API Connections

Setting up API connections is a crucial step in configuring CP Sync. This guide will walk you through connecting your WordPress site to your church management system’s API.

Planning Center Online (PCO) Connection

Prerequisites

Before connecting to Planning Center Online:

• Have an active Planning Center Online account you can sign in to
• Have administrator access to your WordPress site
• Have your Planning Center login ready

Connection Steps

CP Sync connects to Planning Center through Church Plugins. The Connect tab has no Client ID, Client Secret, or callback URL field. More detail is in Planning Center Online.

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Church Plugins → CP Sync.
2. Open the Connect tab.
3. Set Church Management System to Planning Center Online.
4. Under PCO API Configuration, click Connect. The line above the button reads Click the button below to initiate the OAuth flow and connect to Planning Center Online.
5. A new window opens at churchplugins.com, which sends you to Planning Center. Sign in there and authorize the connection. The window returns to WordPress and closes.
6. The Connect tab shows a success notice that reads Connected.

Reload the CP Sync page to see which account is connected. The notice then reads Connected to {organization} as {person} when Planning Center returns both names, or Connected to {organization} when only the organization name is available.

To disconnect, click Disconnect, then click Connect to sign in again. If the Connect button does not come back, reload the page and click Disconnect again. To disconnect Planning Center while another system is selected, switch Church Management System back to Planning Center Online first, then click Disconnect.

Changing Church Management System while you are connected leaves the Planning Center connection in place. CP Sync syncs from the system selected in Church Management System. The tab says Switching platforms does not disconnect Planning Center Online — its connection and settings are preserved.

After you are connected, the same tab shows a Sync section (Sync Groups, Sync Events, and Sync Sermons). Click Save all Settings after you change those toggles.

Sync Groups is disabled until CP Groups is active. The help text then reads Requires the CP Groups plugin, which is not active on this site. Sync Events is disabled until The Events Calendar is active, with the same kind of help text. Sync Sermons is disabled until CP Sermons is active. Sync Groups and Sync Events are on until you turn them off. Sync Sermons is off until you turn it on. The Groups, Events, and Sermons tabs appear after you are connected, the matching toggle is on, and that plugin is active.

Church Community Builder (CCB) Connection

Prerequisites

Before connecting to Church Community Builder:

• Have an active CCB account with API access
• Have an API username and API password from CCB
• Have administrator access to your WordPress site

Connection Steps

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Church Plugins → CP Sync.
2. Open the Connect tab.
3. Set Church Management System to Church Community Builder.
4. Under Connect to Church Community Builder, enter Subdomain (the part before .ccbchurch.com), API Username, and API Password.
5. Click Connect to CCB.

Connect to CCB saves the fields and checks them. When the check succeeds, that button changes to Disconnect and the three fields lock. If the check fails, the tab shows Connection failed or the message returned by CCB.

Note (CP Sync 1.0.0): On some hosts without PHP’s sodium extension, saving CCB settings could fail after upgrading to 1.0.0. This is fixed in CP Sync 1.1.0; update to 1.1.0. See What’s New in CP Sync 1.0.0.

Connect to CCB stays disabled until Subdomain, API Username, and API Password all have a value. A subdomain with anything other than letters, numbers, and hyphens shows Invalid subdomain. Subdomains may contain only letters, numbers, and hyphens.

To disconnect, click Disconnect.

Changing Church Management System while you are connected leaves the Church Community Builder connection in place. CP Sync syncs from the system selected in Church Management System. The tab says Switching platforms does not disconnect Church Community Builder — its connection and settings are preserved.

After you are connected, the same tab shows a Sync section (Sync Groups and Sync Events). Click Save all Settings after you change those toggles.

Sync Groups is disabled until CP Groups is active. Sync Events is disabled until The Events Calendar is active. Both toggles are on until you turn them off. The Groups and Events tabs appear after you are connected, the matching toggle is on, and that plugin is active.

Testing Connections

Planning Center Online

There is no separate test button. After you authorize, the Connect tab shows Connected. Reload the page and the notice names the account when Planning Center returns it: Connected to {organization} as {person}, or Connected to {organization}.

Church Community Builder

Connect to CCB checks the credentials. A working connection replaces that button with Disconnect.

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

If you encounter connection problems:

Planning Center Online

• On the Connect tab, click Connect again. If the browser blocks the window, the tab shows Failed to open authentication window. Make sure your browser allows popups. Allow popups for your site and click Connect again.
• If you close the window before finishing, the tab shows Authentication window was closed. Click Connect to start again.
• To sign in again, click Disconnect, then Connect. If the Connect button does not come back, reload the page and click Disconnect again.

Church Community Builder

• Check API Username, API Password, and Subdomain
• Enter only the subdomain, such as churchname, not churchname.ccbchurch.com
• Ask your CCB administrator to confirm the API user can sign in

Security Considerations

Your API connection credentials grant access to potentially sensitive information. Please follow these security practices:

• Keep your WordPress site updated
• Use HTTPS for your WordPress site
• Limit admin access to trusted individuals
• Regularly review who has access to your ChMS accounts

For further assistance with connection issues, please see the Troubleshooting guide.