BigCommerce Authenticate an Element

You can authenticate with BigCommerce to create your own instance of the BigCommerce element through the UI or through APIs. Once authenticated, you can use the element instance to access the different functionality offered by the BigCommerce platform.

Authenticate Through the UI

Use the UI to authenticate with BigCommerce and create an element instance as described in Authenticate an Element Instance (UI). In addition to the base authentication parameters, you will need the credentials that you identified in API Provider Setup.


Authenticate Through API


To authenticate an element instance:


      "element": {
        "key": "bigcommerce"
      "configuration": {
        "username": "<Legacy API Account Username>",
        "password": "<Legacy API Account API Token>",
        "store.url": "<Legacy API Account API Path>"
      "tags": [
      "name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>"

    POST /instances

Example cURL

curl -X POST \ \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "element": {
    "key": "bigcommerce"
  "configuration": {
    "username": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "password": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "store.url": ""
  "tags": [
  "name": "API Instance"


API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting.

Note: Event related parameters are described in Events.
ParameterDescriptionData Type
keyThe element key.
The name of the element instance created during authentication.string
The Username of the BigCommerce Legacy API Account that you noted in API Provider Setup.string
API Token
The API Token of the BigCommerce Legacy API Account that you noted in API Provider Setup.string
API Path
The API Path of the BigCommerce Legacy API Account that you noted in API Provider Setup.
tagsOptional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance.string

Example Response for an Authenticated Element Instance


  "id": 12345,
  "name": "API Instance",
  "token": "ABC/Dxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "element": {
    "id": 274,
    "name": "BigCommerce",
    "hookName": "BigCommerce",
    "key": "bigcommerce",
    "description": "Add a Big Commerce Instance to connect your existing Big Commerce account to the eCommerce Hub, allowing you to manage orders and products across multiple eCommerce Elements. You will need your Big Commerce account information to add an instance.",
    "image": "elements/provider_bigcommerce.png",
    "active": true,
    "deleted": false,
    "typeOauth": false,
    "trialAccount": false,
    "resources": [ ],
    "transformationsEnabled": true,
    "bulkDownloadEnabled": true,
    "bulkUploadEnabled": true,
    "cloneable": true,
    "extendable": true,
    "beta": false,
    "authentication": {
        "type": "basic"
    "extended": false,
    "hub": "ecommerce",
    "protocolType": "http",
    "parameters": [  ]
    "elementId": 274,
    "tags": [
  "provisionInteractions": [],
  "valid": true,
  "disabled": false,
  "maxCacheSize": 0,
  "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
  "configuration": {    },
  "eventsEnabled": false,
  "traceLoggingEnabled": false,
  "cachingEnabled": false,
  "externalAuthentication": "none",
  "user": {
      "id": 12345