Create your first application

You'll need to know your User id to follow the instructions in this page.

Get the URL

‌You can find the URLs for all our endpoints in the API Reference section of this documentation. Knowing how to use them can be helpful, so we'll show you how they're created.‌

In this example, you'll be making calls to our demo environment, https://demo-api.certn.co.‌

We currently divide our endpoints for application management by permissible purpose:‌

• Human Resources endpoints start with /api/v1/hr/

• Property Management endpoints start with /api/v1/pm/

Later on, you'll request a Softcheck, which is under /applications. You'll also make it a quickscreen, so you'll be filling all of the information yourself instead of sending it to your applicant. To make it a quickscreen, add /quick to your URL.‌

Put this together and you get the URL for your call.

• Choose the URL that corresponds to your industry to continue:

Human Resources

application_url = "https://demo-api.certn.co/api/v1/hr/applications/quick/"

Property Management

application_url = "https://demo-api.certn.co/api/v1/pm/applications/quick/"

Format the request body

1. To request a Softcheck, add the request-flag 'request_softcheck': true to your request body.‌

2. For your applicant, use our CEO's name, Andrew McLeod.

3. For the applicant's address, use our office location in Victoria, BC.

   1. 1006 Fort St, Victoria, BC V8V 3K4, Canada

4. For the owner_id, use the id of the User requesting the application. In this situation, it's you. See Retrieve your Users, to find out how to retrieve your User id.
5. For position_or_property_location, use the location of the position (Human Resources industry) or property (Property Management industry) for which you are running the check. In the example, we're hiring for a position (HR industry) that will be located in Blanshard St, Victoria. See Position or Property Location for more information on this field.

{
    "request_softcheck": true,
    "information": {
        "first_name": "Andrew",
        "last_name": "McLeod",
        "addresses": [{
                "address": "1006 Fort St Unit 300",
                "city": "Victoria",
                "province_state": "BC",
                "country": "CA",
                "current": true
            }
        ],
    },
    "owner_id": f"{your_user_id}",
    "position_or_property_location": {
        "address": "2680 Blanshard St Unit 3",
        "city": "Victoria",
        "province_state": "BC",
        "country": "CA",
        "postal_code": "V8T5E1",
        "location_type": "Position Location"
    }
}

Send the request

‌Now we're ready to bring it all together. Our /applications endpoint accepts POST requests, so make sure that is what you use.

Here is what your full script may look like when using Python:

Python

import requests

# Use your access token in the header
headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}" }

# Use the appropriate application URL that corresponds to your industry
url = f"{application_url}"

body = {
    "request_softcheck": true,
    "information": {
        "first_name": "Andrew",
        "last_name": "McLeod",
        "addresses": [{
                "address": "1006 Fort St Unit 300",
                "city": "Victoria",
                "province_state": "BC",
                "country": "CA",
                "current": true
            }
        ],
    },
    "owner_id": f"{your_user_id}",
    "position_or_property_location": {
        "address": "2680 Blanshard St Unit 3",
        "city": "Victoria",
        "province_state": "BC",
        "country": "CA",
        "postal_code": "V8T5E1",
        "location_type": "Position Location"
    }
}

# Send the HTTP request to the API via POST
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=content)

############### Optional ###############

# Brings errors to the forefront
response.raise_for_status()

# Writes the contents of the response in a file named "softcheck_demo.json"
with open("softcheck_demo.json", "w") as f:
    f.write(response.text)
    
############# End Optional ##############

In the previous example, we saved the results of the call to a new file named softcheck_demo.json.‌

With everything set properly and a good internet connection, you should receive a response status of 201 Created.

201 Created

[...] "id": "<number>", [...] "report_status": "ANALYZING", [...]

The id in the response corresponds to the newly created applicant. Copy this id, as you'll need it next to Retrieve the results.

Errors

‌Please see Error codes for more details on types of errors, and how to resolve them.

pageError codes