Import data from "api-football.com"

API import from "api-football.com" helps you to:

• create matches;
• create clubs (since v0.9.6);
• create players with extended data (name, position, nationality, birth date, weight, height);
• create a club squad;
• update finished matches (scores, lineups, substitutions, events, stats, kickoff date and time).

❗️ >>> You have to get an API key before a start here - api-football.com/pricing

1. Set API key and URL

Then enter your API key and set request URL. If you buy a subscription on RapidApi, set "RapidApi account". If you buy directly, set "Direct".

2. Preparation (before start)

2.1 Create Season

Go to the "Competitions" >> "Seasons" and create a new season if not exists.

2.2 Create League

Go to the "Competitions" >> "Leagues" and create a new league if needed.

2.3 Create Competition

Then create a new competition: set name, season, league and type.

Also required to create and assign clubs to the competition group but you can do that with the help of API on the next step.

2.4 Create Clubs and assign them to the Competition

Go to the "Settings & Tools" >> "FL+ Import API" >> "Create clubs". 

Select the country (4) and the competition (6), get the list of the clubs (7). 

Below clubs, in the Post Update Action, select the previously created competition to assign clubs to it.

See - Create or Update clubs - Import API

2.5 Create Standing table (optional)

(Optional) If your competition type is round-robin, create a new Standing Table for your competition.

Go to the "Competitions" >> "Standing Tables" and click "Add new standing Table".  Select your competition, group, and set ranking rules on the next step. Then publish the table.

Congrats! Now you are ready to fetch data from API.

3. Create Import Configuration

Go to the “Settings & Tools” >> “FL+ Import API”.

For the first time, you have to create a new import configuration.

Set local (your site) competition and click "Next". 

If competition status will be "mapping needed", click on "edit" button on the right side and link API competition with the local one.

If status will be "OK", click "Next".

On the next step link API and local clubs. 

If you created clubs with the help of "Import API", the status will be "OK" and you may go to the next step.

Otherwise, you have to map local and API clubs clicking on the "edit" button.

4. Import Actions

On the last step, you will see a list of available actions. They are self-explained.

The recommended workflow:

- create all matches;

- update players for every club;

- update finished matches;

I also recommend you to "Save Configuration". It will help you to miss "mapping steps" next time.

When you create matches, your request may be interrupted by a server (due to limit execution time). Try to run this action several times, until you get a successful message.

For Multistage Competitions

If you create matches for multistage competition, recommended to set start and finish date, otherwise, matches from other stages will be added to this stage.

How to check API status

If you use RapidApi account, visit - https://rapidapi.com/developer/billing/subscriptions-and-usage

If you subscribed directly, use the special form at the import page (see screenshot).