1. Sign Up & Log In
(1) Open ShipFinder and click API in the top navigation to enter the API homepage.
(2) Click the avatar icon in the upper-right corner to log in. If you are a new user, please register a ShipFinder account first. (Existing users may log in directly.)
(3) New users can register instantly using a Google account for one-click sign-up.
(4) After logging in, click API to access the Console.
2. Create Your API Key
(1) In the Console sidebar, click My API Keys to enter the key management interface.
(2) Click Create API Key. You may create a key based on your intended use case — either a Starter Key for personal evaluation or a Custom Key for live workloads.
Note: Each account may create a maximum of one Starter Key and one Custom Key in the Console. If you need to create additional Custom keys, please contact us and we will enable them for you.
“Starter Key”:
This key is provisioned with a set of initial permissions to help you run functional tests.
“Custom (Production / Test) Key”:
Fill in the required information and select the services you need. A newly created Custom key has no active services by default. Our business team will reach out via email to confirm your requirements and enable the corresponding permissions within one business day. (If you have already applied for a Custom key, you may still create a Starter Key. Each account may hold one Starter key at most.)
(3) Once created, your key will appear in the key list. Click to copy it for use in your application.
A Starter key is ready for immediate use in personal development and testing.
A Custom key requires service activation by the business team before it becomes operational.
(4) Click Service Usage to confirm the permissions in your key and their effective dates.
3. Send Requests & Receive Data
(1) Construct the HTTP request URL — Refer to the API Documentation to build your request URL and include your API key as a required parameter.
(2) Receive the response — ShipFinder returns data in JSON or binary format.
(3) Parse the payload — Extract and process the response data according to your business logic.
4. Push-Based Services
In the Console, click Fleet & Areas to access the fleet and zone management interface.
Note: Before configuring a webhook URL, ensure that your endpoint is ready to receive push data.
4.1 Create a Monitored Fleet
(1) Create a monitored fleet: Click New Fleet to create the fleet you want to monitor; click Add Ship to add the vessels you want to monitor.
(2) Configure the monitored fleet and the receiving URL: Click Bind, select the fleet you want to monitor, then bind the URL and confirm to complete the configuration.
4.2 Create a Monitored Zone (Geofence Alerts)
(1) Create a monitored zone: Click Add Area to define the zone you want to monitor. (You may enter coordinates directly or draw the zone on the map.)
(2) Set vessel filters: Configure monitoring alerts in the Alert scope module. (All vessels, filter by vessel type, or your own fleet.)
(3) Configure the receiving URL: Set the receiving URL in the Endpoint URL module.
5. Important Notes
(1) Data Format — Ensure that request payloads conform to the formats specified in the API documentation. Incorrect formatting may cause request failures or parsing errors.
(2) Permission Management — Manage your API key permissions carefully. Insufficient or excessive permissions may impact operational stability.
6. Contact Us
(1) If you need to activate additional services for an API key, or require advanced capabilities, please contact our business team.
(2) Contact:
Email: support@elaneglobal.com
(3) Technical Support — For technical assistance during integration, reach out to the ShipFinder support team.
Email: support@elaneglobal.com