Guest Connect allows you to configure custom http requests to external systems with open APIs.
Integrated directly into the Experience Editor, a user is able to create multiple Guest Connect actions, each one acting as a unique web request to any API of your choice. Click HERE to see some examples of possible Guest Connect use cases
In some cases, Guest Connect is not enabled by default. If you are interested in using it, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or [email protected]
Our Campus Video Lesson on both Salesforce Actions can be found HERE. If you have not yet signed-up for Campus, you can do so for free. Then, register for the Kiosk Experience Course.
Using The Guest Connect Action
Add the Guest Connect Action into your experience after the page you wish to map data from. For example, if you need to reference information from an About You Page, add the Guest Connect Action somewhere to the right of the About You Page.
Once you have created the new action, follow these steps to set it up:
Step 1 - Choose the Origin. Server or Device:
A Server action will fire off your Guest Connect configuration on our Sign In Enterprise Server as soon as the sign in is complete. That is, it happens at the very end of the flow.
By contrast, the Device action will fire off on the iPad before allowing the visitor to move to the next page in the experience. It happens immediately.
The default is to use the Server, but you may wish to set the origin to Device for specific use cases. Use Device origin if:
You wish to hit an endpoint on your local network. (Web request stays within your firewall)
You need the action to happen before the visitor moves to the next page.
NOTE: A Server origin action CANNOT have Output tokens map into a Device origin action's Input Tokens
Step 2 - Create your Input Tokens:
Input tokens can be used to replace parts of the JSON, XML, or even in the URI parameters in your HTTP node. For example, if you need your GuestConnect action to send email, first name, and last name data to an external API, all three of those fields will need to be mapped as input tokens.
First, field map data directly from other pages like the About You, Form page, or other actions. Any page that has a yellow tab on the right side can be mapped to a yellow tab on the left side. Simply click and hold on the yellow tab of the field you wish to map from and drag the line to the yellow tab of the input token.
Once you are mapping the data into an input token, rename the token to something that makes it easy to identify when configuring the HTTP node. Our recommendation is to place a pound sign (#) before and after the word, but this can be formatted anyway you wish. Just be consistent as we will use these again in Step 3.
Step 3 - Configure the HTTP Node:
Click the Configure HTTP Node button near the top of the page to configure your API call.
The Guest Connect action allows you to define:
The endpoint URL
The type of web request (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.)
The Headers and Body (supports both XML and JSON
Most systems have published API documentation that will greatly assist in the setup of your Guest Connect action. In the example above, we are posting a visitor's name, email, and company to an online spreadsheet using a bearer token as authorization.
Step 4 - Mock Data and Test
After you've configured your API call and input tokens, you are able to set up mock data using example input tokens and test the action directly in the configuration window.
Click the Mock Tokens tab near the top of the page. The left side will automatically populate with the Input Tokens you created in Step 2 of this guide. On the right side, enter any example data that will simulate what a visitor may input during their sign-in.
Now that the tokens are set with test data, click the Output tab near the top of the page. Choose a JSON or XML response type, then click TEST. You will either see a full response if successful, or an error code if not.
NOTE: if your endpoint is HTTP and not HTTPS, you will not be able to test it from the Output page page. This only blocks testing in the Experience Editor, HTTP URLs may still be hit from sign-ins on the iPad.
Step 5 - Setting Up Output Tokens (Optional):
If you wish to do more with the response you received from the web request, you can create output tokens that pull specific fields from the response which can then be mapped into other pages in your experience, including other Guest Connect actions.
For example, our CISCO ISE integration through Guest Connect allows you to make a call to a CISCO ISE server and then use Output tokens to pull a temporary wifi password that a visitor can then view on their badge or in a document unique to them.
To parse a field, find it in the JSON response from your Output Test in Step 4, and look to see if is "nested" inside other fields. Add a period between parent and child fields.
In the screenshot below, we are looking to reference an external source that lists when a specific visitor completed their training. From the JSON response, we can write the output token by listing the parent and child fields (in order from top to bottom) separated by periods: records.0.fields.TrainingCompleteDate
We can then write it into our Guest Connect action by clicking Add Output Token on the main page. To test it, click back into Configure HTTP Node. Enter any Mock Tokens as necessary.
Click Output, then Test. Your Outputs will be visible above the response:
