The SearchBlox REST-API enables the indexing and searching of custom content using simple HTTP POST and GET actions. The REST-API can add and delete documents from Custom, HTTP and File Collections only.

SearchBlox REST-API provides methods for working with standard and custom collections by means of REST requests with XML and JSON payloads. Index, delete, clear and check the status of custom collections, or create new custom collections using REST-API. Individual documents can also be added or deleted in HTTP and file collections.

SearchBlox Development Environment

The SearchBlox Development Environment otherwise known as API Explorer is a simple browser-based tool designed to help developers use the SearchBlox REST-API with minimal effort. This tool is part of the SearchBlox deployment and can be accessed here: https://localhost:8443/searchblox/sde/index.jsp. SearchBlox's API Explorer supports REST-XML and REST-JSON API.

POSTMAN is another external third-party tool that can be used with Searchblox XML and JSON API. The settings for POSTMAN API can be found at the end of this documentation. For more details on the POSTMAN API tool, refer to https://www.getpostman.com.

Index

Index URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/add
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/add

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<searchblox apikey="5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F">
<document colname="Custom_Collection" location="http://www.searchblox.com/">
<title>SearchBlox Product Features</title>
<keywords>SearchBlox, Faceted Search, Features</keywords>
<content> This content overrides the content from the document.</content>
<description>SearchBlox Content Search Features</description>
<lastmodified>30 May 2012 06:19:42 GMT</lastmodified>
<size>1111</size>
<alpha>Features</alpha>
<contenttype>HTML</contenttype>
<category>SearchBlox/Features</category>
<category>SearchBlox/Product</category>
<meta name="company">Searchblox Software Inc</meta>
<meta name="location">Richmond</meta>
</document>
</searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{
         "apikey" : "5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F",
         "document" : {
         "colname" : "Custom",
         "url" : "http://www.searchblox.com",
         "uid" : "http://www.searchblox.com",
         "location":"http://www.searchblox.com",
         "alpha" : "string",
         "size" : "44244",
         "title" : "Text",
         "keywords" : "keywords",
         "description" : "SearchBlox Content Search Software",
         "content" : "content",
         "lastmodified" : "14 January 2015 06:19:42 GMT",
         "contenttype" : "HTML",
         "urllen": "300",  
         "meta":{
           "location":"San Francisco",
           "temp":"23",
           "weather":"sunny"
         }
     }
 }

Document Description

Response Codes

XML

JSON

Update Meta Data

updatemetadata URL

REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/updatemetadata

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-JSON API

{
         "apikey" : "31372006F71D0A874BBE0F02894C7E0A",
         "document" : {
         "colname" : "custom",
         "url" : "http://www.searchblox.com",
         "meta":{
           "location":"San Francisco",
           "temp":"23",
           "weather":"sunny"
         }
     }
 }

Document Description

Response Codes

Delete

This is to delete documents only in a custom collection

Delete URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/delete
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/delete

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<searchblox apikey="302D02144F115712204DD54596EDDCCEDD2848A130215008BF2501E385617"> <document colname="Custom_Collection" uid="http://www.searchblox.com">
</document>
</searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{ 
  "apikey" :  "302D02144F115712204DD54596EDDCCEDD284878D3BBFA130215008BF2501E38561A439C9260D7", 
  "document" : 
 { 
  "colname" : "Custom_Collection", "uid" : "http://www.searchblox.com" 
 } 
}

Document Description

Response Codes

XML

JSON

Document Status

Status URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/status
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/status

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<searchblox apikey="302D02144F115712204DD54596EDDCCEDD28487A130215008BF2501E38561A439C9260D509DBF12952619177"> 
  <document colname="Custom_Collection" uid="http://www.searchblox.com"> 
  </document>
</searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{ 
  "apikey" : "302D02144F115712204DD508BF2501E38561A439C9260D509DBF12952619177", "document" : 
  { 
    "colname" : "Custom_Collection", "uid" : "http://www.searchblox.com" 
  } 
}

