Overview
With access to the open DeliverLogic API, you are now able to inject orders into the software that originate directly from your restaurant or retail partners. These orders can then be dispatched, executed, and tracked inside of the DeliverLogic software so that you can easily fulfill orders from all types of different sources in one single super-powered platform. Below we will go into some basic use cases and then we’ll dive deeper into how each one can be set up.
Anytime you inject an APIX or OLO Dispatch order through our API, we will create a
“Active Vendor Pickup Location” restaurant profile IF there’s not one already in place for that specific address. We do this in order to properly process the order regardless of if there’s a restaurant with that same address/name already in your system and you service it normally.
FAQs
What is an API?
A way for two or more computer systems, or software to communicate data (in our current case - orders) to each other.
What is Zapier?
Zapier is an online automation tool that connects different web services and apps together in order to automate repetitive tasks. It allows users to create "zaps", which are customized workflows that automate specific actions between different apps. For example, a user could create a zap that automatically saves all new Gmail attachments to a specific folder in Google Drive, or one that creates a new row in a Google Sheets spreadsheet every time a new contact is added to a Mailchimp mailing list.
Zapier provides a simple and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to connect different apps and automate tasks without needing to write any code. It supports a wide variety of popular apps and services, including Gmail, Slack, Trello, Salesforce, and many more. With Zapier, users can save time and effort by automating repetitive tasks, and focus on more important work.
What is Jotform?
JotForm is a web-based platform that allows users to create and manage forms for data collection and management. The platform offers a wide range of features and tools to help users create forms with various types of fields, including text fields, multiple choice questions, checkboxes, and more. Users can also use JotForm to customize the design and layout of their forms, add multimedia elements like images and videos, and create conditional logic to show or hide form fields based on the responses to previous questions.
JotForm also offers features for managing and analyzing form submissions, such as the ability to receive notifications when a form is submitted, view and export submission data in a variety of formats, and create reports and charts to visualize data. Additionally, JotForm integrates with a variety of other tools and platforms, such as Google Sheets, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM, allowing users to easily import and export data to and from their forms. With its user-friendly interface and wide range of features, JotForm is a popular tool for businesses, organizations, and individuals looking to collect and manage data online.
What is parsing? Watch video
Email parsing is a technique used to extract specific data from an email message and convert it into a format that can be more easily used or processed by other software. For example, an email message might contain an order confirmation with information such as the customer's name, address, and purchase items. Parsing this email would extract that information and convert it into a format that can be used to update a database or trigger an action in another system, such as creating a new customer record or updating an inventory system.
Zapier is a platform that allows you to automate tasks between different web services, including email parsing. To use email parsing with Zapier, you first need to set up a trigger in your email service (such as Gmail) to send an email to a specific address whenever a new email arrives in your inbox that meets certain criteria. Then, you can set up a "zap" in Zapier that listens for incoming emails at that address and uses the Parser by Zapier app to extract the data from the email. Finally, you can use that extracted data to perform an action in another app, such as creating a new record in a spreadsheet or adding a new contact to your CRM.
Zapier provide a lot of apps to connect, then the parsed data can be transported in those apps, depending on the goal of your automation.
What is a webhook? Should I use a webhook url?
Webhooks are one way that apps can send automated messages or information to other apps
They're a simple way your online accounts can "speak" to each other and get notified automatically when something new happens. In many cases, you'll need to know how to use webhooks if you want to automatically push data from one app to another.
You can use the webhook URL to get status for your orders posted to another URL. Current status that will get posted are as follows:
SENT
PLACED
ARRIVED
ENROUTE
DELIVERED
Granting access to your API:
Create a user at Admin > Users > API > Create User
After creating a user, please share the url with the user and have them login at “yourdomain.com/admin”
Once logged in, the user can access the API url at “yourdomain.com/api2”
Basic Use Cases
Lets say that you want to provide your merchants a easy way to request a delivery, you can easily set up a jotform app or link and the merchant can load the url of the form and easily request a pick up by filling out a couple of pieces of information!
This use case is best when you want to simply equip multiple partners to submit pickup orders without having to setup a specific form and “Zap” for each of them. The upside is you only have to make one form, the downside is the merchant would have to fill out receptive information such as pick up location, and possibly pick up fees (you can create a form with one fee and the merchant would not have to fill this out because you would pass it through automatically). One way to streamline this process is by using the suggestion below.
This use case is best when you want to do a little bit more work on your side in order to make it easier on your partners that are making requests to your system. It requires building unique Jotforms for each merchant. Things such as pick up address, fees and such can automatically be sent through the form without the merchant having to fill them out every time. Once you create your unique form, you would then connect it to Zapier to be connected to your DeliverLogic delivery location. “Zap”.
This use case is best for someone that is running bulk orders such as meal prep, pharmacy, etc.
With the Google sheets approach, you can share a Google sheet with the merchant. The merchant can drop their pick up requests into a spreadsheet and once the sheet recognizes more fields were filled out, the Zapier would automatically inject these tasks into your dispatch board.
This one is extremely powerful! In general, lets say a merchant wants to forward you emails of orders that they want delivered. You can accept those emails, the parser would detect specific fields and then send them into your DeliverLogic system.
An example of this would be a local shoe store that wants you to deliver their shoes. You would request that they send their email confirmations to an email address you provide to them, once the email comes in, the information of the delivery would be parsed out and injected into your system automatically through Zapier.
Have a use case you want us to explore? Or something you’re using the API for that you think others should know about? Let us know and we’ll look into it.
In certain situations, order injection might FAIL due to an issue.
Please be sure to do this for each location prior to going live with API injected orders:
Go to LOCATIONS > REPORTING > and then enter your email in the Error/Issue Notification Emails field. Now, you’ll be sent an e-mail every time an order doesn’t succesfully inject!
Each situation may need to be handled differently and you will likely want to develop Standard Operating Procedures for these different types of failures. The current most common failures are the following scenarios:
Pick up address is out of your delivery area
Drop off address is out of your delivery area
You are not open during the time the pickup or drop off is requested
Note that parser-based integrations often start failing if the email format from a third party changes. It’s best to ask the third party to alert you to any upcoming changes so that you can update your integration before the switch is made so that there is no longer term interruption in services.
How do finances/payments work?
When a new order is placed, if it includes a previously unseen pick-up address or a unique RID, a corporate account will be automatically created based on that RID or pick-up address. The orders placed with that RID or pick-up address will be associated with this corporate account and will appear in the corporate account's reporting. A card on file can also be associated with the corporate account and the specific corporate account can be charged and reconciled at any time.
Steps to reconcile:
Reports > Corporate > Invoice
Run the report
Select the orders to charge
Bill the card on file
How to access DeliverLogic API info
You will be able to find our API information by accessing your Admin Backend and going to the bottom of the left sidebar.
From here you will have access to your DLID info which references
SPECIFIC LOCATION IDENTIFICATION as well as other info you will need to succesfully create ZAPS in Zapier.API Docs tab will allow you to see all the customizations and fields you can use to inject orders into DeliverLogic as well as a few test examples if you want to learn more about how certain information is being injected.
Glossary
Delivery Fee - what you will be charging the merchant for the delivery
List of currently available order injection fields:
Pickup Name
Pickup Address
Pickup Time
Pickup Notes
Dropoff Name
Dropoff Address
Dropoff Time
Dropoff Notes
Customer First Name
Customer Last Name
Customer Phone Number
Customer Email
Order Total
Delivery Fee
Driver Tip
Prep Time
Keywords:
API docs
DeliverLogic API
Open API instructions