Export bundles using the Silverfin API

API
1

Dear,

We’re currently working on automating the generation of specific export bundles using the Silverfin API — a process that is now performed manually through the web interface. While mapping the UI actions to API calls, we encountered some questions regarding the “Create a new export PDF instance” endpoint:

  • The API call requires an export_pdf_id parameter in the request body. We assume this corresponds to the ID of the bundle shown in the “Choose a bundle” dropdown on the /exports/new page in the UI. Could you please confirm if this is correct? Additionally, is there an API endpoint available to retrieve a list of all available export_pdf_id values?

  • When exporting a bundle through the web UI, it’s possible to add Documents to the export. Does this API endpoint support adding documents as well? If so, how should these documents be included in the request?

Thank you in advance for your help.

2

Hi @Jens_Mostaert

Thank you for your question related to the export_file_instance and export_pdf_instance endpoints in our Public API.

I’ll provide some information on both these endpoints hopefully helping you further.

  1. Export File Instance
    Create a new export file instance

This endpoint requires you to provide export_file_id in order to generate an export file instance. To obtain a list of available export templates, you can use the following endpoint to obtain the identifiers: List all existing export file templates

The identifiers provided in this response, can be used to generate a new export file instance.

  1. Export PDF Instance

In this case you are correct that there is a missing endpoint currently to obtain the list of PDF styles via the API. I’ll raise this with our product team to investigate adding an endpoint to obtain this list.
For now, you’ll have to navigate to the Styles section in your Silverfin environment which holds the templates for these bundles.
If you open one of these styles, you can find the identifier in the URL:

https://live.getsilverfin.com/f/{firm_id}/export_configurations/{pdf_export_id}/edit_template_hash

This identifier can then be used to generate an export pdf instance, which will be added to the list in your UI for that specific company as well or can be obtained using the following GET request: Get details of an export pdf instance

  1. Live Export Document

If you want to use Live Export Documents and manipulate them using the API, you’ll have to make sure that a Live Document section exists in the PDF style and it has a pre-selected document.

Scherm­afbeelding 2025-03-19 om 12.43.25
Scherm­afbeelding 2025-03-19 om 12.43.252248×1358 193 KB

In the above screenshot, I’ve added Live Document and selected API Document Changed as the attached document to be used.
If you then generate an export_pdf_instance with that style, you can change that Live Document section with a new document:

Upload document for live document in export pdf instance

Keep in mind that this requires you to manually identify the block in the export style which is reserved for the live export document. In the above screenshot, the block_id is 0 since Show cover and Show table of contents hold no data and we start our index for the block with 0.

That should update the existing export_pdf_instance with the document you provided in that API request.

There are endpoints to add, update or list the live export documents which can be used in the UI to add them to the Live Document section.

List Live Export Documents
Create Live Export Document
Update Live Export Document

Does this provide you with sufficient information?
Please let me know if anything is unclear.

1 Like
3

Hi @Jelle,

Really appreciate the detailed explanation. This addresses all our questions perfectly.