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Custom API Integration

Connect Any System to NIVA — Custom API Integration Guide

10–15 minutes Easy — no technical knowledge required 4 steps

NIVA's Custom API Connection lets you link your chatbot directly to almost any business software — your booking platform, inventory system, CRM, helpdesk, or a custom database — without writing a single line of code. Once connected, your chatbot can look things up, submit forms, and trigger real actions inside your system automatically, all through normal conversation.

If your software has a settings page that mentions API, Developer Access, or Webhooks, it can connect to NIVA. This guide walks you through the full setup in plain language.

What your bot can do after connecting
Guided Flow
Structured questions → action in your system
  • "Book me an appointment for Thursday at 2pm"
  • "I'd like to register for the event"
  • "Can I place an order for item #4021?"
  • "Submit a support ticket for my account"
  • "Request a quote for 50 units"
  • "Sign me up for the newsletter"
Smart AI
AI detects intent → calls your system on its own
  • "Do you have any availability next weekend?"
  • "What's the status of my order #8872?"
  • "Is the blue one still in stock?"
  • "Which option would you recommend for me?"
  • "Has my ticket been resolved yet?"
  • "What are your current prices?"
Before you begin
A NIVA account with at least one active chatbot
Business software that offers API or developer access — check your software's settings for a section labelled API, Developer, or Integrations
An API key, access token, or login credentials for that software — your software provider can give you this, usually from the same settings area
Step-by-step setup

Add Your API Connection

  • In your NIVA dashboard, open Integrations in the left sidebar and click API Connections
  • Click New Connection in the top right corner
  • Give your connection a name — anything that helps you recognise it, like Our Booking System or Product Inventory
  • Paste in the base address of your system — this is the main web address your software uses for API calls. Your software provider's documentation usually shows this at the top (it looks like https://api.yoursoftware.com)
  • Choose how NIVA should log in to your system. The most common options are: API Key — copy a secret key from your software's settings and paste it here; Bearer Token — a longer security string, common with modern platforms; Username & Password — for older systems that use basic login credentials
Not sure which login method your system uses? Look for an "API", "Developer", or "Security" section in your software's settings, or ask your software provider's support team. They'll know exactly which option to use.

Define What to Send and Receive

  • Inside your connection, click Add Endpoint. An endpoint is one specific action your system can perform — for example, Create Appointment, Check Stock, or Look Up Customer
  • Give the endpoint a clear name that describes what it does in plain English
  • Enter the path — the specific address for this action inside your system. This usually looks like /api/bookings or /customers/search. Your software provider's API documentation will list all available paths
  • Choose the method — for fetching data, this is usually GET. For creating or submitting something, it's usually POST
  • Add parameters — these are the pieces of information this action needs. For a booking, that might be: name, date, and email. For each one, mark whether it is required and whether it goes in the URL or the request body (your documentation will specify)
  • Optionally, list the response fields your system sends back — like a booking confirmation ID or availability count. NIVA can save these and use them in the bot's reply
Test it right here. Once you've saved an endpoint, switch to the Test tab inside that same endpoint window. Fill in example values and click Run Test — you'll see the real response from your system instantly. Every test is logged so you can review what was sent and what came back.

Choose How Your Chatbot Uses It

  • Option A — Guided Flow (recommended for structured processes like bookings or registrations): Go to Flows in the sidebar and open your flow or create a new one. Add an API Call block at the point where you want the action to happen. Select your connection and endpoint, then map each collected answer to the right field. The bot will walk every visitor through the same steps in order.
    How it feels to your visitor
    Hi! I can book you in. What's your name?
    Sarah Johnson
    Which date works for you?
    Next Thursday
    ✓ Done! Your appointment is booked for Thursday. You'll receive a confirmation shortly.
  • Option B — Smart AI (recommended for free-form questions and lookups): Go to your bot's Settings → Tools, find your connection, and switch it on. Write a short plain-English description of when the AI should use it — for example: "Use this to check live availability when a visitor asks about open slots or dates." The AI will read every message and call your system automatically when it's relevant.
    How it feels to your visitor
    Do you have anything free next Saturday for two people?
    Let me check that for you… (checking availability)
    Yes! We have 3 options open on Saturday. A morning slot at 10am, afternoon at 2pm, and evening at 6pm. Which works best for you?
You can use both options at the same time. For example, a Flow handles new bookings step-by-step while the Smart AI handles free-text questions like "what's my booking status?" or "is the 5pm slot still available?"

Test and Go Live

  • Test the connection — In your API Connection settings, click Test Connection. NIVA will ping your system and confirm it can reach it successfully. A green tick means you're connected
  • Test each endpoint — Open any endpoint, switch to the Test tab, fill in realistic values, and click Run Test. You'll see the exact response your system returns — confirm the right fields come back
  • Preview the full conversation — Use the bot preview in your dashboard to go through the journey as a real visitor. Check the bot collects all the right information and your system receives it correctly
  • Check the execution log — Click the View Logs button on any endpoint to see a full history of every call: what was sent, what came back, whether it succeeded, and how long it took. This is your best tool for catching anything unexpected before going live
When everything looks right in the preview, click Publish on your bot. From that point on, every submission, lookup, and action your chatbot handles goes directly into your system — automatically, 24 hours a day.
Troubleshooting
Test Connection fails with "Could not connect"
Double-check the base address — make sure it includes https:// at the start and has no trailing slash. Also confirm your API key or token was copied in full with no extra spaces.
Endpoint test returns an error or unexpected result
Open the View Logs panel on that endpoint to see the exact response body. The error message from your system will usually tell you exactly what's wrong — a missing required field, an incorrect value format, or an expired token.
The AI method is not calling my system during chat
Check that the tool is switched on in Settings → Tools. Also review the description you wrote — make sure it clearly says when to use it. Try rephrasing it: "Call this when the visitor asks about [specific topic]."
The Flow submits but my system shows no data
Go back to your API Call block in the Flow builder and check the field mappings — confirm each collected answer is mapped to the correct parameter name exactly as your system expects it.
Ready to connect Custom API?
NIVA Botmaster → Integrations → API Connections → New Connection
Open API Connections