Integration types

Use the Demand API to implement the integration that best fits your business scenario.

The following sections describe the basic flows you can implement with the Demand API and the endpoints required.

While these flows were initially focused on accommodation, they now also apply partially to cars and, in the upcoming Beta version, also to attractions.

Content only

Let travellers browse relevant content about Booking.com offerings directly from your application. Redirect them to Booking.com to check availability, prices, and make bookings.

Content is static data that changes infrequently—or not at all—such as addresses or photos. This flow works for all travel services.

In your application:

• Use the static data endpoints to build a local cache with data relevant to your business scenario.
• Display the content to travellers.
• Redirect travellers to Booking.com when they want to explore further and book.

Static data and caching

Static data comprises two types:

• Content: Data about a property, car, or attraction that may change infrequently, if at all - such as its address, or photos.

  • Content is obtained via endpoints like /accommodations/details, or /cars/depots.

• Reference: Data that provides identifiers (IDs or codes) and names (in multiple languages) for location, currencies, payment cards, and languages. Other Demand API endpoints use these IDs or codes in requests and responses.

  • Reference data is provided by /accommodations/chains, cars or accommodation constants, and all the /common endpoints.

Using a local cache of static data reduces endpoint traffic and improves response times.

Recommendations

We strongly recommend using a local cache of static data in any production application.

• Without caching, your application must call the relevant static data endpoints whenever the data is needed by other endpoints.
• For example, without a cache, using the /search endpoint may require additional calls to fetch static data.

Search and look

Allow travellers to search for offerings that match their requirements, view full details—including current prices and availability—and redirect them to Booking.com to book.

This flow applies to all travel services.

In your application:

Search, look, and book

Let travellers search for offerings, view full details, and book directly from your application.

This flow is currently supported for accommodations.

In your application:

Post-booking

Perform management and reporting tasks for placed orders.

In your application:

Next steps

Once you’ve identified the integration flow that best fits your business scenario:

1. Explore the relevant endpoints
   Review the OpenAPI reference to understand the request and response structures for each endpoint in your chosen flow.

2. Set up your test environment

   • Use your API credentials to make test calls in the sandbox environment.
   • Verify that your integration handles key use cases, such as search, booking, and order management.
   • Use the Try out guide for hello world cases.

3. Implement caching and error handling
   Follow best practices for static data caching and error handling to ensure a stable and efficient integration.

4. Expand to additional services
   If you start with accommodations, you can later extend your integration to cars and attractions as these services become available in the Demand API.

5. Go live
   Once your implementation has been validated in sandbox, follow the production readiness checklist before switching to production.