To start selling tickets for another organisation using Spektrix Connect, you’ll need to set up the connection between an Agent and a source system, import its Events and match its Ticket Types, Price Bands and Lock Types to yours.
Before starting sales, test the connection and ticket delivery with the source organisation.
| User Permissions | General Administrator User Role |
| Availability | Early Access - contact support |
Before starting, make sure you’re familiar with:
REMINDER: Read How do I get started? to understand all of the considerations you should make before setting up Spektrix Connect.
How do I set up Spektrix Connect?
There are three steps
- Connect: Two systems are connected using API credentials to prove that the request is authorised. If you’re connecting to a non-Spektrix system, a developer needs to build and host a HTTP connector.
- Import: You import the source system's Events and Instances into your system (the Agent system). Your system will check for changes and update Instance details every hour.
- Map: Spektrix uses Mapping to translate each sale between the two systems. Before selling, you must match the source system's Ticket Types, Price Bands and Lock Types to your own.
1. Connect
Follow the instructions depending on the type of source system you want to connect:
A Spektrix source system
To set up a connection to a Spektrix Source System, you will need:
- The source system’s client name
- The source system’s API user
- The source system’s API key
The source system will need to set your organisation up as an Agent Customer Record and make the agreed Instances available to sell via the API.
To add a new Spektrix source system:
- Go to Settings Interface > Configuration > Source Systems.
- Click New Source System.
- Enter the source system’s organisation name. This will only be displayed on your system.
- In Type, select Spektrix.
- Enter the client name of the other organisation's Spektrix system.
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Enter the API user and API key from the key generation tool.
- Click Create Configuration.
WARNING: Copy the API key exactly as shown in the key generation tool. If the key is wrong, imports will fail and you'll receive an import failure email asking you to check the source system setup.
A HTTP Connector source system
A developer needs to build and host an HTTP Connector before you can add the connection in Spektrix.
To set up a connection to a Source System using a HTTP connector, you will need:
- The connector’s Base URL
- Authentication header name and value
Both should be provided by the developer who has created the connector.
To add a new HTTP connector source system:
- Go to Settings Interface > Configuration > Source Systems.
- Click New Source System.
- Enter a Name for the source system. This will only be displayed on your system.
- In Type, select HTTP Connector.
- Enter the Base URL of the connector. This must be a full web address beginning with https://.
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Enter the Authentication header name and Authentication header value the developer has given you.
- Click Create Configuration.
When you open an existing HTTP Connector Source System, the Required endpoints link takes your developer to the list of endpoints their connector must provide.
How to edit a Source System
Go to Settings Interface > Configuration > Source Systems and click Edit next to the source system you want to change.
You can change the Name, Type and connection details. For security, the API key and Authentication header value are hidden. Leave them as they are to keep the existing value, or enter a new value to replace it.
You'll need to update the API key if the other organisation resets it.
Once you have made edits, click Update configuration.
Setting up notification emails
Spektrix Connect can email your team when something needs attention. There are two lists of email addresses to set up:
TIP: We recommend using a shared email address at your organisation for both lists so that notifications aren't missed when someone is away.
Import failure emails
After you import the source system's Events and Instances into your system, your system will check for changes and update Instance details every hour.
If a source system cannot be reached, or Event Instances can't be updated you can receive an import failure email.
To set the email address for import failure emails:
- Go to Settings Interface > Configuration > System Setup > Source Systems.
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Under Enter email addresses to receive notification in the event that the hourly sync fails, enter one or more email addresses separated by commas.
- Click Save Configuration.
Order follow-up emails
If an Order is confirmed in your system but can't be confirmed in the source system, or the price confirmed by the source system doesn't match. Spektrix can send you an order follow up email.
- Go to Admin Interface > Source Systems.
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Scroll to the bottom of the page and under Enter email addresses you want to receive notification of orders requiring follow-up action, enter one or more email addresses separated by commas.
- Click Save.
2. Import
Once you’ve added the connection you can import Events and Instances from the source system:
- Go to Admin Interface > Other > Source Systems.
- Select the source system.
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Find the Event in the list of Events available to import.
- Select Import Event.
This imports the selected Event and its applicable future Instances.
Bulk Import
To import or update multiple Events and Instances you can use the functions in the Bulk Import section:
Check the box against the operation you want to run:
- Import New Events: Imports newly available Events and their applicable future Instances.
- Add Missing Instances: Adds newly available Instances to Events you’ve already imported.
- Update Existing Instances: Updates imported Instances, including changes to dates, cancellations, removals and layouts.
- Validate Mappings: Checks for mapping problems affecting imported Events and Instances.
To run the selected operations, click Run selected imports.
You’ll see a Job Submitted in the top right of the screen. Hover your mouse over the green check mark and click to download the file. Once downloaded you’ll be able to view the results by opening the file:
REMINDER: Update Instances on an individual imported Event updates its existing Instances. Use Add Missing Instances to bring in newly available Instances.
How do I configure automatic imports and updates?
To configure automatic imports and updates:
- In the Settings Interface, go to Configuration > System Setup > Source Systems.
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Select the operations you want the hourly job to run:
- Click Save configuration to save your settings.
You must select at least one operation. You can leave the notification addresses blank.
These settings apply across all of your configured source systems. They also provide the initial operation selection when you run a one offimport.
REMINDER: Changing the operations for a one off import doesn’t change the saved hourly settings.
After Importing an Event
After you import an Event, we recommend that you:
- Choose where it's sold. Decide whether the Instances should be sold on your website as well as at your box office.
- Check the Commission Structure. Apply your own Commission Structure if you add commission on top of the source system's price.
