The SilkFlo API exists so your business cases stay honest after go-live. When an AI or automation solution goes live, its real results (hours saved, volumes processed, costs avoided) usually sit in another system. The API lets that system send those actuals straight into SilkFlo, where they sit next to the original forecast. You see whether each idea is delivering what it promised, without anyone copying numbers across from a spreadsheet every month.
API access is included on every SilkFlo plan.
Why actuals matter #
A business case is a forecast. It’s what got the idea approved. The question finance and leadership ask six months later is different: did it pay off?
Answering that needs actual figures recorded against the same measures the forecast used. You can type actuals into the business case by hand, and for a handful of ideas that’s fine. Once you have several solutions live, manual entry is where tracking breaks down: someone forgets a month, numbers drift, and the forecast-versus-actual picture goes stale. Sending actuals through the API keeps it current without that overhead. See The Business Case Builder.
How API access works #
SilkFlo uses API access tokens. A token is a long secret string that proves a request comes from a system you’ve authorised. Your system sends it in a request header called x-silkflo-api with every call, and SilkFlo accepts or rejects the call based on it.
Three things to know about tokens:
- Each token has an expiry date. You set it when you create the token. When it expires, calls using it stop working, so put a reminder in to replace it.
- A token is shown once. SilkFlo doesn’t store a readable copy. If it’s lost, delete it and create a new one.
- One token per connected system. If you ever need to revoke access for one system, the others carry on working.
Create a token #
Admins manage tokens on the API Secrets page under Settings > API.
- Click Get API Access Token.
- Give it a name and description that say which system will use it, for example “Finance data warehouse, monthly actuals”. Set an expiry date.
- Copy the token and store it in your organisation’s secrets manager or password vault, not in an email or shared document.
Then give the token to whoever is building the connection. They’ll find the endpoints and request formats under View Documentation on the same page.
Manage and revoke tokens #
The token list shows each token’s Name, Description, Expires date and Status. To revoke one, click Delete. Any system using it stops connecting straight away.
Good habits:
- Review the list every quarter and delete tokens for systems you no longer use.
- Replace tokens before they expire, not after a connection fails.
- If you suspect a token has leaked, delete it first and investigate second.
FAQs #
Does SilkFlo have an API? #
Yes, on every plan. Admins create access tokens under Settings > API, and your systems send the token in the x-silkflo-api request header. View Documentation on the same page lists the endpoints.
Can I send actual results into SilkFlo automatically? #
Yes. Actuals can be entered by hand in the business case or sent in through the API. Using the API means figures from your own systems reach SilkFlo on a schedule, so forecast versus actual stays up to date without manual re-keying.
What happens when an API token expires? #
Calls using it are rejected. Create a new token, update the connected system with it, then delete the old one.
