Sending Data to Unit21

There are two different ingestion pathways for sending data into Unit21:

API Ingestion Pathway (API)

The API Ingestion Pathway (AIP) is a traditional, REST API for sending your data to Unit21. It is an ETL-based method of ingestion, meaning that you will be responsible for transforming your data to match Unit21's schema prior to loading it into the system.

The API Reference provides valuable documentation to assist you with understanding all of the different endpoints and request structures required to send data via API.

Flat-File Ingestion Pathway (FFIP)

The Flat-File Ingestion Pathway (FFIP) is a new method for sending data into Unit21 that can potentially speed up your integration process significantly. It is an ELT-based method of ingestion, meaning that you're able to send a raw or near-raw version of your data to Unit21 in the form of CSV/JSON/PARQUET files and allow the Unit21 Implementation Team to handle the transformation process for you.

Check out the Flat-File Ingestion Overview for an introduction to FFIP and a walkthrough of how this ingestion method works.

You can ingest these raw data files through a manual drag-and-drop upload process on the Dashboard, but most customers opt for programmatically uploading them on an automated basis via the Import endpoint on the API.

How do I choose between the API AND FFIP?

Choosing between both of these ingestion pathways is entirely up to you. Each comes with its own set of tradeoffs and individual advantages, so we encourage you to read our Data Ingestion Pathways Guide for an in-depth discussion of each.

We also recommend you read our Best Practices Guide on sending data to Unit21.