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Import Freshdesk Data into Microsoft Power Query
The CData API Server offers standards-based Web service endpoints that allow a variety of applications to access Freshdesk data. In this article, you will use the OData format to import Freshdesk data into Microsoft Power Query.
The API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for Freshdesk (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), enables you to use Web services to connect to and query Freshdesk data. This article details how to import an OData feed of Freshdesk data into Microsoft Power Query.
Set Up the API Server
Follow the steps below to begin producing secure Freshdesk OData services:
Deploy
The API Server runs on your own server. On Windows, you can deploy using the stand-alone server or IIS. On a Java servlet container, drop in the API Server WAR file. See the help documentation for more information and how-tos.
The API Server is also easy to deploy on Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and Heroku.
Connect to Freshdesk
After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Freshdesk, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to Freshdesk by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.
FreshDesk makes use of basic authentication. To connect to data, set the following connection properties:
- Domain: Set this to the domain associated with your FreshDesk account. For example, in your URL: https://my_domain.freshdesk.com.
- APIKey: Set this to the API key associated with your FreshDesk account. To retrieve your API key, Log into your support Portal -> Click on profile picture in the top right corner -> profile settings page. The API key will be available below the change password section to the right.
You can then choose the Freshdesk entities you want to allow the API Server access to by clicking Settings -> Resources.
Authorize API Server Users
After determining the OData services you want to produce, authorize users by clicking Settings -> Users. The API Server uses authtoken-based authentication and supports the major authentication schemes. Access can also be restricted based on IP address; by default, only connections to the local machine are allowed. You can authenticate as well as encrypt connections with SSL.
Connect to Freshdesk Data from Power Query
Follow the steps below to import tables that can be refreshed on demand:
- Configure the API Server to use a version of the OData protocol that is recognized by Power Query. In the API Server administration console, click Settings -> Server and change the value of the Default Version property to 3.0.
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From the ribbon in Excel, click Power Query -> From Other Data Sources -> From OData Feed, and enter the OData URL:
https://your-server:8032/api.rsc
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In the next step of the wizard, define authentication credentials and set privacy levels. Select Basic authentication and enter the credentials for a user authorized to make requests. Specify the Username field and enter the user's authtoken in the Password field.
To change the authentication scheme that Power Query will use, click Power Query -> Data Source Settings. Select the OData feed from the list and then click Edit Credential. Select the privacy level from the menu on the Data Source Settings page.
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You can now access Freshdesk data in Power Query. In the Navigator expand the node for the OData feed, right-click a table, and click Edit to open the Query Editor. This will display the table data.
