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Discourse source

Introduction​

The Discourse source connector connects to a Discourse instance and authenticates using an API Key and API Username.

At this time, the connector is in development:

  • Connection/authentication is supported (credential validation).
  • Schema discovery and data extraction are not yet available.

Setup​

Prerequisites​

  • A reachable Discourse instance (e.g. forum.example.com).
  • A Discourse Admin API Key.
  • An API Username (the Discourse username associated with the API key; typically an admin user).

Create an API key in Discourse​

In your Discourse admin UI:

  1. Go to Admin → API.
  2. Create a new API key (Admin API key).
  3. Note the generated key value.
  4. Choose the username that will be used for API requests (often the admin user that created the key).

Authentication​

The connector authenticates via HTTP headers on Discourse API requests:

  • Api-Key: <api_key>
  • Api-Username: <api_username>

During credential validation, the connector calls an admin endpoint similar to:

GET https://<hostname>/admin/users/list/active.json?page=1

If the request fails (401/403/other non-2xx), the connector reports a credential validation error.

Configuration​

FieldTypeRequiredDescription
hostnamestring✅Your Discourse DNS hostname only (no protocol, no path). Example: forum.example.com.
api_keystring✅Discourse API key used to authenticate requests.
api_usernamestring✅Discourse username to impersonate for API requests (must be permitted for the key).

Hostname format requirements​

hostname must be a valid DNS hostname:

  • Do not include https://
  • Do not include paths like /latest
  • Labels must be alphanumeric or -, cannot start/end with -

Examples:

  • ✅ forum.example.com
  • ❌ https://forum.example.com
  • ❌ forum.example.com/anything

Streams​

No streams are currently available. Catalog discovery returns an empty catalog, and extraction is not yet implemented.

Limitations​

  • No extraction yet: Syncs will not produce records.
  • No catalog/streams yet: Schema discovery is not available.

Troubleshooting​

  • Credential validation failed
    • Confirm the API key is valid and not revoked.
    • Confirm api_username is correct and has sufficient permissions.
    • Confirm the Discourse instance is reachable at https://<hostname> and that your network allows outbound HTTPS.
  • Invalid hostname
    • Ensure you entered only the DNS hostname (no protocol, port, or path).