block field entry from API

Teresa_Hsu1
Level 4

block field entry from API

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to block certain field entry if the leads are from API integrations.

We recently work with a vendor and they send leads to Marketo thru API integration.  However, they also populate the Person Source with the vendor's name as value and that's not the value I want to put in the Person Source field.  Is there a way to block the Person Source flow into Marketo?

Thanks!

Teresa

Tags (1)
6 REPLIES 6
SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: block field entry from API

Block updates to that field in Admin, as you would with any field.

Gerard_Donnell4
Level 10

Re: block field entry from API

Hi Teresa Hsu​,

As Sanford Whiteman said above, you can block updates to a field by going to Field Management in the admin area, searching for the field and then selcting which entry points you want to block updates from. See image. 

This will only block updates though, if the field is empty the data will still populate it.

If you want to block it altogether can you not just tell them not to send that field across in the api?

Thanks,

Gerard

Screen Shot 2017-10-11 at 09.08.22.png

Teresa_Hsu1
Level 4

Re: block field entry from API

Sanford Whiteman Gerard Donnelly  

Maybe I didn't make myself clear.  I do have field update block turned on.  So, for any existing records, we have in Marketo, the source won't be changed.  However, when the new leads come in, the Person Source field will be attached a value that the vendor populated.  I actually want the Person Source comes in blank and I'll be able to enter the value I want.  Not sure if there's a way to do that though.

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: block field entry from API

So if there's a new lead created by API with that value, clear the value.

Marit_Rossing
Level 3

Re: block field entry from API

I am also looking to solve this issue.

When a new person is created via the API the API sends the new lead with a value for person source, the name of the vendor. I have blocked of course that APIs cannot update person source, but for new persons this value is send over anyway. If I want to clean up this data it would mean that I need to manually need to change these data entries by first unblocking: flow changed data value and/or person detail update for person source, update all the person sources, and activate the block again. 

I have contacted the vendor of the API, but they say 99% of their customer is happy with this person source so they are not willing to change this. 

Does anyone had an idea how to block this API by sending over a value for person source for a new person?

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: block field entry from API

Does anyone had an idea how to block this API by sending over a value for person source for a new person?

Set up an API gateway, for example on AWS APIGW, and have them connect through that as opposed to direct to Marketo (with a separate key that only works for the gateway so they can't get around it).

The gateway can strip out unwanted parts of the payload.

We do this whenever we can with untrusted integrations (or, as I like to call them, "integrations").