Qlik has always understood that the true value of data doesn’t come from raw information, but from refined, trusted data products that organizations rely on to make decisions. Unfortunately, many of these governed resources remain locked behind proprietary APIs or custom connectors, turning data access into a real scavenger hunt. At Qlik, every effort has been made to simplify access within their ecosystem — but what happens when you need your data products to flow securely and seamlessly into other BI solutions, productivity applications, and, increasingly, to autonomous AI agents across your organization?
Qlik has introduced OData-compliant API access for its Data Products, and in this article, we are pleased to share more details about this new capability. Every Qlik Talend Cloud data product published to the data marketplace with this newly released capability can now be securely accessed through an OData API endpoint, making it easier than ever to consume trusted data across your entire ecosystem.
Quick OData Protocol Refresher
The Open Data Protocol (OData) was conceived at Microsoft around 2007 as a novel way to bring uniformity and power to the then-emerging landscape of RESTful APIs. Its goal was to create a standard, HTTP-based protocol for creating and consuming query able web services, much like JDBC or ODBC provided standardized access to databases. After its initial versions (1.0 through 3.0), Microsoft turned the technology over to the OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) consortium. This transition led to its adoption and formal standardization as OData Version 4.0 in 2014, and it has since been approved as an ISO/IEC International Standard, cementing its status as a platform-independent, globally recognized best practice for data integration across a vast ecosystem of applications and platforms.
Turning Data Products into VALUE with APIs
Data and analytics teams can activate OData API access for one or more datasets in a data product. This creates API endpoints that can be consumed programmatically in BI tools like Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, or Excel, enterprise apps such as Salesforce, or even integrated into custom workflows and agentic AI experiences.
API Endpoint Activation
For example, take a Logistics & Shipping data product that contains datasets on orders, deliveries, suppliers, and shippers. When this data product is made available through an OData API, it delivers three key benefits, presented below.
Seamless Integration
Business teams can integrate the data product directly into their business workflow tools to track delivery KPIs, or into non-Qlik dashboards for enhanced supply chain visibility — all without any additional custom connectors.
Inspect the API endpoints that are activated
Obtaining the GET endpoint to access the table within the data product
Faster time to insights
With OData API endpoints, analysts and developers can query and filter data products directly — but the impact is even greater when combined with tools like Qlik Automate using the API Key connector.
CConfiguring the API Connector in Qlik Automate to leverage the OData API
For example, in a Logistics & Shipping data product, delivery details can be fetched via the FACT_DELIVERY GET API and used to auto-trigger workflows like customer alerts or ops notifications.
Running the automation and see the listed results
Secure and governed access
API endpoints respect the same data governance, access controls policies, and permissions applied to the data products, ensuring the logistics data remains consistent and compliant across every touchpoint — from BI dashboards and custom business workflows to operational AI agents monitoring delivery anomalies.
Conclusion
OData APIs broaden the reach of trusted data products beyond the native Qlik platform. Now, trusted data products can be securely consumed using third-party tools, enterprise apps, and AI agents — without extra connectors. This means seamless integration, faster time to insights, and governance at scale — turning what was once a scavenger hunt into effortless access.
It’s a leap forward in Qlik’s vision: making trusted data products instantly consumable anywhere, by any user, in their preferred tool.
Article source: https://www.qlik.com/us.
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