Data Integration

Connect Your Data

Transform your digital signage from static displays to dynamic, data-driven communication channels. SignageStudio integrates with REST APIs, databases, spreadsheets, and third-party services to display real-time information.

Integration Overview

Data Source Types

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    DATA INTEGRATION OPTIONS                      │
│                                                                  │
│   ┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐   ┌───────────────┐    │
│   │   REST APIs   │   │   Databases   │   │ Spreadsheets  │    │
│   │               │   │               │   │               │    │
│   │ • JSON        │   │ • SQL Server  │   │ • Google      │    │
│   │ • XML         │   │ • MySQL       │   │ • Excel       │    │
│   │ • RSS/Atom    │   │ • PostgreSQL  │   │ • CSV         │    │
│   └───────────────┘   └───────────────┘   └───────────────┘    │
│          │                   │                   │               │
│          └───────────────────┼───────────────────┘               │
│                              ▼                                   │
│                   ┌───────────────────┐                         │
│                   │   SignageStudio   │                         │
│                   │   Data Engine     │                         │
│                   └─────────┬─────────┘                         │
│                             │                                    │
│                             ▼                                    │
│                   ┌───────────────────┐                         │
│                   │  Dynamic Content  │                         │
│                   │  on Your Displays │                         │
│                   └───────────────────┘                         │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Integration Methods

Method	Use Case	Complexity
JSON Data Component	REST API data	Low
XML Data Component	XML/RSS feeds	Low
Google Sheets	Spreadsheet data	Low
Database Query	Direct DB access	Medium
Webhook Triggers	Push-based updates	Medium
Custom API	Advanced automation	High

---

REST API Integration

JSON Data Source

Connect to any JSON API endpoint:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               JSON DATA SOURCE CONFIGURATION                     │
│                                                                  │
│   URL: [https://api.example.com/data                       ]    │
│   Method: [GET ▼]                                               │
│                                                                  │
│   Authentication:                                                │
│   ○ None                                                        │
│   ○ API Key                                                     │
│   ● Bearer Token: [sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx                   ]    │
│   ○ Basic Auth                                                  │
│                                                                  │
│   Headers:                                                       │
│   [Content-Type    ] : [application/json                  ]    │
│   [Accept          ] : [application/json                  ]    │
│                                                                  │
│   Refresh Interval: [60 ▼] seconds                              │
│                                                                  │
│   [Test Connection]  [Save]                                     │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Data Mapping with JSONPath

Map API response fields to display elements:

JSONPath Expression	Description	Example
$.name	Root level property	{"name": "value"}
$.data.title	Nested property	{"data": {"title": "..."}}
$.items[0]	First array item	{"items": [...]}
$.items[*].name	All items' name	Array iteration
$.data[?(@.active)]	Filtered items	Conditional

Example: Weather API

// API Response
{
  "location": "New York",
  "current": {
    "temp_f": 72,
    "condition": "Sunny",
    "humidity": 45
  }
}

// Data Mapping
{
  "city": "$.location",
  "temperature": "$.current.temp_f",
  "conditions": "$.current.condition",
  "humidity": "$.current.humidity"
}

// Display Template
"Currently {{temperature}}°F and {{conditions}} in {{city}}"
// Output: "Currently 72°F and Sunny in New York"

Example: Sales Dashboard

// API Response
{
  "metrics": {
    "today_sales": 15420,
    "today_orders": 142,
    "target": 20000,
    "percent_complete": 77.1
  }
}

// Display Binding
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│  Today's Sales              │
│  ${{metrics.today_sales}}   │
│  ████████░░░ {{percent}}%   │
│  Target: ${{metrics.target}}│
└─────────────────────────────┘

---

XML & RSS Integration

XML Data Source

Connect to XML feeds and services:

<!-- Example XML Response -->
<data>
  <product>
    <name>Widget Pro</name>
    <price>29.99</price>
    <stock>150</stock>
  </product>
</data>

<!-- XPath Mapping -->
name: /data/product/name
price: /data/product/price
stock: /data/product/stock

RSS Feed Integration

Display content from RSS/Atom feeds:

Property	Configuration
Feed URL	RSS/Atom endpoint
Items	Number to display
Fields	Title, description, image, date
Refresh	Update interval

Multi-Feed Aggregation

Combine multiple feeds:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    FEED AGGREGATOR                               │
│                                                                  │
│   Feed 1: Company Blog                                          │
│   URL: https://blog.company.com/feed                            │
│   Priority: High                                                 │
│                                                                  │
│   Feed 2: Industry News                                         │
│   URL: https://news.industry.com/rss                            │
│   Priority: Normal                                               │
│                                                                  │
│   Feed 3: Local News                                            │
│   URL: https://localnews.com/feed                               │
│   Priority: Low                                                  │
│                                                                  │
│   Aggregation: Mix by priority                                  │
│   Max Age: 24 hours                                             │
│   Total Items: 10                                               │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

Spreadsheet Integration

Google Sheets

Connect to Google Sheets for easy data management:

Setup:

1. Share sheet with SignageStudio service account
2. Copy sheet URL
3. Add Google Sheets component
4. Select range (e.g., Sheet1!A1:D10)
5. Configure display

Use Cases:

Use Case	Sheet Structure
Price list	Product, Price, Unit
Event schedule	Time, Event, Location
Staff directory	Name, Title, Photo URL
KPIs	Metric, Value, Target

Example Sheet:

Product	Price	Sale Price
Coffee	$4.50	$3.99
Latte	$5.50	$4.99
Espresso	$3.00	$2.49

Excel Files

Upload and display Excel data:

Feature	Support
File upload	.xlsx, .xls
Multiple sheets	Select by name
Cell ranges	A1:Z100 notation
Formulas	Calculated values
Refresh	Re-upload or API

CSV Import

Import CSV files for data tables:

Name,Department,Extension
John Smith,Sales,1234
Jane Doe,Marketing,1235
Bob Wilson,Support,1236

---

Database Integration

Direct Database Connection (Server Edition)

Connect directly to enterprise databases:

Database	Connection String Example
SQL Server	Server=host;Database=db;User=user;Password=pass;
MySQL	Server=host;Database=db;Uid=user;Pwd=pass;
PostgreSQL	Host=host;Database=db;Username=user;Password=pass;
Oracle	Data Source=host:1521/sid;User Id=user;Password=pass;

Query Configuration

-- Example: Sales KPIs
SELECT
  DATE_FORMAT(sale_date, '%Y-%m-%d') as date,
  SUM(amount) as daily_sales,
  COUNT(*) as order_count
FROM sales
WHERE sale_date = CURDATE()
GROUP BY date;

Parameterized Queries

Use dynamic parameters:

SELECT * FROM products
WHERE category = @category
AND price < @max_price
ORDER BY popularity DESC
LIMIT 10

Parameters can be:

• Static values
• Current date/time
• Screen properties
• API-driven values

---

Real-Time Updates

Push vs. Pull

Method	Description	Use Case
Pull (polling)	Periodic refresh	Standard data
Push (webhook)	Server-initiated	Time-sensitive
WebSocket	Persistent connection	Real-time streams

Webhook Integration

Receive push notifications:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    WEBHOOK ENDPOINT                              │
│                                                                  │
│   Your Webhook URL:                                              │
│   <unique URL shown in SignStudio>                               │
│                                                                  │
│   Triggered Events:                                              │
│   ☑ Content update                                              │
│   ☑ Emergency alert                                             │
│   ☑ Price change                                                │
│   ☐ Inventory update                                            │
│                                                                  │
│   Authentication: Bearer Token                                   │
│   Secret: [••••••••••••••••]                                    │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Example: Price Update Webhook

// Incoming webhook payload
POST /webhook/abc123xyz
{
  "event": "price_update",
  "data": {
    "product_id": "SKU123",
    "old_price": 9.99,
    "new_price": 7.99,
    "effective": "immediate"
  }
}

// SignageStudio action:
// Update product display immediately

---

Third-Party Integrations

Pre-Built Connectors

Service	Data Type
Weather.com	Weather data
Twitter/X	Social feeds
Instagram	Photos/posts
YouTube	Videos
Google Calendar	Events
Microsoft 365	Calendar, Teams
Salesforce	CRM data
Slack	Messages

