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Glossary
How to use this page: look up any term, field name, or portal label used in the documentation. Throughout the docs, dotted underlines on a word show the same kind of short explanation on hover.
This glossary covers general integration vocabulary, Stock API field names, portal labels, product classification, and common HTTP status codes.
API & authentication
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| API | Application Programming Interface: a structured way for one computer system to request data from another automatically, without using the website by hand. |
| REST API | REST API: a common style of web-based API that uses simple web addresses (URLs) and standard actions like “get data” so tools and spreadsheets can talk to a service. |
| Endpoint | The exact web address (URL path) you call to perform one action—for example, the address that returns your stock list. |
| Base URL | The main web address of the API server (the host name). Your software adds paths such as /api/stock after it. |
| Stock endpoint | The specific URL that returns your current stock rows as JSON for the devices linked to your key. |
| Hostname | The server part of a web address, e.g. example.com, without paths like /api/stock. |
| API key | A secret token you generate in PartLogic. Your tools send it with each request to prove they are allowed to access your data—similar to a password for software. |
| Authentication | The process of proving a request is allowed. Here, your API key identifies your account and which devices you may see. |
| HTTP header | Extra information sent with a web request, separate from the address. PartLogic expects your API key in a header named X-API-Key. |
| GET request | An HTTP GET request: a standard “read this data” request used when you only fetch information and do not send a body. |
| HTTP | Hypertext Transfer Protocol: the standard way web clients and APIs send requests and receive responses over the internet. |
| JSON | JavaScript Object Notation: a text format computers use to exchange structured data (lists and fields). Spreadsheets and scripts can turn it into rows and columns. |
| OpenAPI | A machine-readable description of the API (this site’s openapi.yaml). Tools use it to document or try endpoints. |
| YAML | YAML: a readable text format for configuration and API specs; openapi.yaml describes this API’s endpoints. |
| Response envelope | Some APIs wrap the list of rows inside an object, e.g. { rows: [...] }. Scripts handle both that shape and a plain list. |
| Array | An ordered list of items. Here, the API returns a list of stock rows you can loop over in code or flatten into a sheet. |
| Query parameter | Data appended to a URL after ?. PartLogic does not accept the API key this way; it must be sent as a header. |
| Rate limit | A cap on how many requests you can make in a period. If exceeded, the server may return an error until it resets. |
| Bespoke API | A tailor-made API shape (fields, paths, or format) built for one customer’s tools rather than the standard stock endpoint. |
| Deployment | A particular running instance of the API. Your organisation uses the public Stock API host documented on this site. |
Integrations & automation
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Integration | A connection between PartLogic and another system (spreadsheet, Zapier, ERP, etc.) so data can flow without manual copy-paste. |
| PartLogic portal | The PartLogic web portal where you log in, manage devices, and create API keys under Integrations. |
| Device permissions | Which warehouse devices or locations your API key is allowed to see. Stock returned is filtered to those devices. |
| Zapier | A no-code automation service that connects thousands of apps. You build “Zaps” that run steps when a trigger fires. |
| Zap | In Zapier, a Zap is an automated workflow: when something happens in one app, Zapier runs actions in another. |
| Trigger | In Zapier or Apps Script, something that starts a run on a schedule or when an event occurs. |
| Webhook | A way for one app to send an HTTP request to another when something happens, often used to automate workflows. |
| Webhooks by Zapier | In Zapier, a webhook-style step can call an external URL (such as PartLogic’s stock address) as part of an automated workflow. |
| Custom Request (Zapier) | A Zapier action where you set the URL, HTTP method, and headers yourself—needed so your API key can be sent securely as a header. |
| Connector | A packaged integration that moves data between systems (e.g. PartLogic and Sage), usually configured once in the portal. |
| Source of truth | The system treated as the master record; other apps sync or copy from it so everyone sees the same numbers. |
| ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning: software that runs finance, orders, and often stock; PartLogic can feed it via integrations. |
| WMS | Warehouse Management System: software for receiving, put-away, picking, cycle counting, and shipping stock in a warehouse. |
