bol: how do I (re)authorize ChannelEngine for the bol API?

About this article

This article describes the process to authorize and reauthorize ChannelEngine to connect with your bol account.

Introduction

One of the main changes between the bol v3 (and later versions) API and their previous APIs is the method of authorization. While earlier versions worked with a public and private key system, the new v3 (and later versions) API works with OAuth access delegation. This is a type of authorization used by several other marketplaces, such as eBay and Wish.

How to authorize

To authorize ChannelEngine for the bol API:

1. On the ChannelEngine dashboard, open your bol channel.
2. On the Setup page, go to the Authorization section and click Authorize. 
3. Use your browser's Incognito mode to open the login page.
   
   NB: if you have multiple active bol accounts and connections, repeat these steps for every account. Make sure to log out before authorizing a different account.
4. The dialog box that pops up should state Doorgaan naar ChannelEngine.
5. Log in using your bol account credentials (i.e.: email and password). Make sure you are connecting the correct account if you have multiple.

6. On the confirmation screen, verify your account name, and click Toestaan to authorize the connection. 
   

7. Once complete, the popup closes and the authorization status on ChannelEngine changes automatically.

8. To revoke access later, log in to bol's back-end and go to Instellingen, API instellingen, Authorized parties.

Reauthorizing

Once the authorization is successful, ChannelEngine receives a specific token that allows it to get short-term OAuth tokens to perform API calls. However, this specific token has an expiration date of exactly one year. As long as you continue to use bol as a marketplace via ChannelEngine, you need to reauthorize it yearly.

You receive notifications once the expiration date is approaching, so make sure to enable these notifications. If you do not reauthorize on time, ChannelEngine loses the permission to perform API calls for your bol account – and the plugin is disabled.

The steps to perform for reauthorization are exactly the same as for the regular authorization.