REST API module for Perfex CRM

About REST API module for Perfex CRM

Access and manage your Perfex CRM data seamlessly. The REST API module for Perfex CRM exposes your customers, contacts, leads, invoices, projects, tasks and much more through a flexible, fully-documented RESTful interface - so external applications can read and write Perfex data in real time and you can control your installation remotely, with no custom core work required. Build third-party connections, sync data between systems, automate processes and revolutionise your workflow.

The API operates over HTTP/HTTPS and follows REST conventions: it uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and meaningful HTTP status codes to define requests and responses. If you have worked with any REST API before, you will be productive in minutes.

New in v2.1 - dynamic custom-table CRUD against any third-party module, native Zapier, Make.com and n8n automation connectors, an events-webhooks system with HMAC signature verification, a configurable security-middleware layer (IP whitelist/blacklist, request-size limits, security headers), response caching, request logging, an API response transformer with field filtering, a Postman collection generator, and task checklist and assignee support.

A complete API service for Perfex CRM

This is a mature, actively developed module that gives you a complete API service for your Perfex CRM installation - the foundation for building your own third-party service connections to Zapier, IFTTT, Make.com, n8n and any other platform you rely on. It installs, activates and gives you a fully working API in only a few seconds, and stays compatible with the latest Perfex CRM release and PHP 8.x.

The possibilities are genuinely unlimited - the only prerequisite is that you are familiar with REST APIs. A complete online documentation, with full request and response examples for every endpoint, is included to help you build your connections; if you are not comfortable working with APIs, consider hiring an expert to set up your integrations.

Every endpoint you need

Almost everything you manage inside Perfex is available as an endpoint, with create, read, update, delete and search support where it makes sense. The currently available endpoints cover:

Sales and billing

• Invoices - add, update, delete, request and search invoices
• Estimates - add, update, delete, request and search estimates
• Proposals - add, update, delete, request and search proposals
• Payments - add a payment, list all payments and search payments
• Subscriptions - add, update, delete, request a subscription and list subscriptions
• Contracts - add, delete and request contracts
• Expenses - add, update, delete, request and search expenses, plus request expense categories
• Payment modes and taxes - request payment modes and list all taxes

Contacts and pipeline

• Customers - add, update, delete, request, search and list all contacts of a customer
• Contacts - add, update, delete, request and search contacts
• Leads - add, update, delete, request and search leads
• Custom fields - add, update, delete, request fields and their values, and search field values

Projects and delivery

• Projects - add, update, delete, request and search projects
• Milestones - add, update, delete, request and search milestones
• Tasks - add, update, delete, request and search tasks, with task checklist and assignee support
• Timesheets - add, update, delete, request a timesheet and list timesheets
• Calendar events - create, update, delete, get all events and request a specific event

Support and team

• Tickets - add, update, delete, request and search tickets
• Staff members - add, update, delete, request and search staff

Custom modules and automation

• Third-party (custom modules) - full CRUD against any custom database table created by third-party modules: get all records, get a record by ID, insert, update and delete
• Automation connectors - poll for new data, test triggers and list available resources for Zapier, Make.com and n8n

File attachments can be pushed to leads, contracts, tasks and expenses, and global pagination keeps large list results fast and predictable, with a configurable page size that is capped per request.

Granular permissions per API token

Issue a dedicated API key for each integration and decide exactly what it is allowed to do. The permissions system lets you grant or revoke Get, Create, Update and Delete access per resource, so every connected application runs with least-privilege access. Built-in request limiting and quota limiting let you cap usage, and each key can be given an expiry date - all managed from one screen.

Real-time events webhooks

Stop polling for changes that may never come. The events-webhooks system pushes API lifecycle events to any URL the moment they happen - authentication, rate limiting, request and response, controller execution, and error events - with an automatic HTTP POST to your configured endpoint. Each webhook is independently configurable through the management UI, with SHA256 HMAC signatures for payload verification, custom HTTP headers, configurable retry logic for failed deliveries, and an active toggle. A complete delivery log and a built-in test function let you confirm everything works before you go live.

Native automation connectors

You should not need a developer to wire Perfex into your stack. The module ships with native support for the Zapier, Make.com and n8n automation platforms, plus a ready-to-import Postman collection. A standalone manifest generator produces the manifest for each platform with download links and setup instructions - drop in your API key and start building scenarios. Dedicated polling and test endpoints with timestamp filtering give automation triggers exactly the shape they expect, and a resource-discovery endpoint lets tools enumerate what is available.

Built-in reporting and tooling

Operating an API should not be a black box. A reporting interface gives you user statistics and per-API-key statistics so you can see how each integration is being used. Request logging captures every call for monitoring and debugging, response caching for GET requests improves performance and reduces server load, and an interactive Swagger playground lets you test endpoints and read the documentation from inside Perfex. An API response transformer can wrap responses in a standardised JSON format, filter response fields by query parameter, and automatically strip sensitive fields for privacy.

Enterprise-grade security

API security is handled by middleware you configure from an intuitive admin interface, no coding required. Restrict access with IP whitelisting and blacklisting (with CIDR notation support), set a configurable maximum request body size to prevent abuse, and enable security headers such as X-Frame-Options and Content-Security-Policy. Authentication is flexible too: send your key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header, pass it as an authtoken or api_key query parameter for simple URL-based access, or use the JWT implementation - whichever fits the client you are integrating. Table-name sanitisation and parameterised queries protect the dynamic custom-table endpoints against SQL injection.

What you can build

The REST API module turns Perfex into a connected platform and lets you:

• Automate workflows - connect Perfex CRM to accounting software, project-management platforms or email-marketing systems, eliminate manual data entry, and synchronise data, create leads and update contacts automatically, now with native support for Zapier, Make.com and n8n.
• Extend functionality - integrate external services such as geolocation, SMS notifications or payment gateways to build a CRM experience tailored to your exact requirements.
• Improve efficiency - keep accurate, up-to-date information flowing between Perfex and every connected tool, eliminating data inconsistencies and manual errors, with real-time webhook notifications of API events.
• Foster collaboration - share CRM data with the right team members and sync task progress into your project-management and team-communication platforms.
• Drive business growth - build a unified ecosystem of applications that work together harmoniously, so you can make data-driven decisions and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Requirements

Installation and activation take only a few seconds. The module runs on the CodeIgniter-based Perfex CRM and requires PHP 7.4 or later, with full PHP 8.x compatibility. Familiarity with REST APIs is the only prerequisite for building your own connections.