Extended data

Extended data is a set of arbitrary keys and values stored with the API resources. The values for the keys can be any valid JSON values, including a JSON object (hash). This provides API clients with the capability to store arbitrary structured data for the supported resource types. Via search schema we also support querying, filtering, and sorting by extended data for some value types.

Types of extended data

Note: Extended data support in API resources is work in progress. See the API reference for each resource for information on supported extended data.

There are four types of extended data: metadata, private data, protected data and public data. Each type has different access semantics (i.e. who is allowed to read or write the data).

Public data

Public data is writable by whoever has write access to a given resource (e.g. listing's author can write public data about the listing, a user can write public data in their profile). Public data is readable via all API endpoints that return the resource and by marketplace operators.

Public data can be used, for instance, to store additional information about listings and users in order to help customers make buying decisions.

Protected data

Protected data is writable and readable by whoever has write access to a resource. It is also readable by marketplace operators. Protected data can be revealed to all transaction parties via the marketplace transaction process.

Protected data can be used to store information about listings or users that is only made visible to a customer at a specific point in the transaction process.

Private data

Private data is similar to protected data, but is not intended to be revealed via the transaction process. For instance, it can be used to collect and store information about users or listings for marketplace operators.

Metadata

Metadata is writable by marketplace operators and can be read via all API endpoints returning the corresponding resource. Metadata is supported for users and listings. It can also be used as filters when searching via /listings/query in Marketplace API, /listings/query in Integration API or /users/query in Integration API.

Metadata can be used to store data about listings and users that must only be writable by marketplace operators or through integrations to other systems built around the Integration API and that the users themselves must not be able to modify.

Search schema

Extended data is available out of the box and can be written and read via the Marketplace API, Integration API and Console without any prior configuration. Search schema may optionally be defined for some value types of extended data. When a schema is provided for a given extended data key, the API can use this information to make querying the extended data possible via some API endpoints. For instance /listings/query supports querying listings by public data or metadata.

Search schemas can be managed with Flex CLI. With the CLI, you can list, set and unset search schemas for listing's public data and metadata as well as for user profile's metadata, private, protected and public data. The commands to manage search schemas are:

• flex-cli search List all defined data schemas
• flex-cli search set Set (create or update) data schema
• flex-cli search unset Unset data schema

You can also check out our tutorial for managing search schemas with Flex CLI.

Note: Only top-level values in extended data can have a schema.