POS Integration

Connect to point-of-sale systems:

POS System	Integration Method
Square	REST API
Toast	REST API
Clover	REST API
Custom	Database/API

Use Cases:

• Display current wait times
• Show order status
• Real-time sales metrics
• Inventory levels

Room Booking Systems

System	Integration
Microsoft 365/Exchange	Graph API
Google Workspace	Calendar API
Robin	REST API
Teem	REST API
Custom	iCal/ICS

---

Data Transformation

Formatting Options

Transform	Example
Number format	1234.56 → $1,234.56
Date format	2026-02-01 → Feb 1, 2026
Uppercase	hello → HELLO
Round	3.14159 → 3.14
Truncate	Long text... → Long te...

Conditional Logic

Display different content based on data:

// Conditional formatting
{{#if (gt value 100)}}
  <span class="green">{{value}}</span>
{{else}}
  <span class="red">{{value}}</span>
{{/if}}

// Conditional display
{{#if inventory}}
  In Stock ({{inventory}} available)
{{else}}
  Out of Stock
{{/if}}

Data Aggregation

Combine and calculate:

Total: {{sum items.price}}
Average: {{avg items.rating}}
Count: {{count items}}
Max: {{max items.value}}

---

Security Considerations

Authentication Methods

Method	Security	Use Case
API Key	Medium	Public APIs
Bearer Token	High	Protected APIs
OAuth 2.0	High	User-authorized
Basic Auth	Medium	Simple auth
HMAC Signature	High	Webhook verification

Credential Storage

Practice	Implementation
Encrypted storage	Credentials encrypted at rest
Environment variables	Not hardcoded
Key rotation	Regular credential updates
Least privilege	Minimal required permissions

Data Privacy

Consideration	Recommendation
PII handling	Don't display on public screens
Data caching	Configure appropriate TTL
Audit logging	Track data access
Compliance	GDPR, HIPAA as applicable

---

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I connect SignageStudio to my company's API?

Use the JSON Data component to connect to any REST API. Enter your API endpoint URL, configure authentication (API key, Bearer token, or OAuth), set the refresh interval, and map the response fields to display elements using JSONPath. Test the connection before saving. The data updates automatically at the configured interval.

Can SignageStudio display real-time data from our database?

Yes, SignageStudio Server edition supports direct database connections to SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle. Configure the connection string, write SQL queries, and bind results to display elements. For cloud edition, expose your data via a REST API. Database queries can be parameterized and scheduled for regular refresh.

How do I update digital signage content automatically from a spreadsheet?

Connect to Google Sheets by sharing your sheet with SignageStudio's service account, then add a Google Sheets component and select your data range. Content updates automatically when you edit the spreadsheet. For Excel files, upload to SignageStudio Resources and reference in your scenes, or expose data via Power Automate/API.

What's the difference between pull and push data integration?

Pull integration (polling) periodically fetches data from your source at configured intervals - simple but has latency. Push integration (webhooks) sends data to SignageStudio immediately when changes occur - real-time but requires server setup. Use pull for standard data updates, push for time-sensitive information like alerts or flash sales.

How do I securely connect to APIs that require authentication?

SignageStudio supports API keys, Bearer tokens, OAuth 2.0, and Basic authentication. Credentials are encrypted at rest and transmitted only over HTTPS. For OAuth, complete the authorization flow once and tokens refresh automatically. Avoid hardcoding credentials - use SignageStudio's credential management. For webhook security, validate incoming requests with HMAC signatures.

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Try it on your own screens, free

DigitalSignage.com, which publishes this guide, runs a permanent free plan: the first 3 screens are free forever (no credit card, no ads, no time limit), then from $3 per screen per month with volume pricing via a public calculator. The free SignPlayer runs on Windows, Mac, Android and Android TV, Chrome OS, Raspberry Pi, iPad or any modern web browser. Start free · 2026 pricing

Next Steps

• Components Library - Data display widgets
• Scene Editor - Design data-driven layouts
• API Reference - SignageStudio API
• SDK Documentation - Programmatic access

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Data Integration documentation maintained by MediaSignage. For custom integration assistance, contact support@digitalsignage.com