- Add Event details. Add a description, images and any Event Attributes you use for your website or reporting.
- Check the Venue. Rename the Venue if needed.
- Check the Ticket Design. Make sure the Ticket Design prints the barcode, so tickets scan at the Source System's venue.
3. Map
Spektrix uses Mapping to translate each sale between the two systems. Before selling, you must match the source system's Ticket Types, Price Bands and Lock Types to your own.
Each Mapping links one of the source system's items to one of yours. You can't map two source system items to the same item of yours, or the other way round.
To map an item, go to the Admin Interface > Other > Source Systems and select the source system.
For each item:
- Select the source item from the unmapped source dropdown.
- Select the equivalent item from your system.
- Click Add.
- Repeat for the other items.
The Mapping appears under Existing mappings. Each page shows how many items are mapped, and how many of the source system's items are still available to map.
To remove a Mapping, click Remove mapping next to it. Once removed, the items become available to map again. To change a Mapping, remove it and add a new one.
WARNING: If a Mapping is removed or changed while tickets using it are in a basket, the basket can't be completed. Staff will see a message such as The mapping for one or more ticket types no longer matches. Try setting the ticket type again. Avoid changing Mappings during busy selling periods.
Ticket Type Mappings
You will need to map each Ticket Type you want to sell, starting with the source system's default Ticket Type for each Price Band.
When all Ticket Types are mapped in one or both systems, you'll see There are no unmapped ticket types left to add.
TIP: Map the source system's Ticket Types to the Ticket Types you already use, for example the source system's Adult to your Full Price. Your staff and customers will see names they're familiar with.
What happens to unmapped Ticket Types?
If a source system Ticket Type isn't mapped, it isn't displayed to your sales users or customers, even if the source system has it on sale.
Ticket Types on your website
On your website, a mapped Ticket Type is only offered if the corresponding Ticket Type in your system is set to be available on the web. This lets you sell some Ticket Types at your box office only, for example a Companion Ticket Type.
Price Band Mappings
You will need to map every Price Band the source system uses for the Event Instances you sell.
If any Price Band used by an Instance isn't mapped, none of the Instance can be sold.
When all Price Bands are mapped in one or both systems, you'll see There are no unmapped price bands left to add:
Lock Type Mappings
The source system you are connected to may use Locks to hold seats back, or to allocate seats to you.
Unlike Ticket Types and Price Bands, Lock Types are discovered as seat availability is read from the source system. A source system Lock Type appears under On source system once a seating plan using it has been opened in your system.
To map a Lock Type:
- In the Sales Interface, open the Seating Plan of an imported Instance. This will discover the Instance’s Lock Types. Any unmapped Lock Types are listed under the Imported from source system message.
- Add the Mapping on the Lock Types.
Seats under an unmapped Lock Type can't be sold, so you’ll need to map all seats in Lock Types that you want to sell. Seats under a mapped Lock Type follow the rules of your Lock Type, for example whether a password is needed, or which customers are eligible.
If the source system has given you an allocation of seats under an Agency Lock, map it to a Lock Type in your system that your team can sell from. To sell the allocation online, make sure your Lock Type's settings let customers buying on your website book it, for example that it doesn't need a password. Read Setting Up and Editing Lock Types for more information.
Validating Mappings
Before you are able to start selling, you will need to run the Validate Mappings operation and review the results.
To do this go to the Admin Interface > Source Systems and then choose the source system you want to check.
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Under Bulk Import, check Validate Mappings. Uncheck the other options if you only want to check Mappings:
- Click Run Selected Imports.
- Open the report from your running reports list and go to the Mapping Validation tab.
The tab lists each future Instance that can't be sold because of missing Mappings, with the problem, for example:
Ticket type and price band mappings for 'City Theatre' are incomplete (price bands: Band C; ticket types: Adult). Configure them in Admin > Other > Source Systems.
Users will also see this message when they open the Seating Plan of an affected Instance.
If you've mapped all of your own items but the source system still has items to map, you'll see Source values are still available, but there are no unmapped local values left. In this situation, you will need to create another Ticket Type, Price Band or Lock Type in your system, or remove an existing Mapping.
If Spektrix can't reach the source system, you'll see Could not load this list from the source system. Your existing Mappings are still shown, and you can add new ones when the source system is available again.
TIP: Validate mappings runs every hour by default. You should also run it after importing new Events, and whenever the source system organisation tells you they've added a new Ticket Type or Price Band.
What should I check before starting sales?
Until the following are mapped, you won't be able to sell anything for an imported Event Instance:
- Price Bands: every Price Band in use on the Instance.
- Ticket Types: the Source System's default Ticket Type in the price list for each of those Price Bands.
Other Ticket Types can be left unmapped but will not be available to users or customers.
When Lock Types are unmapped, the Instance can still be sold, but any seats locked with that Lock Type in the source system will show as unavailable.
If something is missing, Sales Users opening the Seating Plan see which Price Bands and Ticket Types need mapping.
Before selling
Before you start selling, we recommend that you:
- Check the imported Events, Instances, venues and Seating Plans
TIP: For third-party connectors, you will need to complete the Seating Plan backgrounds and area positioning in Spektrix.
- Add any local Event information needed for your sales channels
- Resolve mapping problems
- Check availability, Ticket Types, prices and commissions
- Complete a test sale through each sales channel you plan to use
- Produce tickets using each planned delivery method
- Ask the source venue to confirm that its scanners and admission system accept the tickets
- Agree who will resolve connection, confirmation and missing-barcode problems
- Test physical tickets, PDF tickets, email barcodes and Digital Passes separately where you plan to offer them.