Connect your FileMaker system to everything else.
FileMaker is not a silo. The FileMaker Data API lets any external system read from and write to your database over standard REST. Your accounting software, your e-commerce platform, your logistics provider, your custom web app — all of them can talk to FileMaker.
BasicData builds and maintains FileMaker API integrations for production systems. We configure the Data API, build custom endpoints where the standard API is not enough, and connect FileMaker to the rest of your software stack.
What building a FileMaker API integration actually involves.
A working API integration is more than a connection. It needs authentication, error handling, data mapping, retry logic, and something that tells you when it stops working. We build integrations that run in production without constant attention.
FileMaker Data API setup and configuration
Custom REST API endpoints and middleware
Third-party API integrations (inbound and outbound)
Webhook configuration and event notifications
OAuth and API key authentication
Data transformation and field mapping
Error handling, logging, and retry logic
API documentation and developer handover
Ongoing integration maintenance and versioning
An integration that fails silently is worse than no integration at all.
Most FileMaker API problems we inherit were not caused by bad intentions. They were caused by integrations built without error handling, authentication that works until a token expires, and data mappings that break when a field name changes. Production integrations need to be built to fail gracefully and recover automatically.
BasicData has been building FileMaker integrations since the Data API was introduced. We understand the platform's authentication model, its limitations, and the patterns that work reliably in production. We have connected FileMaker to accounting systems, e-commerce platforms, logistics providers, and custom applications.
We are a registered member of the Claris FileMaker Business Alliance, the formal partner programme for professional FileMaker development companies.
Businesses whose FileMaker system needs to talk to the rest of their stack.
Our API clients range from businesses that want to sync FileMaker with their accounting platform, to development teams building web or mobile applications on top of FileMaker data, to operations teams that need FileMaker to push notifications to external systems when specific events occur. If data is moving between FileMaker and anything else, that is an integration problem we can solve.
Questions about FileMaker API and integrations.
What the Data API can do, what connects to it, and how to build integrations that stay working.
What is the FileMaker Data API?
The FileMaker Data API is a REST API built into FileMaker Server. It allows external applications to read from and write to your FileMaker database over HTTPS using standard JSON requests. Any system that can make HTTP requests can connect to FileMaker through the Data API.
What can I connect to FileMaker via the API?
Anything with a REST API or webhook capability. Common integrations include accounting platforms like Xero and QuickBooks, e-commerce systems like Shopify and WooCommerce, CRMs, logistics and shipping providers, payment gateways, communication tools like Slack and email services, and custom web or mobile applications.
Can FileMaker call external APIs as well as receive calls?
Yes. FileMaker scripts can make outbound HTTP requests using the Insert from URL script step. This means FileMaker can consume external APIs, send data to third-party services, trigger webhooks, and query external data sources directly from within your workflows.
Do I need FileMaker Server to use the Data API?
Yes. The FileMaker Data API is a FileMaker Server feature. It is not available for files hosted on FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Cloud without a Server licence. If you are not already on FileMaker Server, that is typically the first step.
How secure is FileMaker API access?
The Data API uses HTTPS and authenticates via session tokens generated from FileMaker account credentials. We configure dedicated API accounts with the minimum privilege set required for each integration, so an API credential compromise cannot access data beyond its intended scope.
Can you build a custom API layer on top of FileMaker?
Yes. For integrations that require transformation logic, rate limiting, or a cleaner interface than the raw Data API exposes, we build middleware that sits between FileMaker and the consuming application. This is useful when multiple systems need to connect to FileMaker through a single controlled endpoint.
We have an existing integration that has broken. Can you fix it?
Yes. API integrations break when FileMaker versions update, when third-party APIs change their authentication or endpoints, or when the underlying data model changes. We diagnose and repair existing integrations as well as build new ones.
Tell us what you need FileMaker to connect to.
Describe the integration you need — what system, what data, and what direction. We will tell you what the right approach is and what it involves.