| CMMS | Computerised Maintenance Management System: software for assets, work orders, and planned maintenance. |
| MRO | Maintenance, repair, and operations: spare parts and consumables used to keep equipment and sites running. |
| RFID | Radio-frequency identification: tags read automatically to track items, often without line-of-sight scanning. |
| KPI | Key Performance Indicator: a measurable value used to judge how well an operation is performing. |
| BI | Business Intelligence: reporting and dashboards that turn operational data into decisions. |
| JIT | Just-in-time: replenishing stock when consumption triggers it, rather than on a fixed calendar, to reduce holding cost. |
| OAuth | A standard sign-in flow where you approve another app to access Sage (or similar) without giving PartLogic your password. |
| Google Apps Script | Google Apps Script: Google’s built-in scripting for Sheets and other Workspace apps—like macros, but using JavaScript in the cloud. |
| Script properties | A secure place in Apps Script to store values such as your API URL and key so they are not visible in sheet cells. |
| UrlFetchApp | Apps Script’s function to call external web addresses from Google’s servers—used here to contact the PartLogic API. |
| IMPORTDATA | A Google Sheets function that loads data from a web address but cannot attach private headers—so it cannot send your API key. |
| Executions (Apps Script) | Apps Script’s run history: open it to see whether a script succeeded and read error messages if it failed. |
| Authorisation | When Google or another platform asks you to approve what a script can do (e.g. access external websites). |
| Power Query | Excel and Power BI Desktop’s data import tool. It can call a URL and attach custom headers, which is how those apps send your API key. |
Tools & testing
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Postman | A popular desktop or web app for testing APIs: you enter a URL, add headers such as your API key, and see the raw response. |
| cURL | A command-line tool developers use to test URLs. You can paste the examples into a terminal, or use Postman or Sheets instead. |
| cURL example | Example command you can run in a terminal to test the API. Replace placeholders with your real base URL and key. |
Product identifiers
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Inventory / stock | Items you hold in stock: quantities, locations, and identifiers such as SKU. |
| SKU | Stock Keeping Unit: your internal product or part code used to identify an item in inventory. |
| GTIN | Global Trade Item Number: a standard barcode number used to identify products worldwide. |
| MPN | Manufacturer Part Number: the maker or supplier catalogue code for a part. |
| GPC | GS1 Global Product Classification: an industry standard taxonomy for grouping products into consistent categories. |
| UNSPSC | United Nations Standard Products and Services Code: a global taxonomy for classifying products and services. |
| Custom categories | A free-text category field when your organisation uses its own naming instead of GPC or UNSPSC. |
Agentic supply chain
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Agentic AI | Agentic AI: software that can plan steps, call tools, and take actions on your behalf—still needs accurate product and stock data to make good decisions. |
| MCP (Model Context Protocol) | Model Context Protocol: a standard way for AI agents to access structured, permissioned data from external tools—only as useful as the quality of the data behind it. |
| Single Stock Network (SSN) | Single Stock Network: PartLogic’s long-term vision for connected inventory truth across sites and partners—a journey, not a universal network that exists everywhere today. |
Portal data hierarchy
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Master record | The top-level governed product record in the portal: PartLogic SKU, GTIN, shared attributes, and supplier data used across all sites. |
| Site | Portal Site level: a physical site or building (for example a factory) under one master record. |
| Device / storeroom | Portal level Device or Store Room: a warehouse or stock location within a site; local names and quantities are often scoped here. |
| Source of truth | The system treated as the master record; other apps sync or copy from it so everyone sees the same numbers. |
Security & errors
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| HTTP 401 | HTTP 401: the server did not accept your credentials—usually a missing, wrong, or expired API key. |
| HTTP 403 | HTTP 403: your key was recognised but this action or location is not allowed (permissions or network rules). |
| HTTP 429 | HTTP 429: too many requests in a short time; wait and try again or slow down automated jobs. |
| HTTP 500 | HTTP 500: an unexpected error on the server side. Retry later or contact support if it continues. |
| IP allowlist | A security setting that only allows API calls from approved network addresses. If enabled, calls from elsewhere may fail with 403. |
Stock API response fields
Column names returned by GET /api/stock. See the API Reference for examples and the OpenAPI spec for the full schema.
