A new resident is first set up in the system the management team already uses for flats, residents and contact details. Then the same person is created again, this time in the door entry system. Access rights change — two systems need updating. The resident moves out — the record has to be removed twice.

On a single site, that is simply extra administration. Across a property portfolio with regular move-ins, access changes and temporary passes, it becomes a separate management process that nobody really wanted in the first place.

What are BAS-IP Link and Link API?

BAS-IP Link is BAS-IP’s centralised platform for managing sites, users, access rights and connected infrastructure.

BAS-IP Link API is an HTTP REST API that allows a third-party server-side system to interact with Link programmatically: passing user data, managing access rights and credentials, and retrieving data from the platform.

The point is not to give staff another system to work in. Quite the opposite: the customer’s existing platform can remain the main operational interface, while BAS-IP becomes part of the processes already managed there.

What does this look like in practice? Adding a new resident

The management company already knows the resident’s name, flat, contact details and other relevant information. That data already exists in its own system.

Without an integration, a member of staff then has to open BAS-IP Link and create the same user again.

With Link API, that second step can be automated. The main system passes the required data to Link, the user is placed within the appropriate site and flat, and BAS-IP Link then works with the connected door entry and access infrastructure.

The practical value is not simply that two systems can exchange data. It is that staff do not have to change the way they already work.

If move-ins, changes to resident details and move-outs are already managed in the main platform, the same actions do not need to be repeated manually in the door entry system.

Why use Link API when BAS-IP devices have their own API?

BAS-IP also supports direct integration with equipment through BAS-IP Device API.

For a local project, that may be the right approach. If a system needs to work with one or several known device models and only requires a limited set of functions, an additional server layer may not be necessary.

The requirement changes as the project scales.

Different buildings may use different entrance panels, indoor monitors and other devices. New models and firmware versions are introduced over time. With a direct device integration, the third-party development team needs to account for the characteristics of the equipment it is integrating with.

BAS-IP Link adds a centralised software layer between the third-party platform and the door entry infrastructure.

Instead of building its business logic around a particular entrance panel, the external platform works with Link’s central model of users, sites, flats, access rights and other entities.

That is generally a more natural model for a residential property management platform. It usually does not need to know which exact entrance panel is fitted at a particular doorway. It needs to know that a particular resident belongs to a particular flat and should have access to the appropriate areas.

BAS-IP Link connects that business logic with the physical door entry and access control infrastructure.

What can you do through BAS-IP Link API?

A particular integration will normally use only part of the functionality available in Link.

Through the API, a third-party system can work with:

• users and site structure;
• access rights;
• permanent and temporary access credentials, including cards, fobs, PIN codes, QR codes, Face ID, UKEY and vehicle registration numbers;
• guest access and visitors;
• messages and surveys;
• virtual numbers and call forwarding;
• remote device configuration;
• events and logs.

However, an integration project is usually better defined by a different question than “Which API methods are available?”

Which tasks are carried out manually today, and which of them should happen automatically once the systems are integrated?

For one platform, the primary use case may be resident management. For another, it may be temporary contractor access. A third may primarily need event data.

Managing the whole user lifecycle, not just user creation

Creating a user is only the first step.

Once a resident has been added, the appropriate access rights and credentials can be assigned. If the resident moves to another flat, changes their vehicle, receives additional permissions or loses access, those changes can also form part of the workflow in the main platform.

The same principle applies to temporary users.

If an existing system already manages visitors, contractors or service personnel, there is no need to create a separate administrative process purely for BAS-IP.

For example, the main platform may determine that a contractor should be able to enter a building on Tuesday between 10:00 and 14:00. In that scenario, BAS-IP becomes the access layer that carries out a process already defined elsewhere.

Door entry and access control therefore become part of the building’s wider operating model rather than a separate system that has to be administered independently.

What if the site is already live and has a large user base?

An integration does not necessarily start with an empty database.

If an existing system already contains hundreds or thousands of residents, they do not have to be entered into BAS-IP Link manually one at a time.

When using BAS-IP Link API, the user creation method can add multiple users in a single request.

A guaranteed maximum number of records per operation and the permitted frequency of consecutive requests are not currently specified. For a large migration, these parameters should therefore be validated in the project’s test environment before moving the full user base.

Implementation details for the API method are provided to integration partners in the technical documentation.

There is also a built-in option for bulk user creation without developing an API integration.

BAS-IP Link can export the site structure to an XLS file. User and licence details are then completed in the spreadsheet and imported back into Link. Once imported, users are automatically assigned to the specified site groups. Where several users belong to the same flat or other site group, separate rows can use the same group identifier.

For an initial residential rollout, it is not necessary to collect an email address for every member of the household. One email address per flat is sufficient: the invited user receives an email, completes registration and can then add family members themselves.

For an existing development, the project team can therefore choose between an automated API migration and Link’s built-in bulk upload process, depending on the system architecture and where the source user database is held.

Can BAS-IP events be used in another system?

Yes. Data and events held in Link can be used by a third-party system.

For example, a security team may already work from a single interface that brings together information from access control, CCTV and other building systems. BAS-IP data can form part of the same operational workflow.

There is, however, an important technical distinction.

BAS-IP Link does not currently provide webhooks for pushing events to third-party systems.

The external system retrieves the required data by making requests to Link API.

If a project requires particular events to be delivered directly from the equipment via webhooks, that scenario is available on supported Android-based entrance panels through BAS-IP Device API.

A project can therefore combine centralised integration through Link with direct interaction with selected devices where required.

Which system should be the source of truth?

One of the key decisions in an integration is which system is responsible for each type of data.

