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Going Live

This page outlines the technical and compliance requirements for each Booking.com APIs and the API elements before going live.

Implementing APIs in your live environment

To offer your properties the best possible service, Booking.com recommends that you get certified before using some of the business-critical APIs. However, for certain basic APIs, you can start using them after you successfully perform a self-assessment.

Additionally, you're required to adhere to certain compliance standards before going live with some APIs.

When you go live with an API, we advise you to offer the functionality of the API to a small beta group for the first few weeks. This will allow you to identify and resolve potential issues before you implement the API for all your properties.

Technical requirements

To implement an API in your live environment, you may need to fulfill the following technical requirements depending on the criticality of the API:

  • Certification: You'll go through a certification process which includes running several test requests on certain API endpoint(s). The Connectivity Support team will share the testing steps with you. They will evaluate the test requests you send and the responses that the API returns on your test properties. If you successfully complete the required tests, you can start the go-live process.

  • Self-assessment: You'll follow the steps as outlined in the relevant self-assessment tutorial. Depending on the tutorial requirements, our Connectivity Support may ask you to send certain information. It could include sharing RUIDs of API responses and/or screenshots of how your systems show relevant required data.
    If there isn’t any self-assessment tutorial available for the API you want to implement, we recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.

Compliance requirements

To implement an API in your live environment, you may need to fulfill certain compliance requirements:

  • PCI Compliance: PCI compliance refers to attesting to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a set of requirements intended to ensure that all companies that process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. For more information, see Introduction on PCI and PII compliance.

  • PII Compliance: PII stands for personally identifiable information. We'll review your compliance based on relevant regulations. For more information, see Introduction on PCI and PII compliance.

Booking.com APIs and the go-live requirements

APICompliance requirementTechnical requirementNotes
Charges APIN/ACertificationYou’ll need to complete a self-assessment exercise if you’re not certified for the Content API. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.

If you’re certified providers using the Content API, you’re not required to pass any certification. Optionally, you can go through the self-assessment and request a check with Connectivity Support.

Connections APIN/ASelf-assessment There isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.
Contacts APIPII Compliance CertificationYou’ll need to complete a self-assessment exercise if you’re not certified for the Content API. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.

If you’re certified providers using the Content API, you’re not required to pass any certification. Optionally, you can go through the self-assessment and request a check with Connectivity Support.

Content APIPII ComplianceCertificationDepending on your business model, the data you have about your hotel or home properties and how involved you are in managing them, we encourage you to implement the full Content API. You'll also need to implement the Contracting API, Licences API and Photo API when you implement the full Content API.

If you support properties by managing only their rooms and rate plans, you may be able to just implement the Room type and rate plan management API.

To request a certification, reach out to Connectivity Support.
Contracting APIoptionalSelf-assessmentThe API is a part of the Onboarding Solutions. It enables you to efficiently participate in and keep track of the contracting process of your properties. You'll need to implement this API to implement the full Content API.

Before implementing, we recommend that you read through the Contracting API documentation. Make sure that you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before rolling out to live properties.

Note that when working with test entities, you need to additionally pass is_test: 1 flag in the JSON request body.
Facilities APIN/A CertificationFor existing certified Content API providers, no certification is required. Optionally, you can send us the RUIDs for a quick check or verification by the support team.

For non-Content API or new providers, please go through this tutorial.

Flexible children ratesN/ASelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.
Guest Review APIPII ComplianceSelf-assessmentYou'll need to complete a self-assessment exercise. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.
Key Collection APIN/ASelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.
Licences APIN/ASelf-assessmentThe API is a part of the Content API and Room type and rate plan management API. It lets you manage property licence information that may be required before the property can open for bookings.

There isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.
Market Insights APIN/ASelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API before you roll out to live properties.
Messaging APIPII ComplianceCertificationYou'll need to complete a self-assessment exercise. For more information, take a look at the tutorial. You'll need to follow the tutorial and reach out to Connectivity Support with your provider ID and the specified proof indicated in the tutorial.
Opportunities APIPII ComplianceSelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API before you roll out to live properties.
Photo APIN/ASelf-assessmentYou'll need to complete a self-assessment exercise. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.

If you implement the full Content API, you must also implement this API.
Promotions APIN/ASelf-assessmentYou'll need to complete a self-assessment exercise. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.
Property Details APIPII Compliance CertificationYou’ll need to complete a self-assessment exercise if you’re not certified for the Content API. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.

If you’re certified providers using the Content API, you’re not required to pass any certification. Optionally, you can go through the self-assessment and request a check with Connectivity Support.

Property Profile APIN/ASelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.
Property Scores APIN/ASelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.
Property Settings APIN/ACertificationYou’ll need to complete a self-assessment exercise if you’re not certified for the Content API. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.

If you’re certified providers using the Content API, you’re not required to pass any certification. Optionally, you can go through the self-assessment and request a check with Connectivity Support.

Property StatusN/ACertificationYou’ll need to complete a self-assessment exercise if you’re not certified for the Content API. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.

If you’re certified providers using the Content API, you’re not required to pass any certification. Optionally, you can go through the self-assessment and request a check with Connectivity Support.

Rates & Availability APIN/ACertificationThe certification will cover the extra API element(s) you choose to implement, tailored to your properties’ pricing models.

To find out what are the required API functionalities and availability restrictions, take a look at this article.

To request a certification, reach out to Connectivity Support.
Reporting APIPII ComplianceSelf-assessmentYou'll need to complete a self-assessment exercise. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.
Request to Book APIN/ASelf-assessmentYou'll need to complete a self-assessment exercise. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.
Reservations APIPCI & PII ComplianceCertificationTo find out what are the required API functionalities and mandatory reservation details your system needs to show to your properties, take a look at this article.

To request a certification, reach out to Connectivity Support.
Room type and rate plan management APIN/ACertificationThis API enables you to support hotel or home properties by managing their rooms and rate plans. You can still choose to implement the full Content API if you wish.

To request a certification, reach out to Connectivity Support.
Rooms APIN/ACertificationYou’ll need to complete a self-assessment exercise if you’re not certified for the Content API. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.

If you’re certified providers using the Content API, you’re not required to pass any certification. Optionally, you can go through the self-assessment and request a check with Connectivity Support.

Value Adds SolutionN/ASelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. We recommend that you read through the API documentation. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the solution before you roll out to live properties.

You can also choose to implement extra Rates & Availability API related elements tailored to your properties’ pricing models. You may need to request a certification with Connectivity Support depending on the element you choose.

Technical requirements

To implement Rates & Availability API related elements in your live environment, you will need to fulfill certain technical requirements, see Technical requirements.

This section captures a list of extra Rates & Availability API related elements and the relevant technical requirements.

APITechnical requirementNotes
Derived pricingSelf-assessmentYou'll need to complete a self-assessment exercise. For more information, take a look at the tutorial.
Length of stay (LOS) pricingCertificationWe highly recommend you to implement this pricing model. To request a certification, reach out to Connectivity Support.
Occupancy-based Pricing (OBP)CertificationWe highly recommend you to implement this pricing model. To request a certification, reach out to Connectivity Support.
Single use pricingSelf-assessmentThere isn’t any certification or self-assessment tutorial available. You’ll need to make sure you’re confident implementing the API element on your test properties before you roll out to live properties.
In addition, please contact Connectivity Support before you implement it so they can make sure it’s suitable for your connected properties.
Standard pricingCertificationStandard pricing is the default pricing model. If your initial Rates & Availability API certification did not cover it, you’ll need a certification. To request a certification, reach out to Connectivity Support.