You might hear us mention our Open API often, but if you’re not a programmer, that might not mean much—and that’s perfectly fine! Sometimes it’s best to leave the technical stuff to the experts. However, there are a few straightforward tasks you can complete using our Open API that can simplify your workflow.


Let’s take a look at a couple of easy actions you can try.


What do I need to get started?

  1. You must have permission to access Account Details
  2. You'll need an API platform for building and using APIs
  3. You need to grab yourself an API key
  4. You need our API documentation


We'll take these one at a time:

You must have permission to access Account Details. 

In most cases, you need to be an Admin-level user to access all the different options in Account Details. Because your Roles & Permissions are highly customizable, your mileage may vary. If you don't know your current level, please take a look at this support article, which will help you determine if you can access the correct area of the system: What is my permission level?


You'll need an API platform for building and using APIs

There are a variety of different tools for this purpose, but we have found Postman to be pretty easy to use for the average bear. You can sign up for a free account and use either the platform in your browser or download the app. They work exactly the same. 


You need to grab yourself an API key

Take a look at this Support Article that will tell you how to find your API key: API: How to connect your account to your company website. Make sure you note down these keys in a safe place, where they can be kept confidential. You don't want just anyone rummaging around in your business. 


You need our API documentation

Don't worry if it doesn't make any sense to you yet, we'll get there. We're going to stick with simple actions and ignore the stuff with complex rules.



OK, now on to the action!


How to delete a file in an Applicant's Profile

Let's say that an applicant has uploaded a file and then told you, "Whoops, that was my weekly meal plan and not my work sample. Can you please delete that and add this other file?" But because it was added by the system and not directly by a Hiring Manager, you do not see the edit nor trash icon next to it in the Files Tab.

The Work Sample that they sent you to add to their file? As soon as you add it to the Files section you will notice that you can both edit and delete it.

So how do we get rid of it? API, my friend! 


Open up our API documentation and click on API Reference (1), then use the "Jump to..." (2) search bar to find out how to Delete a single file (3). 



Select Delete a single file, which will open the relevant page. 


In a new tab or window, open up Postman (or other API tool of your choice) and start a new request. You will usually select HTTP Request.




Looking at our API documentation we can see that the action will be DELETE and the endpoint will be: 

https://api.applicant-tracking.com/api/v1/files/{id}


Transfer this info into Postman, but do not hit SEND yet:

 


Pop over to the Authorization tab and select Basic Auth for your Authorization Type. 


That API key info you collected back in Step 3 of what you'll need? That info will go here. This is you telling Postman that you have permission to make these changes, so this will fail without them. 

 


Finally, you're going to need to identify the File ID so you can put it where the endpoint says {id}. This bit can be a little tricky, so stick with me here. Go back to the Applicant Profile and make sure you can see the file listed in the Files Tab.


There are two ways to get the File ID:

  1. Hover over the file you want to remove and look at the bottom left corner of the screen; you should see a URL there with a number at the end. That number is your File ID. 
  2. Hover over the file you want to remove and right-click, then select Copy Link Address. Paste that link anywhere else and copy only the numerical info at the very end. 

In the screenshot below you can see that the File ID is 28604386



Finally, you will paste the File ID to the end of the Endpoint in Postman, replacing where it says {id}. So your Endpoint will go from:

https://api.applicant-tracking.com/api/v1/files/{id}

to

https://api.applicant-tracking.com/api/v1/files/28604386


Your payload is ready to go and should look like this:


Here's the moment of truth. Go ahead and hit SEND

Pop over to the Applicant Profile and verify that the file is gone.



Success! You're a Programmer now. Go tell all your friends and ask for a raise, you earned it!