Working with External APIs

  • Updated

How to connect your product listings on External APIs  to FareHarbor to sync availability, bookings & more.

External API connections allow you to distribute your offerings across multiple authorized partners while maintaining centralized management in FareHarbor. FareHarbor's External API provides partners with real-time access to your availability, pricing, content, and booking capabilities, enabling instant booking confirmations and keeping your inventory synchronized across connected channels.

Similarly to other distribution channels, products are created in the partner's platform first and then mapped to the corresponding FareHarbor items. Please note, after FareHarbor API access is granted, the partner completes the connectivity process internally. If you're connecting with a new External API partner for the first time or need assistance with an existing integration, please complete the Connectivity Support Form.

 

The FareHarbor External API connection allows:

  • Live availability to sync automatically from FareHarbor to connected partners.
  • Bookings flow directly into FareHarbor.
  • Automatic updates when there are cancellations and amendments.
  • Reduced manual management across platforms when updating availability, pricing and (in some cases) content.
     

Creating the Connection:

To begin the connection process, you must first:

  1. Sign up with the partner directly. If you are not yet a registered supplier, review our API Partner Directory here.
  2. Upon approval, agree upon a set commission structure and contract rates with your directly contracted partner. 
     

How to Connect FareHarbor to an External API

  1. Navigate to the Settings → Affiliates section of your FareHarbor dashboard.
  2. Add the affiliate, include the price sheet and invoice sheet that represent your contracted rates and commission. If unique OTA prices are required and not yet added to FareHarbor, you can submit a request here for assistance getting those added. Please  include your unique price sheet for the partnership.
  3. Select the Default - API cancellation policy under the Cancellation Policy settings. If this is not available, contact us. **NOTE** This does not reflect your actual cancellation policy which is housed under your item’s Info & Policies section. This is purely a technical setting to enable API cancellations.
  4. Select Affiliate - API External permissions under the Permissions setting.
  5. Select Affiliate taking payment under the  Options → Default payment settings.
  6. De-select Require a voucher number on bookings under the Options settings. 
  7. Select Send reminder emails for API bookings under the Options settings.
  8. Select Send confirmation emails for API bookings under the Options settings.
  9. Save changes. 
  10. Advise your partner that API access has been granted . Partners will use your company shortname and item IDs to locate and connect products.
     
    1. Shortname can be found under your advanced company settings 

       
    2. Item IDs are located next to your tour name in the Items tab

                

 

Managing the API Connection

Supported features vary across platforms. This includes:

  • Pricing management 
    • How pricing is managed (FareHarbor sync or manual)
    • Dynamic pricing support
    • Add-ons, upgrades, and fee support
  • Operational Capabilities:
    • Custom checkout field support
    • Pickup and transportation support
    • Automated customer communications
    • Integration reliability and operational readiness
  • Content quality standards:
    • Photo requirements
    • Description quality requirements
    • Required and recommended content fields
    • Manual vs. synchronized content management.

We recommend confirming these details with OTAs prior to contracting. 

What can break your connection?

Certain changes in FareHarbor can affect your connectivity. Please double check your OTA products and contact the partner if you notice any issues after:

  • Removing or adding customer types
  • Deleting  or replacing a connected item
  • Modifying  API-specific resources or customer types
  • Changing pricing  

Note:

Call-to-book, cancelled, closed, or hidden availabilities are considered unavailable via API.

If you are unsure whether a change may affect the connection, submit a request to our Connectivity team before making changes.

Availability Controls

You can control what is sold on External API partner sites by using the Affiliate Rules feature in FareHarbor to open/close availability.

QR Codes & Ticket Scanning

Eligibility determined by the partner. 

 

Managing External API Bookings 

Cancellations & Refunds

  • Cancellation and refund policies are managed by the OTA where the booking was made.
  • When an OTA booking is cancelled, the cancellation is automatically reflected in FareHarbor.
  • Refunds must be processed through the OTA that collected the customer's payment.
  • FareHarbor cancellation notification emails can be enabled for API bookings. See Enable Cancellation Notifications for setup instructions. 

Email Communication

  • OTAs provide a platform specific confirmation email to customers.
  • FareHarbor confirmation and reminder emails can also be enabled under the OTA affiliate settings.
  • Follow-up emails are automatically sent on API bookings.
  • Reminder emails are currently not provided on API bookings (but may be sent from the OTA).

 

FAQs

Who do I contact for support?

  • To grant API access to a new OTA, complete our Connectivity Support form. 
  • For a review of existing connections, new product connections, or updates to your products, contact the OTA.

How do I connect a new item?

Connectivity settings are controlled by the OTA directly and FareHarbor does not have system access. Please contact the OTA for assistance.

How do pricing updates work?

Pricing is typically controlled in FareHarbor and synced via API, but some OTAs require manual adjustments or approval. Please check with the OTA to confirm if they are pulling your new pricing from FareHarbor once updated.

Within FareHarbor you can use set Price Sheets to designate pricing for specific partners without affecting your online prices. 

Price sheets allow you to track sales reports across channels, even if certain OTAs do not pull pricing. 

Do partners use net rates or retail rates?

This varies by OTA and is agreed upon during contracting. FareHarbor is able to support either pricing model when providing pricing, but cannot provide both styles simultaneously.

How does invoicing work?