If the same user can be changed independently in both the property management platform and BAS-IP Link, the records may eventually become inconsistent.

For example, the property management platform may remain responsible for residents and flats, BAS-IP Link may apply that information to door entry and access control, while a separate security platform consumes the event data needed by operators.

Another project may divide responsibilities differently.

The important point is not that BAS-IP, or the third-party platform, must always be the “master” system. It is that the authoritative source for each entity and the direction of synchronisation should be clearly defined.

That is what removes duplicate administration rather than simply connecting two databases.

Where is Link API most useful?

Link API is particularly relevant where BAS-IP needs to become part of an existing software ecosystem.

Typical examples include:

• residential property and estate management platforms;
• large access control systems;
• BMS and smart building platforms;
• PropTech products;
• integrators’ own software platforms;
• platforms managing multiple buildings or sites.

The more users, buildings and regular access changes a project has, the more administration is duplicated when the systems remain separate.

The value of Link API is therefore usually not defined by the number of API methods available, but by the number of separate operational processes that can be brought together.

Security and integration permissions

A third-party system does not need unrestricted administrative access to Link.

In BAS-IP Link Self-Hosted, a dedicated integration account can be created and its permissions restricted both by function and by individual site.

For example, an integration used by a particular property operator can be limited to the buildings managed by that organisation.

Authentication uses access tokens, and API communication takes place over HTTPS.

The detailed authentication flow and request structures are covered in the Link API technical documentation.

BAS-IP Link Self-Hosted and Link Cloud

At the time of publication, third-party server-side integrations through BAS-IP Link API are supported on BAS-IP Link Self-Hosted.

BAS-IP is developing a separate API gateway for BAS-IP Link Cloud.

If a project specifically requires a third-party integration with Link Cloud, the proposed architecture should therefore be discussed with BAS-IP before development begins.

How to start an integration

A Link API project starts with the use case rather than a list of API calls.

For example:

“When we create a resident in our platform, we want the user to be created automatically in the correct BAS-IP site.”

That is enough to begin an architectural discussion.

Once the integration scenario has been agreed, the partner signs an NDA and receives the relevant technical materials.

The integration itself is normally developed by the partner’s team. A typical project will usually require a back-end or full-stack developer. Larger deployments may also require DevOps expertise.

For development and testing, BAS-IP Link Self-Hosted can be deployed in the partner’s own environment. There is currently no shared public sandbox for Link API. Test licence and hardware arrangements are agreed according to the requirements of the individual project.

BAS-IP provides documentation, answers technical questions relating to its own products and helps investigate cases where an implementation based on the documentation does not behave as expected.

If a project requires functionality that is not currently available in the product, the requirement can be discussed with the product team. The work involved and its place within the development plan are assessed first. Such an assessment does not in itself constitute a commitment to a particular release date.

How long does a Link API integration take?

There is no single timescale that applies to every project.

For a relatively standard integration, around one month of focused development can be used as a broad guide, although the calendar duration is often longer.

The partner’s development team needs time to understand the Link data model, implement its part of the integration, test it and fit the work into its own development schedule.

A meaningful estimate can therefore only be made once the actual integration scenario has been defined.

Is there an additional charge for BAS-IP Link API?

BAS-IP does not normally charge a separate fee for access to the integration documentation and tools.

BAS-IP Link itself is licensed under the standard product licensing model. The partner develops its own side of the integration, while non-standard BAS-IP development work or requests to change the priority of such work may be discussed separately where required.

For that reason, describing the integration itself as “free” can be misleading.

A more accurate statement is that there is normally no separate charge for access to the BAS-IP integration tools.

When is Link API not the right approach?

Link API is primarily intended for server-side integration with BAS-IP Link.

If the requirement is to work directly with specific equipment, or to receive particular events directly from an entrance panel, BAS-IP Device API may be more appropriate. Device integration documentation is available through the public BAS-IP developer portal.

If an organisation already has its own mobile app and wants to add door entry calls, video and door release within that app, BAS-IP Mobile SDK is designed for that use case.

And where standard interoperability through SIP, RTSP or Wiegand is sufficient, a bespoke software integration may not be required at all.

The different approaches are covered in more detail in “Integrating BAS-IP IP Door Entry with Existing Building Systems”.

Frequently asked questions

Is BAS-IP Link API a REST API?

Yes. BAS-IP Link API is an HTTP REST API that allows a third-party server-side system to interact programmatically with BAS-IP Link.

Do I need BAS-IP Link to use Link API?

Yes. Link API is the programming interface for the BAS-IP Link platform.

Does BAS-IP Link API work with Link Cloud?

At the time of publication, third-party server-side integrations through Link API are supported on BAS-IP Link Self-Hosted. BAS-IP is developing a separate API gateway for Link Cloud.

How do I obtain the documentation, and is an NDA required?

The integration use case is agreed first. The partner then signs an NDA and receives the relevant Link API technical materials.

What is the difference between Link API and Mobile SDK?

Link API is intended for server-side integration with BAS-IP Link, including users, sites, access rights and other centralised platform entities.

BAS-IP Mobile SDK serves a different purpose: adding door entry functionality directly to an existing mobile application.

Both can be used within the same project where required.

Want to integrate your platform with BAS-IP Link?

You do not need to prepare a detailed API specification before the first discussion.

Start by describing the system you already have and the process you want to automate.

For example:

“We create residents in our own platform and want them to be transferred automatically into BAS-IP.”

or:

“We manage visitor access in our own system and want to connect that process with BAS-IP.”

The BAS-IP team can help determine whether Link API is the right approach, which platform capabilities will be required and how the integration should be structured.