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Mozilla Hosted Backpack - Backpack Connect API

This document regards the Backpack Connect API for pushing earner badges to the Mozilla hosted Backpack. The API allows issuers to manage persistent access to the earner Backpack without requiring their explicit permission each time a new badge is issued. Earners grant permission when issuers first call the connect method, and can revoke this permission within their Backpack settings at any time.

Interaction with the Backpack is implemented using access tokens. Issuers can use the issue endpoint to send badges to the Backpack, the refresh endpoint to retrieve valid access tokens and the identity endpoint to retrieve hashed earner identity information.

The Backpack Connect API contrasts with the Issuer API, with which the earner has to grant permission each time you try to push a badge to their Backpack.

In order to use the Backpack Connect API, you first need to have your badge assertions(s) prepared. If you're new to badge issuing or assertions, see these pages:

For a detailed guide to using the Backpack Connect API, see the tutorial.

Contents

Accessing the API

To access the Backpack Connect API in your site, include the following script:

https://backpack.openbadges.org/issuer.js

You can then use the OpenBadges object to call the connect method to retrieve your access token for pushing earner badges to the Backpack.

connect

Request earner permission to push issued badges to their Backpack.

Parameters
callback URL for callback the Backpack will return your access token details to.
scope Type of access you are requesting - use issue to push badges to the Backpack.

Example method call

OpenBadges.connect({
        callback: "http://yoursite.com/callback",
        scope: ['issue']
    });

Example response

You will receive a response at your specified callback including your access token details if successful. The earner will be prompted to grant you access and the Backpack will send data to your callback when they do so, returning the earner browser to your callback location.

Parameter
error If the user denied the issuer access to their backpack, this will be set to access_denied.
access_token A string you can use to access the user's Backpack.
refresh_token A string that can be used to obtain a new access token whenever yours expires.
expires The number of seconds that the access token is valid before it needs to be refreshed.
api_root The absolute URL pointing to the root of the user's backpack connect API endpoint. Note that this won't necessarily point to the openbadges.org domain, since a user's Backpack may be located anywhere on the Web.

The response is sent using GET parameters, e.g.

http://yoursite.com/callback?access_token=abcde&refresh_token=fghij&expires=3600&api_root=https%3A%2F%2Fbackpack.openbadges.org%2Fapi

When access_token expires, you can call token to retrieve a new one.

issue

Push a badge you have awarded an earner to their Backpack. The endpoint is /issue appended to the api_root value you received when you called the connect method.

Endpoint

POST <api-root>/issue

Content-Type should be application/json

Expected request

The issue endpoint expects:

  • your Base64 encoded access_token as Bearer in the Authorization header of the HTTP request
  • the URL or signature for the badge assertion you are pushing to the earner Backpack as badge parameter

Example request

var claimData = querystring.stringify({
            badge: 'http://yoursite.com/badge-assertion.json'
    });

var requestOptions = {
        host : 'backpack.openbadges.org',//adjust for your api root
        path : '/api/issue', 
        method : 'POST', 
        headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + b64enc('your-access-token'),
            'Content-Type': 'application/json',
            'Content-Length': Buffer.byteLength(claimData)
        }
};

var postRequest = http.request(requestOptions, function(pushResponse) {
      //...

});

postRequest.write(claimData);

Expected response

{
    "exists": false,
    "badge": {
        "uid": "assertion-uid",
        "recipient": "sha256$hashed-email",
        "badge": {
            "name": "Badge Name",
            "description": "Badge description.",
            "image": "http://yoursite.com/badge-image.png",
            "criteria": "http://yoursite.com/criteria.html",
            "alignment": [ ],
            "issuer": {
                "name": "Issuer Name",
                "url": "http://yoursite.com",
                "_location": "http://yoursite.com/issuer-organization.json",
                "origin": "http://yoursite.com"
            },
            "_location": "http://yoursite.com/badge-class.json"
        },
        "verify": {
            "url": "http://yoursite.com/public.pem",
            "type": "signed"
        },
        "issuedOn": 1403784577,
        "_originalRecipient": {
            "identity": "sha256$hashed-email",
            "type": "email",
            "hashed": true
        },
        "issued_on": 1403784577
    }
}

Example error response

{
    "message": "issuer origin must be identical to bearer token origin"
}

The API may return an error if:

  • the assertion is malformed/ invalid
  • no assertion URL or signature is passed
  • the assertion is for a different earner
  • issuer origin does not match access token origin
  • the badge has already been added to the earner Backpack
  • your access token has expired
  • the access token is invalid

token

Retrieve a new token to replace an expired one. The endpoint is /token appended to the api_root value you received when you called the connect method.

Endpoint

POST <api-root>/token

Content-Type should be application/json

Expected request

The token endpoint expects:

  • grant_type which should be refresh_token to retrieve a replacement for an expired token
  • refresh_token which should be your refresh_token received when you called connect or token previously

The Authorization header is not required for this endpoint.

Example request

var claimData = querystring.stringify({
            grant_type: 'refresh_token',
            refresh_token: 'your-refresh-token-value'
    });

//where api root is backpack.openbadges.org/api
var requestOptions = {
        host : 'backpack.openbadges.org',
        path : '/api/token', 
        method : 'POST', 
        headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json',
            'Content-Length': Buffer.byteLength(claimData)
        }
};

var postRequest = http.request(requestOptions, function(refreshResponse) {
    //...
});

postRequest.write(claimData);

Expected response

{
    "expires": 3600,
    "access_token": "new-access-token",
    "refresh_token": "new-refresh-token"
}
  • The new access_token should be used for any subsequent calls to issue.
  • The new refresh_token should be used for any subsequent call to token.

identity

Retrieve the hashed email for the current Backpack user. You can use this to issue badges without direct access to the earner email address. The endpoint is /identity appended to the api_root value you received when you called the connect method.

Endpoint

GET <api-root>/identity

Expected request

The identity endpoint expects:

  • your Base64 encoded access_token as Bearer in the Authorization header of the HTTP request

Example request

var requestOptions = {
            host : 'backpack.openbadges.org',//adjust for your api root
            path : '/api/identity', 
            method : 'GET',
            headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + b64enc('your-access-token') }
    };

var idRequest = http.request(requestOptions, function(idResponse) {
    //...
});

Expected response

{
    "recipient": "sha256$hashed-email",
    "salt": "_123abc456",
    "type": "email"
}

These values can be used directly within a new badge assertion with the following fields:

  • recipient identity set to the received recipient value
  • hashed set to true
  • type set to email
  • salt set to the recieved salt value