    This endpoint sends data as JSON in the request body to create new contacts in your VinSolutions account. Each record from your Nexset will be sent as a separate API request to create a contact. The request body should contain the contact data in the format required by the VinSolutions API, including all required properties for contact creation.

    The contact structure must match the VinSolutions API's expected format. Ensure your contact data includes all required fields. Check out the API documentation link for required record schema. For detailed information about contact creation, request body formats, and available contact properties, see the VinSolutions API documentation.

    Create call detail record

    This endpoint template creates new call detail records from each record of the dataset in your VinSolutions account. Use this template when you need to automatically create call detail records based on data from your Nexla flows.

    • This endpoint sends data as JSON in the request body to create new call detail records. Each record from your Nexset will be sent as a separate API request to create a call detail record. The request body should contain the call detail data in the format required by the VinSolutions API, including all required properties for call detail creation.

    This endpoint sends data as JSON in the request body to create new call detail records in your VinSolutions account. Each record from your Nexset will be sent as a separate API request to create a call detail record. The request body should contain the call detail data in the format required by the VinSolutions API, including all required properties for call detail creation.

    The call detail structure must match the VinSolutions API's expected format. Ensure your call detail data includes all required fields. Check out the API documentation link for required record schema. For detailed information about call detail creation, request body formats, and available call detail properties, see the VinSolutions API documentation.

Configure Manually​

VinSolutions destinations can be manually configured to send data to any valid VinSolutions API endpoint.

Using manual configuration, you can also configure Nexla to automatically send the response received from the VinSolutions API after each call to a new Nexla webhook data source.

API Method​

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

  2. Select the API method that will be used for calls to the VinSolutions API from the Method pulldown menu. The most common methods for VinSolutions destinations are:

    • POST: For creating new resources (most common for VinSolutions destinations)
    • PUT: For updating existing resources
    • PATCH: For partial updates to existing resources

Data Format​

  1. Select the format in which the Nexset data will be sent to the VinSolutions API from the Content Format pulldown menu. Nexla will automatically convert the data to the selected format for each API call.

The VinSolutions APIs typically expect JSON format for most operations. Choose JSON unless you have specific requirements for other formats.

API Endpoint URL​

  1. Enter the URL of the VinSolutions API endpoint to which you want to send the Nexset data in the URL field. For update/upsert operations, include the ID of the object to be updated at the end of the URL.

Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct and accessible with your current credentials. You can test the endpoint using the Test button after configuring the URL.

Request Headers​

Optional

  • If Nexla should include any additional request headers in API calls to this destination, enter the headers & corresponding values as comma-separated pairs in the Request Headers field (e.g., header1:value1,header2:value2).

    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.

Exclude Attributes from the Call​

Optional

  • If any record attributes in the Nexset should be omitted when sending data to this VinSolutions destination, select the attributes from the Exclude Attributes pulldown menu.

  • Any number of attributes can be selected for exclusion, and all excluded attributes will be shown in the field. To remove an attribute from the list, click the X icon next to the attribute name.

Record Batching​

Optional

  1. If records should be sent to this destination in batched API calls, check the box next to Would you like to batch your records together? to enable record batching.

  2. Enter the maximum number of records that should be batched together in a single API call in the Batch Size field. By default, this value is set to 100.

  3. Select the algorithm that will be used to group records into batches from the Grouping Algorithm pulldown menu. The sample request shown in the panel on the right will be updated to reflect the current batching settings. Some algorithms require additional settings—click on an algorithm listed below to view instructions for configuring these settings.

Record batching is particularly useful for VinSolutions destinations when you need to process large numbers of records efficiently. Batching can help reduce API calls and improve performance.

Response Webhook​

Optional

Nexla can automatically send the response received from the VinSolutions API after each call to a new Nexla webhook data source. This option allows you to keep track of the status of each API call and any additional information returned after each call.

  • To enable this option, check the box next to Would you like to process the API response as a Nexla Webhook source?.

Response webhooks are particularly useful for VinSolutions destinations to track contact creation status, call detail creation confirmations, and any error responses from the VinSolutions API.

Sample Request Payload​

Sample request payloads containing a portion of the Nexset data that will be sent to the VinSolutions API endpoint based on the current settings are shown in the Sample Payload panel on the right. These samples can be referenced to ensure that the destination and request settings are correctly configured.

  • Click on a sample request payload to expand it and view the complete payload content.
  • Sample payloads are automatically updated with each setting change, making it easy to verify that changes achieve the desired effect.

Endpoint Testing (Manual Configuration)​

After all endpoint settings have been configured, Nexla can send a test payload to the VinSolutions API to ensure that the destination is configured correctly.

  1. To send a test payload, select the Test button at the top of the Sample Payload panel, and click on a listed sample payload to expand it.

  2. If any modifications to the sample payload are needed, make the necessary changes directly within the sample window.

  3. Click the Send Test Data button at the top of a sample payload to send the test payload to the VinSolutions API using the current settings.

Save & Activate the Destination​

  • Once all endpoint settings have been configured, click the Done button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the destination. To send the data to the configured VinSolutions endpoint, open the destination resource menu, and select Activate.

    The Nexset data will not be sent to the VinSolutions endpoint until the destination is activated. Destinations can be activated immediately or at a later time, providing full control over data movement.