Klips: Creating Act-On data sources

You can set up a connection between Klipfolio^® Klips and Act-On to display your marketing automation data on a dashboard.

This article includes:

• Options for visualizing my Act-On data
• Connecting my Act-On data in Klipfolio
• Adding an Act-On pre-built data source
• Adding an Act-On custom-built data source
• Creating an Act-On custom Klip
• More about Act-On's API and queries

What options do I have for visualizing my Act-On data?

Create data visualizations based on pre-built options or build your own. The choice is yours!

Pre-built by Klipfolio

Take advantage of our pre-built data sources to gather the data most meaningful to you.

• Act-On pre-built data sources: Data sources provide the foundation for Klip^® building, so we suggest you create a data source as a first step (before building Klips^™ and adding them to your dashboard). Our pre-built data sources focus on the most sought-after Act-On data and are found on the Service Connectors page, available from this link or from your list of data sources. When you select a service connector from this page, the data source for that service is automatically added.

Custom-built by you

Taking the time to learn how to create your own data sources and Klips unlocks your data and enables you to control, manipulate, and transform it, leading you to unprecedented insights into your business.

• Custom data sources: When you create a custom data source, you can either use the pre-built data source as a starting point from which to write your own query or you can write your own queries from the ground up and build a data source from scratch. You create custom-built data sources in the Service Connectors page, accessible from this link or from your list of data sources.
• Custom Klips: Using our Klip Editor, you can construct and manipulate your data, including integrating multiple data sources, to produce unique, custom-built data visualizations. You create custom Klips from either your list of Klips or your Dashboard.

Regardless of whether you choose pre-built, custom-built, or a combination of both, before you can start building Klips and dashboards you need to connect to Act-On data in Klipfolio.

How do I connect to Act-On data in Klipfolio?

When you connect your Act-On data to Klipfolio, you will be prompted to connect your Act-On account by entering your username and password.

Doing so creates a connection that enables Klipfolio to securely access your Act-On account. By default, your connection name looks like this: yourname@Act-On<date and time created>. You can modify the default connection name when you create a new connection or from your list of connections, accessed by clicking your Account Name (located at the bottom of the left navigation sidebar) and selecting Account > Connected Accounts or by clicking the button in the left navigation sidebar and selecting Connections.

You can use and reuse the same account connection every time you connect to Act-On. If you have trouble accessing an existing connection, your OAuth token may have expired. Go here for troubleshooting tips.

How do I add an Act-On pre-built data source?

To add an Act-On pre-built data source:

1. Navigate to the Service Connectors page in Klipfolio and choose Act-On from the list.
2. Select a pre-built data source from the left section of the Choose a pre-built or custom connection page. 
3. If this is your first time connecting to Act-On:
   • Click Connect an account. Enter your Act-On login credentials and click Next. If prompted, click Allow Access to enable Klipfolio to securely access your Act-On data. Click Continue.
4. If you have connected to Act-On before:
   • Select an existing connection (token) from the drop-down list and click Continue.
5. On the Configure your data source page, enter Your site URL and Your Keyword if prompted.
6. Click Get data or, if you want to modify the pre-built data request, click Switch to Custom settings.
   Note: If you switch back to the Basic settings page after making changes in the Custom settings page, your changes will not be saved.
7. Ensure this is the data you’re looking for and, optionally, select the checkbox to Model your data. Learn more about modelling your data source here.
8. Click Continue.
9. Name, choose refresh settings, and, optionally, share your data source.
10. Click Save.

If you clicked Switch to Custom settings:

1. On the Configure your data source page, modify the Query URL to get the data you want. You can use the existing information in the Query URL text box as a base. It was auto-filled based on the pre-built data source you selected on the Choose a pre-built or custom connection page. 
2. Click Get data.
3. Ensure this is the data you’re looking for and, optionally, select the checkbox to Model your data. Learn more about modelling your data source here.
4. Click Continue.
5. Name, choose refresh settings, and, optionally, share your data source.
6. Click Save.

How do I create an Act-On custom-built data source?

To create an Act-On custom-built data source:

1. Navigate to the Service Connectors page in Klipfolio and choose Act-On from the list.
2. On the Choose a pre-built or custom connection page, click Create a custom Act-On data source.
3. If this is your first time connecting to Act-On:
   • Click Connect an Account. Enter your Act-On login credentials and click Next. If prompted, click Allow Access to enable Klipfolio to securely access your Act-On data. Click Continue.
4. If you have connected with Act-On before:
   • Select an existing connection (token) from the drop-down list and click Continue.
5. Edit the Query URL to return the data you need. Refer to the Act-On API documentation for details.
6. Click Get data.
7. Ensure this is the data you’re looking for and, optionally, select the checkbox to Model your data. Learn more about modelling your data source here.
8. Click Continue.
9. Name, choose refresh settings, and, optionally, share your data source.
10. Click Save.

How do I create an Act-On custom Klip?

You create custom Klips from either your list of Klips or your Dashboard. You choose a data visualization format, for example, a pie chart, gauge, or table, and decide whether you want to use an existing data source or create a new one. In the Klip Editor, there are limitless opportunities to modify, relate, and display your data. See the following related articles for more information and get building!

• The Klip Editor
• Build a custom Klip

More about Act-On's API and queries

Klipfolio connects to hundreds of services in the cloud that have a REST API. If you take the time to learn your service’s API to create queries for the data you want, your possibilities are endless. Here’s a quick overview video on APIs and Klipfolio:

  Klipfolio API's 101

If you need assistance using APIs, enlist a data analyst or developer.

Refer to the Act-On API documentation to discover more data requests.

See the reference table below for API related information and sample queries.

Related articles

• Introduction to data sources
• Connect your data
• About JSON and XML data sources
• Guide to REST API data sources