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What is the ACS SOAP API?

API stands for Application Programming Interface (API). The ACS SOAP API lets clients use Web services to access the data from their Access ACS™ and Facility Scheduler database.

Our API is a collection of web service calls that provide information on username, password, profile data, groups, volunteers, small groups, events and more from the Access ACS database. Developers can use these calls to create dynamic content on their Web sites, validate users of ACS, and create their own custom applications to pull data from our servers.

When should I use the ACS SOAP API?

The ACS SOAP APIs can help you accomplish these tasks and many more.

Getting Started

 To start using the API
  1. Request a Web services security ID or secid. To request a secid, go to the Access ACS API Web site .
  2. In the code, add a reference to https://secure.accessacs.com/acscfwsv2/wsca.asmx
  3. After you receive a secid, you can use it to call getLoginToken and return a token for use with other function calls. Note that this token will time out after one hour of non-use.


Note
  • Calls made into the various functions return Microsoft datasets.
  • If an error occurs, an exception displays. For example, if an invalid token or a time out occurs an error displays.
  • Calls can only be made over https. Standard http calls are not recognized.


When getting started, we recommend you use the wsclient. This will help you work with the API and how it relates to your specific data.

Download the wsclient.

After you download and unzip the folder, run the wsclient application. This will give you an easier view in to the calls and your data.

When running the application, select the webservices you want to work with from the URL drop-down. Your available selections are:

  • wsca.asmx (General)
  • wscea.asmx (Events)
  • wscca (Contributions)

We recommend you view the General webservices, even if your end goal involves Events or Contributions. Also, this is where you will create the Token for the calls.

 To create a Token to use with calls
  1. Click Create Proxy. This will return a list of calls.
    Remember. . .

    Just like in the implementation of the webservices, to get a token you first need to call getLoginToken. These are invalid after an hour of inactivity and will need to be recreated.

  2. The fields you need to enter for the corresponding webservice call display in the yellow window. For example, for getLoginToken you need to pass in your secID and ACS siteid or Site number.
  3. Enter your secid and siteid, then click Call Web Service.
  4. Click Save as Token. The token displays in the top right of the page. Use this Token for completing other calls in the session.


You can now select other webservice calls, enter the data required in the yellow box, and click Call Web Service. Your results display on the Dataset results tab at the bottom of the page. This should help you work with the calls and as they apply to your data.

ACS SOAP API Web Services

General ACS API Web Service

Event API Web Service

Contribution API Web Service

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  1. Nov 16, 2011

    Ron Hickson

    I'm finishing up work on a PHP module for ExpressionEngine that uses the API to pull in calendar and event data.  We're using it live on our church site and fixing bugs as we go.  Anyone interested in helping test it further?

    1. Feb 13, 2012

      Frank Ramage

      Just went live with an EE site... Looking to integrate AccessACS logins, would consider events if they look good. Calendar would be nice, too...  

      How's the project going? Can I take a look?

      Thanks!

      1. Feb 15, 2012

        Ron Hickson

        We did a launch and found a lot of bugs to work through.  It's undergone a complete rewrite but a beta should be ready the week of February 21.  I'll send you a copy of.  AccessACS logins are already planned for the module but haven't been implemented yet.  I'd love to hear your input on how you'd use the logins (data updating/viewing, etc.).

        You can view the first draft at www.northwoodbaptist.com but it's very incomplete compared to the new version coming next week.

        1. Feb 15, 2012

          Frank Ramage

          Hi Ron,

          We've not started work on the AccessACS API yet (actually, we'e working with antistaticdesign.com)... From a login/permission group perspective, I'd like to be able to support members-only areas (visible after member login), and possibly leader areas. This would be for sharing sensitive information.

          ACS Calendar integration is something I'd like, too.

          Since this was a new site build, I wanted to have this baked-in from the start. 

          We're at burtonsvillebaptist.org... be gentle, it's just learning how to walk :)

          Thanks for sharing your experience with the API!

          -frank

          1. Feb 15, 2012

            Ron Hickson

            The site looks great.  The login for member areas should be easy.  I'll bake that into the module as quickly as possible.  Most of the interaction is via JS so the page loads don't stall waiting on an ACS response.  Are you using the Facility Scheduler?  The current module supports calendars but only through the Facility Scheduler.  Without FS event data by calendar isn't available through the API (at least not that I've figured out).

            If you guys would like a copy of the finished module then drop me an email through hicksondesign.com so I can send you the finished product.

        2. Jun 13, 2012

          Anonymous

          Hey Ron, I am extremely interested in the code that works with EE.  Could you contact me?  aaron.reimann@gmail.com

  2. Apr 18, 2012

    James Casazza

    The wsclient tool. In relation to the API arguments. Does anyone know why sgGetGroupList API does not appein go be working. I'm getting a "System.InvalidCastException: Object must implement IConvertible". I'm using * for fieldorgt and -1 for groupid.

    1. Apr 18, 2012

      Ron Hickson

      I don't know why the wsclient tool doesn't pull it but I can say the API call does work.  I had the same issue with the tool.  We just implemented the call on our site though.

  3. Sep 19, 2012

    Anonymous

    Question about the API: can I update data in Access ACS using the API ? or is the API only for retrieving data purposes ?

    1. Sep 20, 2012

      Sally Grantham

      You can send data back via the API to the Access ACS change request system.  Data changes via the API will not automatically post to the database but come through the change request system for approval.  Only data fields that are a part of that change request system are available to update.  Data beyond that is available for retrieval.