A valid payload format is not enough: every API order still needs to clear your commercial checks.
Sometimes a customer wants to send purchase orders directly from their own software. An API, the interface allowing two systems to exchange data, can save their team from retyping the same order in your portal.
Before opening that channel to an external partner, however, you need to specify how each incoming request will be validated. Which account is permitted to submit? Which SKUs can it buy? Which shipping locations are allowed?
Separate a valid technical format from an acceptable order.
An endpoint originally designed for your own internal tools often needs extra guardrails before accepting requests from a partner system. Submitted prices deserve close attention: depending on the project, they may need to be recalculated or compared against your current agreements.
An ended promotion, a changed order quantity or an updated contract can all create a discrepancy. Defining the rule upfront clarifies whether the order should pause, adjust or route for approval.
Three checks before accepting a partner API order
01Account permissionsConfirm the sending account, eligible items and approved delivery addresses.
02Pricing and quantitiesCompare submitted prices against active agreements and expected units.
03Feedback and tracingReturn actionable status details to the partner and give internal staff clear visibility.
Illustrative validation path. Actual partner controls are scoped and tested for each integration.
Return clear answers whenever an order is held.
Error handling needs the same care. Your customer’s system should receive a clear reason when an order cannot proceed, and your internal team should easily trace where the request came from and whether it awaits a fix, approval or resubmission.
Boutik can provide the foundation for these exchanges, with permissions and validations tailored to your commercial agreements and operations.
Three decisions before opening a partner API channel
✓ Spell out account-level rules: eligible SKUs, quantity limits and approved ship-to addresses.
✓ Define how to handle any discrepancy between the price sent by the partner and your ERP rate.
✓ Agree on partner-facing error messages and internal review screens when an order requires attention.
