Autotask - Get API Credentials
Before you can connect Autotask PSA to Inscora, you need an Autotask API User with credentials Inscora can use to authenticate. This page walks through creating that user inside Autotask. Once you have the credentials in hand, head to Connect Autotask PSA to Inscora to enter them.
ℹ️ Who can do this. Creating an API User requires an Autotask account with admin permission to configure Resources/Users (HR). If that's not you, send these instructions to your Autotask admin.
What You'll End Up With
Two values to bring back to Inscora:
- API User (username) — Autotask calls this the Username (Key). A 15-character auto-generated string.
- API Secret — Autotask calls this the Password (Secret). A 25-character auto-generated string. Keep it safe; Autotask hides it after you save.
While creating the API User, you'll also set the API Tracking Identifier to point at the Inscora integration vendor. That stays inside Autotask and isn't pasted into Inscora; it tells Autotask which integration this API User belongs to.
💡 Use a dedicated API user for Inscora. Create a separate API User just for the Inscora integration rather than reusing an existing one. That way you can audit Inscora's API activity in isolation, rotate the secret independently, and disable the integration cleanly when needed without affecting other tools that talk to Autotask.
Step-by-Step in Autotask
- Open the Resources/Users page. In Autotask, navigate from the left menu: Admin › Organization Settings & Users › Resources/Users (HR) › Resources/Users.
- Start a new API User. Click New in the toolbar, then pick New API User. The Add API User panel opens with two main tabs: General and Credentials.
- Fill in the General tab.
Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
First Name | Something memorable, e.g. |
Last Name | e.g. |
Email Address | A real address that someone watches. Autotask sends notifications to this email if the integration breaks. The mailbox doesn't have to be at your domain - any valid-format address works - but a real one is strongly recommended. |
Active | Leave checked. |
Security Level | Pick API User (system) (API-only) — required (see callout below). This is Autotask's built-in API-only level; it also blocks UI logins for this user. |
Date / Time / Number Format | Defaults are fine. |
Primary Internal Location | Pick the location whose timezone you want associated with the API user. For Inscora, any location works. |
⚠️ The Security Level must be API User (system) (API-only). This is set on the same Add API User form, right alongside First Name, Last Name, and Email — don't skip it or accept a different default. Don't copy and trim this level to make it "least privilege." Inscora relies on the full breadth of API User (system): companies, contacts, and the additional objects we use as the integration grows. A trimmed clone can pass the initial connection check but fail later operations in ways that are hard to diagnose. If your security policy requires review, point your Autotask admin at the Adding or editing an API user documentation already referenced below.
- Generate the credentials. Switch to the Credentials tab.
- Click Generate Key. Autotask fills the Username (Key) field with a 15-character value. Copy this value - it becomes the API User (username) in Inscora.
- Click Generate Secret. Autotask fills the Password (Secret) field with a 25-character value. Copy this value too, right now - once you Save & Close, Autotask hides the password and you'd have to regenerate it to see it again.
You can override either auto-generated value if your setup requires a specific format, but the auto-generated ones are the safest choice.
- Set the API Tracking Identifier. In the same Credentials tab, find the API Tracking Identifier radio buttons.
- Pick Integration Vendor (this is the default).
- In the Integration Vendor drop-down, select Inscora. Inscora is a registered integration vendor in Autotask, so it appears in the list - no Custom Internal Integration setup needed.
If Inscora isn't visible in the Integration Vendor list, your Autotask instance may not yet have the vendor entry refreshed. Contact Inscora support and we'll help you sort it out.
- Save & Close. Click the Save & Close button at the top of the panel. Autotask creates the API User and locks in the credentials.
⚠️ Save in Autotask before connecting in Inscora. Don't switch to Inscora until you've actually saved the API User in Autotask. If you go to Inscora and try to Connect while the Autotask form is still unsaved, the credentials won't be active yet and Inscora's verification call will fail.
What You Need to Bring Back
You should now have two strings copied somewhere safe:
Autotask label | Inscora field |
|---|---|
Username (Key) | API User (username) |
Password (Secret) | API Secret |
The Autotask API URL is detected automatically by Inscora and doesn't need to be copied.
Lost the Secret?
If you forgot to copy the Password (Secret) before saving, Autotask hides it permanently — there's no "show password" button after the fact. The fix is simple: open the API User, click Generate Secret again, save, and use the new value. If Inscora was already connected with the old secret, update it via Editing or Rotating Credentials on the Inscora side.
Best Practices
- One API User per integration. If you also connect another tool to Autotask later, give that tool its own API User. Audit trails stay clean and you can rotate or revoke each one independently.
- Rotate periodically. Regenerate the Password (Secret) in Autotask every 6–12 months and update Inscora.
Reference
For the most current Autotask field labels and screenshots, see Adding or editing an API user in the Autotask documentation.