Fortellis API Guide — Which API to Use and When

This guide gives you a clear, practical breakdown of the Fortellis APIs we rely on, and when to use each. It’s built so your team can move fast, avoid guesswork, and know exactly which integration path fits the data you need.

1. Authentication — Read the Official Fortellis Docs

Fortellis authentication is handled through their OAuth service.

Instead of listing raw token URLs, refer directly to the Fortellis documentation:

👉 Fortellis Authentication Documentation

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/

Look for the OAuth / Authentication section relevant to your integration.

Why this matters:

Every Fortellis API call requires a valid Bearer token. The authentication docs walk through how to request, refresh, and use tokens properly.

2. FI Sales APIs

These APIs provide FI (Finance & Insurance) vehicle sale records from CDK Drive. Use the API that matches your data needs based on history, state, and frequency of updates.

FI Sales History Setup — Historical (>31 Days Old)

Retrieves FI Sales data older than 31 days.

Use when:

Initial integration setup
Deep data backfills
Reporting on long-term FI sales behavior

🔗 Docs:

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/apis/638f1179-e2bf-4aac-b601-a9acc51247f8

FI Sales Bulk — Full Dataset Within Date Range

Returns all FI Sales records matching your date window.

Use when:

Daily/weekly ETL
Full dataset retrieval
When statuses (C, B, P, F, I, U) are required

🔗 Docs:

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/apis/b54ba111-7874-4c25-b8d9-ba3b3eb722ef

FI Sales Delta — Recently Closed or Updated Only

Returns incremental updates, ideal for reducing payload size.

Use when:

Syncing frequently
You only need the latest changes
Optimizing for performance over volume

🔗 Docs:

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/apis/b54ba111-7874-4c25-b8d9-ba3b3eb722ef

3. Repair Order APIs

APIs for pulling Repair Order (RO) data from CDK Drive.

Repair Order History Setup — Historical (>31 Days Old)

Retrieves historical RO data beyond the 31-day boundary.

Use when:

Backfilling large datasets
First-time integration setup

🔗 Docs:

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/apis/48e7060a-b828-4de5-8505-76fd9e21b3c0

Repair Order Bulk — Open + Recently Closed ROs

Returns all open and recently closed ROs.

Use when:

Ongoing service operations analytics
Daily shop-operations syncs

🔗 Docs:

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/apis/cf3e1079-e617-4e4d-acd0-21e991f60408

Repair Order Delta — Recently Closed Only

Returns incremental updates for recently closed ROs.

Use when:

Running tight, efficient updates
Avoiding bulky full pulls

🔗 Docs:

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/apis/cf3e1079-e617-4e4d-acd0-21e991f60408

4. Customer API

Customer Bulk — Full Customer Records Retrieval

Returns all customers asynchronously via operationId.

Use when:

CRM or CDP integration
Customer lifecycle analytics
Full customer exports

🔗 Docs:

https://apidocs.fortellis.io/apis/f83a79c6-8cf9-4c1a-b45e-b266634eaf90

5. Long-Running Operations — How Fortellis Handles Big Jobs

Most Fortellis APIs follow a predictable three-step pattern:

1. Start the request

You get back an operationId.

2. Poll the status endpoint

Keep checking until the job is finished.

3. Pull the result

Once complete, retrieve your dataset.

Your implementation already handles logging, polling, and the date-window logic. Fortellis simply expects you to follow this async flow.

6. Quick Decision Table — Which API Should You Use?

Need	Correct API	Type
Backfill FI Sales older than 31 days	FI Sales Setup	`fi-sales-setup`
Full FI Sales set for a date range	FI Sales Bulk	`fi-sales-bulk`
Only recent FI Sales changes	FI Sales Delta	`fi-sales-delta`
Backfill Repair Orders older than 31 days	RO Setup	`repair-order-setup`
All open + recently closed ROs	RO Bulk	`repair-order-bulk`
Only recent closed ROs	RO Delta	`repair-order-delta`
Full customer dataset	Customer Bulk	`customer`