Set Up API v2

Note: As of August 2024, the Filevine API has a new gateway and a new authentication pattern. The API Portal will be sunsetted over the course of the next 12 months.

This article discusses how to set up your Filevine Org for integrations using Filevine API v2. API integrations automate Filevine functions by connecting different programs to one another. To read more about the details of the API, read Filevine's API Documentation.

• For US users
  For Canadian users
  

Setting up API v2 requires logging into the Filevine Portal and generating a key.

• Setting Up
• Warning
• Your API User

Setting Up

Follow the steps below to log into Filevine’s developer portal, where you will be able to generate your API key to use with integration. Getting set up with API v2 requires that an Org Admin contact Filevine's API help, gain access to the Filevine Portal, and create the key.

Configuring the Portal

1. Email your Filevine representative. Email your Filevine representative or support@filevine.com. In the email, include the email address of the Org Admin who needs portal access and the name of the Org that the Org Admin is in. Only one user from an Org needs to perform this step. Once the portal is set up, the Org Admin will be able to invite other users to the API portal.
2. Get credentials. The Org Admin user will receive an email with a link to the portal and a temporary password. Click the link to navigate to the Filevine Portal. If you do not receive a temporary password, allowlist no-reply@verificationemail.com and then reset your password from the Portal to get a password reset code.
3. Create a password. Enter your email and the temporary password from your email.
   
   You will then be prompted to create your password. Enter and confirm your new password for the portal.
   
   
4. Configure Two-Factor Authentication. Use a mobile device authenticator app to take a picture of the QR code and enter the temporary Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) code that the authenticator generates. Learn more about authenticator apps and how to configure 2FA.
   

Logging in to the Portal

Once you have configured Filevine’s Portal, you will then be directed to log in. If you have not completed the steps in the configuring section, you will need to complete them before logging in. 

1. Sign in with your email and password. Begin on the sign-in page for the Filevine Portal. On this page, enter your email and the password you created in step 3 of the configuration process.
   
   
2. Confirm TOTP code. You will be asked to “Confirm TOTP Code,” the “Time-based One-Time Password” code from your 2FA app. Since these codes change around every sixty seconds, go into your authentication app to see the current temporary code. (It will have changed from the one you entered in step 4 of the configuration process.) Enter the new TOTP code from the app.
   
   
3. (Optional) Remember this device. When you enter your TOTP code, you will see a popup asking you if you’d like to remember this device. If you would like to not enter the TOTP code for this device anymore, click “OK” to remember this device in the future. (You will still need to use the TOTP code from the app if you are logging into the Portal on a new device.)
   
   

Adding Users

Once the Org Admin has logged in to the portal, they can then add other users. To add other users, follow the steps below:

1. Select “Users.” In the lefthand menu on the Portal page, click on “Users.”
   
   
2. Click “+ Add Users.” The User page in the Portal will show you all users that have been added. To add a new user, click on the “+ Add User” button.
   
   
3. Enter email. In the “Email address” text field, enter the email address the user will be using to sign in to the Portal.
   
   
4. Choose roles. In the “Roles” selector, choose the roles that this user should have. Normally, you will want to add all roles except the “Batch: User” role. To select multiple roles, hold down the Ctrl (Command for Macs) button while selecting roles. 
   
   
5. Save and save. Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page. Then, on the User Detail page, review the details and hit the “Save” button at the bottom if all looks good. 

Generating a Key

When you have been logged into the Filevine Portal, you will then be able to generate API keys and secrets to use for integrations. To create a key, log in to the Portal and follow the steps below. 

1. Select “Create new key.” Once you’ve logged into the portal site, select “Keys” from the site’s lefthand menu. Under “My API Keys,” select the “Create new key” button.
   
   
2. Select the necessary scopes. Fill in the purpose of this key (“Zapier,” for example) and make sure to check the box for any scope you will need. If in doubt, select all.
   
   
3. Create and save. Once all scopes have been selected, click the “Create” button. The API key and secret will generate. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the screen and select “Save” so that you can return to this key.

Warning

Your API secret enables unmitigated access to your firm’s data. Treat your API secret like a password.

• Store it securely.
• Don't share it with anyone outside of your company.
• Don't put it in any code on your website or in a URL that someone could find.

The API key and secret will be used to authorize the integration with Zapier or any other program you are integrating with. Once the key has been generated and saved, it can be accessed again by simply logging back into the portal.

Your API User

API integrations automate the actions of an API user in your Filevine Org, meaning that actions taken via API will appear to be performed by the API user. For example, if an API integration is set up to automatically post a note in Filevine, that note will be posted by the API user. The API user is automatically generated and given the proper permissions when your firm’s API portal is enabled.

Permissions

The API user needs to be an Org Admin and an Admin-collaborator on all projects. The API user is given the required permissions initially, but if you run into problems in the future, you may need to restore the API user’s permissions. For steps on how to set up these permissions, read the “Set Up Permission for Existing Projects” and the “Set Up Rules for New Projects” sections of our When You Get a New Employee article.