Document Description

Response Codes

XML

JSON

Clear Collection

Clear URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/clear
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/clear

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<searchblox apikey="302D02144F115712204D30215008BF2501E38561A439C9260D509DBF12952619177"> 
  <document colname="Custom_Collection"> 
  </document> 
</searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{ 
"apikey" : "302D02144F115712204DD54596EDDCCEDD284878D3BBFA130215008BF2501E38561A439C9260D509DBF12952619177", 
"document" : 
{ 
"colname" : "Custom_Collection" 
} 
}

Document Description

Response

XML

JSON

Add collection

You can add a new custom collection through REST-API using XML or JSON payload using the details provided here.

Add Collection URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/coladd
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/coladd

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <searchblox apikey="5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F"> <document colname="Custom_Collection"  language="en"> </document> </searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{ 
 "apikey" : "DAB42B6BDDFDD1F079C12B2FFEDCB92E5", 
 "document" : 
 { 
  "colname" : "custom",
   "coltype":"custom",
   "language" : "en"
 } 
}

Document Description

Response Codes

XML

JSON

Delete Collection

You can delete existing custom collections through REST-API using XML orJSON payload using the details given here.

Delete Collection URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/coldelete
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/coldelete

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <searchblox apikey="5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F"> 
<document colname="Custom_Collection"> 
</document> 
</searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{ 
  "apikey" : "5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F", 
  "document" : 
  { 
    "colname" : "Custom_Collection"
  }
}

Document Description

Response

XML

JSON

Add/Update Document

You can add documents to an HTTP collection or File collection through REST-API using XML (SDE in SearchBlox can also be used) or JSON payload using the details given here.

Add/update Document URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/docadd
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/docadd

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <searchblox apikey="5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F"> <document colname="CollectionName" location="http://www.searchblox.com"> </document> </searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{ 
  "apikey" : "5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F", "document" : 
  { 
    "colname" : "CollectionName", "location" : "http://www.searchblox.com" 
  } 
}

Document Description

Response

XML

JSON

Delete Document

You can delete documents from an HTTP collection or File collection through REST-API from the Delete Document tab in SDE, using the XML code given in the following Document Syntax section.

Delete Document URL

REST-XML API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/api/rest/docdelete
REST-JSON API
https://localhost:8443/searchblox/rest/v2/api/docdelete

Method

POST

Media Type

REST-XML API
text or text/xml or application/xml
REST-JSON API
application/json

Headers

SB-PKEY
LmfxTTDSeYxHTntJMHuhwRrGVICMaVN/wl/zPuQ3LtQDNRMnng5GpKIkgt0q1rCC/h6wDA==

Document Syntax

REST-XML API

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<searchblox apikey="5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F"> 
<document colname="CollectionName" uid="http://www.searchblox.com"> </document> </searchblox>

REST-JSON API

{ 
  "apikey" : "5BD07C1F3E8555C66E1E5B10FCAB315F", "document" : 
 { 
   "colname" : "CollectionName", "location" : "http://www.searchblox.com" 
 }
}

Document Description

Response

XML

JSON

Response Codes

Document Syntax

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<searchblox> 
  <statuscode>100</statuscode> 
  <statusdesc>Document Indexed</statusdesc> 
</searchblox>

Status Code Description

Settings in POSTMAN API

Postman API is a third-party tool that can be used with SearchBlox API. The prerequisite settings that are required to work with SearchBlox API are as follows:

1. URL to be given for each API function as mentioned under each function in the preceding documentation.
2. Method to be selected is POST for all functions.
3. Header to be added is Content-Type, which has to be given as a header. The value for the header for XML API is application/xml, and for JSON API it is application/json. This could be also done by selecting the dropdown XML or JSON as required.
4. Header parameter to be added is SB-PKEY. Value can be found in the Admin Users List for SBAdmin and Admin users.

The screenshots for XML and JSON API on settings and result are given here. Select raw to view the status code for JSON API.
##XML API POSTMAN settings

JSON API POSTMAN settings