Note: The API requires separate licensing. You must have the Use Veslink API General Permission enabled.
The API is a standard set of web services, implemented as a set of RESTful interfaces, that allow external systems to retrieve information and submit Veslink form XML. The available endpoints and the actions available are documented at https://api.veslink.com/Help (login required).
The methods available via the API are mainly GET and POST (with a PATCH method available to act on IMOS Dataforms).
The API supports form XML for all standard Veslink forms.
- For Veslink with IMOSConnect: For in-port forms (for example, the Statement of Facts form), the nomination of a particular external system for a port call can occur within IMOS. These nominations are replicated from IMOS to Veslink and are accessible via the web service.
Enabling User-level Access to the API
Access to the API is administered per user. In order to use the API, the user must belong to a Company defined in Veslink.
To enable a user to access the API, an Administrator must apply Security Administrator privileges to the user.
If a user has API access, there is no additional security assigned to endpoints. The exception to this policy is for reports. The Administrator can assign or revoke access to reports on a per-user basis. On top of the report access privileges, the creator of a report can make the report private or public, which adds another layer of access security on reports.
Managing Access to the API
The API is protected from unauthorized access by two factors of authentication:
An API Token, which is generated for a Veslink user account
An IP Whitelist entry, specifying allowed networks or machines for API access
Once a user's API Token is generated, it will not expire; however, each user has access to their own API Token in the same way and can refresh or clear the token as often as desired. The Administrator can revoke API access for a user by modifying the user's Veslink Permissions.
API Monitoring and Security
Veson Nautical has added monitoring and security enhancements to the API, namely:
Programmatic access to the API logs for a given account, for the purposes of monitoring compliance, uncovering misuse, and gathering data for analytics (expected release in February 2020; subject to change without notice).
The option to embed the API Token in the authorization header of an API call. The default API syntax includes the API Token in the query parameters, while a new option embeds the token as a bearer token in an API header. This option removes the API Token from browser address bars, router logs, and other sources where the token may be exposed.
API Planned Enhancements
Note: Future enhancements are subject to change without notice.
Plans for enhancements for the API include role-based security, user-level access controls, and an API gateway to enhance API security, monitoring, and performance management.
Here is the current prioritized list for those enhancements:
API role-based security
API user-level access controls
API Gateway