The ALIS API is a data tool that empowers your team to access hundreds of data points captured in ALIS for your own discrete reporting needs. The standard v1 method as described in this guide is for simple, quick data pulls. 

For more information on ALIS API Exports, refer to these guides: 

• ALIS API Reference Guide
• ALIS API v2: Paged Exports

1 - Access to ALIS API Exports

The ALIS team must first create and enable your API access. We store these securely and will provide you with a unique username and password for your company. To get started, contact your Account Manager or our ALIS Customer Success Team.  

Once you have been provided credentials, follow the steps below: 

1. Navigate to https://api.alisonline.com/index.html. 
2. In the top right 'Select a definition' dropdown menu, the default option is API v1. 
   • Note: If you plan to pull large datasets using Excel Advanced Power Query or PowerBI, be sure to choose API v2. Refer to this (Coming Soon! API v2: Paged Exports) guide for separate instructions.
3. Then, click Authorize. 
4. In the 'Available authorizations' pop-up window, type in the company Username and Password provided.
5. Click the Authorize button directly below the Password field. Then click Close.

2 - Select your data endpoints

1. Once you have the entered your credentials, navigate to an export section (e.g., 'Export: Communities') for the data you want to view in Excel. 
2.  Click the GET button next to the desired URI stem (e.g., '/v1export/communities')
   • This expands the section where you can view data values that will be included in the export (e.g., "companyId").
3. Leave this page open, and open Excel on your device. 

3 - Import information from ALIS into Excel

1. In Excel, open the Data menu. In the Get Data section on the left, select "'From Web'.
2. In the 'From Web' pop-up window, complete the necessary details:
   1. Select Advanced. 
   2. In the URL parts field, paste https://api.alisonline.com and the URI stem from the data export you chose above (e.g., https://api.alisonline.com/v1/export/communities). 
   3. Next, skip down to 'HTTP request header parameters (optional)'. Choose Accept from the first menu and type "text/csv" in next text field.
   4. Click OK.
3. In the next 'Access Web content' window, click Basic on the lefthand menu and complete the necessary details:
   1. Paste your same User name and Password provided to you by the ALIS team. 
   2. The 'Select which level to apply these settings to' menu should say https://api.alisonline.com/
   3. Click Connect.  
4. Next, you will see a preview of the data that will load in to your worksheet. Here you have options to choose from: Load (into the current sheet), Load to (another location, such as a New worksheet), and Transform Data (launches the Power Query Editor).

When the data is loaded, all values of the data export group will display as columns in a new tab of your workbook. 

3 - Merge multiple data exports in Excel

Once you have loaded your distinct data exports into separate Excel tabs (e.g., a "Residents" table and a "UnitOccupancies" table), you can use the Merge function to combine them into a single master report based on a shared value (like a Resident ID or Community Name).

1. Click anywhere inside the first data table you imported. This will reveal the Query tab in the top Excel ribbon (usually located on the far right).

2. Click the Query tab, then select Merge. In the dialog box that appears, complete the following details: 

   • First Table: Your primary table is already selected.

   • Second Table: Use the dropdown menu to select the second table you wish to merge.

   • Match Columns: Click to highlight the common column in both tables (e.g., click "Community Name" in the top list and "Community Name" in the bottom list). This tells Excel how to link the rows.

   • Join Kind: Leave this as "Left Outer" (this keeps all rows from your primary table and adds matching details from the second).

   • Click OK.

3.  You may see a pop-up regarding data privacy. Select "Organizational" or "Ignore Privacy Levels" and click Save to proceed.

4. The Power Query Editor window will now open. Scroll to the far right of your table to find the new column (named after your second table).

   • Click the Expand icon (two arrows pointing away from each other) in the column header.

   • Uncheck "Use original column name as prefix" to keep headers clean.

   • Select the specific columns you want to add to your report.

   • Click OK.

5. Click Close & Load in the top left corner. A new tab will be created in your workbook containing your fully merged dataset.

FAQs

I'm having issues importing data to Excel. How can I reset my credentials and start over? 

If you need to switch accounts or fix a login error, you can clear your saved API credentials in Excel.

1. Open the Data menu.

2. Click Get Data > Data Source Settings.

3. In the pop-up window, check the radio button for Global Permissions.

4. Select https://api.alisonline.com/

5. Click Clear Permissions to force Excel to forget your credentials. (Alternatively, click Edit Permissions to manually update your credentials for your company's API).

6. Close the window and try your query again. Excel will prompt you to enter your credentials as if it were the first time.

How do I change the status and date filters of an existing query?

Some API queries default filter to a specific timeframe (e.g., the current month) or status. To change this, you must generate a new URL with your desired parameters and update Excel.

Step 1: Generate the New URL

1. Go to the ALIS API Index page.

2. Find the specific query you are using in the ALIS API index page and click the Try it out button.

3. Enter your desired parameters (e.g., change the month, year, or status) and click Execute.

4. Scroll down to the Responses section. Look for the Request URL.

5. Copy this URL. (It will look like the original URL but with extra text appended to the end).

Step 2: Update Excel

1. In your Excel workbook, go to the Data tab and click Data Source Settings.

2. In the pop-up window, select your current query and click the Change Source... button.

3. Paste the new Request URL you copied in Step 1 into the URL box.

4. Click OK and then Close. Your data will now refresh using the new filters.

How do I fix a "Column not found" error?

If a working query suddenly stops and displays a "Column not found" error, it is likely because ALIS added a new column to the report, and Excel is still "remembering" the old table structure. You can fix this by clearing the cache. 

To clear the cache in Excel: 

1. In the Data tab, click Get Data and select Query Options at the bottom of the menu.

2. In the left sidebar under Global, select Data Load.

3. Locate the Data Cache Management Options section.

4. Click the Clear Cache button.

5. Click OK to save, then refresh your data. 

Related Articles:

• ALIS API Reference Guide
• ALIS API v2: Paged Exports

For more assistance with ALIS API Exports,

Contact our ALIS Customer Success Team:

888.404.ALIS (2547) or support@go-alis.com