How can I obtain an OAuth2 access token for eBay’s SOAP Trade API?

Below is some guidance on how to handle the token for SOAP API calls:

Key Points

• Reuse the OAuth2 Access Token:
  The access token you obtain via your OAuth2 flow is the same token you use for eBay’s SOAP APIs. There’s no separate “SOAP token” you need to request.

• Extract and Store the Token:
  Modify your OAuth flow (if not already doing so) to extract and store the access token along with its expiration time. This way you can reuse the token during its valid period.

• Token Refresh:
  Since OAuth tokens typically have a limited lifetime, you should implement a token refresh mechanism. Use the refresh token provided (if applicable) to get a new access token when it expires. This avoids any interruptions in your SOAP API calls.

• Injecting the Token:
  Once you’ve stored a valid token, simply add it to your SOAP headers as specified by eBay’s documentation:

  XMLCopied
  X-EBAY-API-IAF-TOKEN: [Access Token]

  Ensure your SOAP request builder dynamically adds this header using the stored token.

Recommended Workflow

1. OAuth Flow:
   When a user logs in, run your OAuth2 flow. Save the returned access token and its expiration information in your token management component.

2. Token Management:

   • Before each SOAP call, check if the token is still valid.
   • If the token has expired, use your refresh mechanism to obtain a new access token.
   • Update the storage with the new token and its expiration details.

3. SOAP Request Preparation:
   Build your SOAP request and add the access token to the header using the key X-EBAY-API-IAF-TOKEN. This way your SOAP API call is authenticated as per eBay’s requirements.

Code Snippet Example (Pseudo-code)

Below is a pseudo-code example that outlines this approach:

PYTHONCopied
def get_valid_access_token():
    # Assume you have stored access token and its expiration time
    if token_is_expired():
        refresh_access_token()
    return stored_access_token

def send_soap_request(soap_body):
    token = get_valid_access_token()
    headers = {
        "X-EBAY-API-IAF-TOKEN": token,
        # add other required headers here...
    }
    response = http_library.post(url=SOAP_ENDPOINT, headers=headers, data=soap_body)
    return response

def token_is_expired():
    # Implement your check comparing current time to stored expiration time
    return current_time > stored_expiration_time

def refresh_access_token():
    # Make a call to eBay’s token refresh endpoint with your refresh token
    new_token_data = call_refresh_endpoint(stored_refresh_token)
    update_stored_token(new_token_data)

Conclusion

You do not need to completely change your OAuth flow; you just need to capture and maintain the access token (along with implementing a refresh strategy) so that it can be injected into the SOAP header when making SOAP API calls. This ensures that both REST and SOAP APIs are using valid tokens without duplicating authentication efforts.