| Term | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| id | integer | Unique record ID for this stock row in PartLogic. |
| DeviceName Also: Device | string | The device or site that holds this stock. Stock is filtered by the devices linked to your API key. |
| DeviceList | string | Comma-separated list of devices when a row spans more than one device. |
| SKU Also: Stock keeping unit, Product code, Part code | string | Stock Keeping Unit: your internal product or part code used to identify an item in inventory. |
| GTIN Also: Barcode, EAN | string | Global Trade Item Number: a standard barcode number used to identify products worldwide. May appear as GTIN-13, GTIN-14, or similar formats. |
| Description | string | Human-readable product or part description shown in the portal and returned in API rows. |
| MinQty Also: Minimum quantity, Reorder level | integer | Minimum quantity threshold—often used as a reorder level when stock runs low. |
| MaxQty Also: Maximum quantity | integer | Maximum quantity threshold—the upper stock level you aim to hold. |
| Physical Also: Quantity on hand, Stock level | integer | Current physical stock count—the quantity on hand at the location. |
| Location Also: Location code | string | Storage location code (for example a bin or rack identifier). |
| LocationAlias Also: Location name | string | Human-readable name for the location, paired with the Location code. |
| rows Also: Response envelope | array | When the API uses an envelope response, stock records are nested under this key instead of a top-level array. |
| count | integer | Total number of stock rows when the API returns an envelope object alongside rows. |
Portal data hierarchy
How product records are organised in the portal: one master record, many Sites, and many Devices or store rooms under each site.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Master Also: Master record | The top-level governed product record in the portal: PartLogic SKU, GTIN, shared attributes, and supplier data used across all sites. |
| Site Also: Physical site | Portal Site level: a physical site or building (for example a factory) under one master record. |
| Device Also: Store Room, Storeroom | Portal level Device or Store Room: a warehouse or stock location within a site; local names and quantities are often scoped here. |
Portal & integration labels
UI labels, header names, and script properties referenced in the portal and integration guides.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Integrations Also: portal.partlogic.co.uk/integrations | Area of the PartLogic portal where you create API keys and manage connections to other systems. |
| New API Key | Button that starts creating a new API key. You choose a name, devices, and optional expiry before generating the secret. |
| Key name Also: API key name | A label you assign so you can recognise the key later (for example “Google Sheets” or “Sage sync”). |
| Expires On Also: Expiry date | Optional expiry date. After this day the key stops working—useful for time-limited access. |
| Devices Also: Device selection, Select All, Clear | Which warehouse devices or locations your API key is allowed to see. Stock returned is filtered to those devices. |
| Generate | Creates the API key after you have set the name, devices, and optional expiry. |
| X-API-Key Also: API key header | The header name where you must send your API key on every authenticated request. Do not put the key in the URL. |
| PARTLOGIC_BASE_URL | Google Apps Script property holding the API host only—no path and no trailing slash (everything before /api/stock). |
| PARTLOGIC_API_KEY | Google Apps Script property holding your secret API key. Store here rather than in sheet cells or shared script text. |
| PartLogic Stock | Default Google Sheets tab name used by the sample Apps Script. The script clears and repopulates this tab on each refresh. |
| pullPartLogicStock | Sample Apps Script function that fetches stock from PartLogic and writes rows to the spreadsheet. |
| Custom attribute | Optional extra field in the Parts portal for data that does not fit the standard classification (for example a secondary taxonomy). |
| Master Also: Master record, Master data | The top-level governed product record in the portal: PartLogic SKU, GTIN, shared attributes, and supplier data used across all sites. |
| Site Also: Physical site, Portal site | Portal Site level: a physical site or building (for example a factory) under one master record. |
| Device Also: Store Room, Storeroom, Warehouse device | Portal level Device or Store Room: a warehouse or stock location within a site; local names and quantities are often scoped here. |
| Store Room Also: Storeroom | Synonym for Device in the portal: a storeroom or warehouse location under a Site. |
Product classification
Terms used when categorising parts and validating barcodes.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| GPC Also: GS1 GPC, Global Product Classification | GS1 Global Product Classification: an industry standard taxonomy for grouping products into consistent categories. |
| UNSPSC Also: United Nations Standard Products and Services Code | United Nations Standard Products and Services Code: a global taxonomy for classifying products and services. |
| Custom categories Also: Custom classification | A free-text category field when your organisation uses its own naming instead of GPC or UNSPSC. |
| GTIN check Also: GTIN validation, Barcode lookup | Portal workflow that validates a barcode number (GTIN) and, when recognised, can return suggested category data for faster part creation. |
| Classification type | The taxonomy chosen during workspace onboarding (GPC, UNSPSC, or Custom). Determines what users see when categorising parts. |
HTTP status codes
Common response codes from the Stock API.
| Term | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | HTTP status | Success—the request completed and returned data (or an empty list if nothing matched). |
| 401 Also: Unauthorized | HTTP status | HTTP 401: the server did not accept your credentials—usually a missing, wrong, or expired API key. |
| 403 Also: Forbidden | HTTP status | HTTP 403: your key was recognised but this action or location is not allowed (permissions or network rules). |
| 429 Also: Too many requests | HTTP status | HTTP 429: too many requests in a short time; wait and try again or slow down automated jobs. |
| 500 Also: Internal server error | HTTP status | HTTP 500: an unexpected error on the server side. Retry later or contact support if it continues. |
Missing a term? Contact us and we will add it.