The Nexadata Connector Copilot allows you to connect to any external system with an OpenAPI specification and extract data into a Nexadata dataset, without writing code. This article walks you through the full process, from launching the copilot to finalizing your dataset columns.
With over 20,000 public APIs available on directories like APIs.guru, no two connections look exactly the same. Connector Copilot dynamically adjusts its interface based on the OpenAPI spec you provide, so the fields, authentication options, and configuration parameters you see will vary depending on the API you are connecting to. Some platforms like Google BigQuery also extend the standard OAuth flow with additional parameters specific to their platform. Connector Copilot supports these specializations natively, so you can connect to major platforms even when they go beyond the OpenAPI standard.
👉 If you run into any difficulty configuring a connection, reach out to our support team, and we will help you create the connection to build your dataset.
Step 1: Launch the Connector Copilot
From the Datasets page, click the AI Copilot button in the top right corner to open the Connector Copilot.
Step 2: Load Your OpenAPI Specification
Connector Copilot supports three ways to load your API specification. Select the option that matches what you have available:
Existing Data Source: connect to a data source you have already configured
Upload API Specification: upload a YAML or JSON file directly from your computer
API Specification URL: paste in a public URL pointing to your OpenAPI spec
Once the spec is validated, click Start Building Connection.
Step 3: Choose an Authentication Method
Connector Copilot will detect the authentication options available in your OpenAPI spec. Select the method that applies to your data source:
OAuth: for providers that use OAuth 2.0 authorization flows
API Key: for providers that issue static API keys
Basic Auth: for username and password authentication
Private Apps: for platforms that use private application tokens
👉 The options displayed will be 100% dependent on the selected OpenAPI spec.
Step 4: Fill In Your Connection Credentials
Depending on your selected authentication method, complete the required fields. For OAuth connections, this includes:
Name: a label for this connection
Client ID: from your registered OAuth application
Client Secret: from your registered OAuth application
OAuth Scopes: the permissions required for the data you want to extract
For OAuth, other fields such as Authorization URL and Token URL are typically supplied by the OpenAPI spec
Once the fields are populated, connect to the API service based on the selected authentication method.
For OAuth, Access Token and Refresh Token are automatically populated after completing the OAuth flow
Once all required fields are complete, click Start Building Dataset at the bottom of the form.
Step 5: Describe the Data You Want
On the Data Source Selection screen, describe the data you want to extract in plain language. Be as specific as you need -- including field names, filters, or other context helps Connector Copilot select the right API endpoint.
Click Submit to continue, or click Auto-Suggest to let Connector Copilot recommend a description based on your spec.
Step 6: Select the API Endpoint
Based on your description, Connector Copilot returns a list of relevant API endpoints from your spec. Review the options and select the endpoint that best matches the data you want.
After selecting an endpoint, Connector Copilot analyzes it in combination with your prompt to determine how to structure the dataset.
Step 7: Refine the Dataset Request
Once the analysis is complete, you can refine the request parameters based on what the endpoint supports.
The options provided will depend on the OpenAPI specification. The example above is just illustrative.
When your parameters are set, click Create Dataset.
Step 8: Define and Confirm Dataset Columns
Connector Copilot returns the fields available from the endpoint and maps them to dataset columns. Review each column and use the Ignore toggle to exclude any fields you do not need.
Your dataset will be created and available in Nexadata for use in pipelines, transforms, and workflows.
Depending on your API, various columns will be displayed.
Some APIs may provide more columns than requested. If there is data you don't need or want to see, just toggle the ignore option to hide the column.