The Optimal API provides secure, read-only access to your research data, making it easier to connect Optimal with the tools you already use, such as data warehouses, business intelligence platforms, internal dashboards, analytics tools, and custom applications.
Instead of relying on manual exports or static reports, you can connect research data to your existing workflows and combine it with broader business data.
With the API, you can
Centralize research data in platforms like Snowflake
Build dashboards in Power BI, Tableau, or Looker
Automate reporting workflows
Create an internal research repository
Combine research insights with product analytics and business metrics
What's available
The initial release provides read-only access to:
Research activities
Research metadata
Participants
Responses and results
Insights and AI-generated insights
The Optimal API is currently available to multi-team organizations on Enterprise plans.
Create an API application
An organization admin can create an OAuth application in Optimal to access the Research Data API. This generates a Client ID and Client Secret that your developer, IT / systems administrator, or API or integration manager can use for setup.
Before you start
Make sure you have a secure place to store the Client ID and Client Secret.
If your plan includes unlimited users, you can invite a developer or API manager to your admin Workspace as an admin so they can manage the API application.
If you're not an organization admin, ask your Optimal organization admin to create the OAuth application or invite you to the admin Workspace as an admin.
Create a new application
Go to Manage Organization in Optimal.
Go to the Integrations tab.
Add an Application name.
Select Create application.
Copy and securely store the Client ID and Client Secret.
Important: The Client Secret is shown when you create the application and cannot be recovered after you leave the page. Make sure you store it securely before closing the page.
Best practices
Treat your Client Secret like a password. Anyone with access to it may be able to authenticate your application, so keep it private and limit access to people and systems that need it.
Never share your Client Secret publicly. Don't send it over Slack, email, direct messages, or other unsecured channels.
Use a password manager or secrets manager. Store credentials in a secure tool such as 1Password or your organization's approved secrets manager.
Don't commit secrets to source code. Never add your Client Secret to Git repositories, configuration files, screenshots, or other files that could be shared.
Create separate applications for different integrations where practical. This makes it easier to manage access and revoke credentials without affecting other applications.
Give access only to people who need it. Limit access to API credentials to the relevant developer, API manager, or service account.
Keep track of who owns each application. Use a descriptive application name so your team can identify its purpose and owner.
Rotate credentials when needed. If you believe a Client Secret has been exposed, delete the application and create a new one.
Delete unused applications. Remove API applications that are no longer being used to reduce unnecessary access.
Developer documentation
Ready to connect your application to Optimal? Please reference the Optimal API developer documentation available at https://developers.optimalworkshop.com.