The most frequent method is commission payouts and/or periodic settlements via direct deposit. Please discuss with your partner directly to outline invoicing practices in advance.

How long does it take for a partner connection to go live?

This varies by OTA. FareHarbor can grant access quickly, but the partner may still need time to complete product approval, mapping, testing, and activation on their side.

Why am I not receiving all customer information?

If a booking comes through without complete guest contact info or without selected options/add-ons (such as meal preferences), reach out to the partner directly to verify whether those details can be included. Many OTAs do not support custom fields, have privacy guidelines, and/or default to simplified check out processes. 

 

External API Partners: Features & Setup Guide

This guide provides an overview of FareHarbor’s key External API partners, their specific requirements, and best practices for distributing your offerings across channels.

Civitatis

What to note:

  • Contact your Account Manager here for any connectivity updates. If you’re not sure of who your Account Manager is, contact partners@civitatis.com. 

What information does Civitatis use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Pricing (optional)
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price
  • Pickup & Meeting location settings

Note: Product content, including descriptions and photos, are managed by the Civitatis team.Civitatis Supplier FAQ.

Headout

What to note:

Minimum Content Requirements

  • A minimum of 3 relevant, high-quality photos.
  • A short, engaging description of the experience or activity.
  • A 2-3 paragraph overview of the product or experience. Should include: key details, setting, what the customer can expect, tone and energy of the activity.
  • What’s included – in “Content Builder” tab. Example: 
    1.  Guided walking tour of the Old Town
    2. Includes local snacks and beverages
    3. Includes entry ticket to historical museum
  • A complete primary or start location must be assigned to each item under Info & Policies –> Notes & Policies

Photo Guidelines --> Quantity & Format

  • Recommended: 3 photos per listing
  • Recommended dimensions: 2500x1600px or higher

What information does Headout use from my products?

  • Item Content
  • Availability
  • Pricing
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price
  • Pickup & Meeting location settings

Tiqets

What to note:

  • Partner support available through the contact form. 
    • Distributor ID = your FareHarbor shortname (found in your dashboard)
    • Experience ID = your FareHarbor item ID located under Items 
    • Product ID = ID assigned to your product in your Tiqets supplier portal.

What information does Tiqets use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Pricing
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price
  • Add ons / upgrades (additional cost)

Klook

What to note:

  • Klook’s onboarding team works with you to load your products, confirm pricing and commissions, and connect. 
  • Partner support available at merchant@klook.com. 

What information does Klook use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Pricing
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price
  • Add ons / upgrades (additional cost)

Hero Travel

What to note:

  • Partner support available at info@hero.travel and within your supplier portal.

What information does Hero Travel use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Pricing (optional)
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price
  • Pickup & Meeting location settings

Musement

What to note:

  • Partnered with Booking.com directly. This is separate from the Booking.com and FareHarbor integration. 
  • If you are already selling on Booking through FareHarbor, your products may appear multiple times on Booking’s site. Booking will pull inventory from different platforms, whether it is from the FHDN or other OTA partners. By clicking into the supplier details on the product page, you will be able to see which system the product is being sent from.
  • Partner support available within your supplier portal.

What information does Musement use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Pricing 
  • Required custom field questions that do not affect price

Note: Product content including descriptions and photos are managed by the Musement team.

Baja Bikes

What to note:

  • Partner support available at info@bajabikes.eu or you can login to the supplier portal.
  • Requires a single ticket type 
  • Requires specific custom fields for:
    • Bike sizes
    • Bike types
    • Helmets
    • Accessories (carriers, etc.)
  • Requires Public Headlines in FareHarbor for tour language when multiple languages are offered

What information does Baja Bikes use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Pricing
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price 
  • Add ons / upgrades (additional cost) 
  • Pickup & Meeting location settings

Big Red Group

(Includes RedBalloon, Experience Oz, Adrenaline)

What to note:

  • Each of the noted brands are under the Big Red Group umbrella, but are connected per OTA at this time. 
  • Tips on how to build your products are provided in the supplier portal. 

What information does Big Red Group use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price (specific to RedBalloon)
  • Pickup & Meeting location settings

Groupon

What to note:

  • A discount-focused marketplace with two different booking methods:
    • Voucher codes → upload voucher codes to FareHarbor and customers can redeem them through a promo code field on your FareHarbor items. Contact our Support team to get started.
    • Groupon Marketplace (API) → bookings are created in real time for the activity date directly through Groupon. Contact our External API team to connect via API.
  • Careful inventory and pricing control is critical season to season, contact us if you’re renewing seasonal contracts.

What information does Groupon use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Pricing

Bookme

What to note:

  • Requires backend ticket types to track variable sale rates and price points.
  • Expect frequent price adjustments and give lead time if you need to contact FareHarbor Support.

What information does Bookme use from my products?

  • Availability
  • Custom field questions that do not affect price 
  • Pickup & Meeting location settings

Distribution Best Practices

Value of a healthy Channel Mix

  • Diversify across multiple partners to increase reach
  • Use Affiliate Rules to control where products are sold
  • Leverage partnerships in underperforming markets

Tips & Tricks for Distribution

  • Keep pricing simple and consistent across channels
  • Design offerings with clear inclusions, exclusions and ticket options
  • Ensure transportation/logistics are clearly defined
  • Use onboarding resources provided by partners

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