Integrations & API FAQ: 30 questions answered
DigitalSignage.com is a hosted platform with an open REST API and SDK for automation and integrations, arranged with the DigitalSignage.com team. Without code, SignStudio pulls live data from weather, RSS, Google Sheets, calendars, JSON and XML feeds and web dashboards; Enterprise adds documented POS integrations for Square, Toast, Clover and Lightspeed, IoT sensor triggers through the player's local SignService API, and white-label branding.
API and developer access
Does DigitalSignage.com have an API?
Yes. DigitalSignage.com is a hosted cloud platform with an open REST API and SDK for automation and integrations with your own systems. There is no self-service developer portal: access, the current specification and credentials are arranged with the DigitalSignage.com team at support@digitalsignage.com or toll-free +1-877-344-7446. Separately, SignPlayer runs a local API called SignService for IoT and kiosk events. See the API overview.
What can I automate with the DigitalSignage.com API?
The common jobs are updating content from another system and setting up many locations or accounts in a repeatable way. Businesses use it to publish daily prices from a back-office system or add new locations from a provisioning script. Anything done repeatedly by hand in SignStudio is a candidate; the DigitalSignage.com team confirms which operations your project can automate when access is set up.
How do I get API credentials for DigitalSignage.com?
Contact DigitalSignage.com at support@digitalsignage.com or toll-free +1-877-344-7446 and describe the integration you want to build. Credentials are issued for your account together with the current documentation; white-label and multi-account projects run on the Enterprise plan. Keep credentials on your server and never embed them in a web page or client-side script.
Is there a DigitalSignage.com SDK?
Yes, but it is not a public package. The DigitalSignage.com SDK is not published on npm, PyPI, Packagist or NuGet; developers receive it with its documentation from the DigitalSignage.com team when API access is set up. Many integrations, such as weather, RSS, Google Sheets and POS menu boards, need no SDK at all. See the SDK overview.
Is DigitalSignage.com open source?
No. DigitalSignage.com is a hosted cloud platform, run by MediaSignage Inc. and built in-house, with an open REST API and SDK for developers. The first 3 screens are free forever, which covers many of the reasons people look for open-source signage. If you need a self-hosted, open-source CMS specifically, Xibo (self-hosted edition) and Anthias are the usual options; DigitalSignage.com's self-hosted choice is the on-premise mediaSERVER.
Does the DigitalSignage.com API support webhooks?
Cloud webhooks are not publicly documented; ask the DigitalSignage.com team when you request API access. What is documented is on the player side: SignPlayer's local SignService API can call a URL you register when the player fires an event, which is useful for kiosk and IoT projects on the same network as the screen.
What is a digital signage API used for?
A digital signage API lets other software control the screens without a person logging into the CMS. Typical uses are pushing prices or schedules from a back-office system, publishing content from a marketing platform, registering players automatically during large rollouts, pulling player status into IT monitoring, and building custom apps on top of the platform. If screens only change a few times a month, the no-code editor is usually enough.
POS and menu data
Can a digital menu board connect to a POS system?
Yes. Most modern POS systems expose menu and item data through an API, and a signage CMS can read it so prices, items and availability on the menu board match the till. The integration pulls from the POS on a schedule or receives pushed changes, and templates display the data. It removes double entry and the common problem of a price on the board that differs from the price at checkout.
Which POS systems does DigitalSignage.com integrate with?
DigitalSignage.com documents POS integrations for Square, Toast, Clover and Lightspeed, and POS integration is part of the Enterprise plan. Other systems can usually be connected through their API with the JSON data component, or by exporting menu data to a spreadsheet or CSV file the signage reads on a schedule. Enterprise pricing comes from the public price calculator.
Will my menu board update automatically when I change a price in my POS?
Yes, with a POS integration in place. The signage reads the item catalog from the POS, so a price changed in the POS appears on the menu board at the next sync, typically within minutes and faster when the POS pushes changes. Without an integration, someone edits the menu scene by hand. Sync prices and availability frequently; menu structure changes can sync hourly or daily.
Can a digital menu board hide sold-out items automatically?
Yes, if the menu board reads availability from the POS. When staff mark an item unavailable (86 it) in the POS, the integration can hide it, gray it out or label it Sold Out on the screens. Hiding keeps the menu clean; a Sold Out label signals popularity. It saves staff from updating the board during a rush and stops customers ordering items the kitchen cannot make.
What if my POS system has no API?
Use a file or spreadsheet in between. Many POS systems can export items and prices to CSV or Excel, and a signage CMS can read a spreadsheet on a schedule. On DigitalSignage.com the Google Sheets component shows live spreadsheet data, so staff can update a price list in a shared sheet and the menu boards follow. It is less automatic than a direct integration but still removes redesigning slides.
Live data feeds
How do I show the weather on a digital sign?
Add a weather component and set the location. SignStudio includes weather components for current conditions, multi-day forecast and radar that need only a city, ZIP code or coordinates, with no API key required for those basics. Choose Fahrenheit or Celsius and a style that fits the zone. For custom weather logic, any JSON weather API can feed the data component instead. See weather integration.
Can digital signage change content based on the weather?
Yes. Weather-triggered signage reads live conditions and switches content by rule: cold drinks above a set temperature, umbrellas or delivery offers when it rains, a storm notice when it snows. In SignStudio the common cases use the weather components and scheduled scenes without code, and data feeds handle more complex rules. Combine weather with dayparting, for example a hot-weather lunch menu that replaces the regular one on warm days.
How do I add an RSS news feed to digital signage?
Add an RSS component and paste the feed URL. SignStudio's RSS component accepts any RSS or Atom feed and can show headlines, summaries and images as a panel or a scrolling ticker, with the number of items, rotation time and refresh interval set by you. Company blogs, local news sites and internal announcement feeds all work. Check that you have permission to display a publisher's headlines publicly.
Can I show Google Sheets data on digital signage?
Yes. SignStudio includes a Google Sheets component that reads a shared sheet and displays its data, such as a price list, event schedule, staff directory or KPI table. When someone edits the sheet, the screens update on the next refresh without anyone opening the signage editor. It is the easiest way to let non-designers keep screen data current. Excel and CSV files can also be uploaded as data sources.
Can I display a Power BI dashboard on a TV?
Yes. There are four common methods: Publish to web for non-sensitive dashboards, secure embedding with an Azure AD service principal and an embed token for internal data, a Windows PC running Power BI in kiosk mode, or scheduled screenshots pushed to the screens as images. On DigitalSignage.com the Web Page component shows the first two on players that render HTML, with a refresh interval you set. See Power BI integration.
Can digital signage show a Google or Outlook calendar?
Yes. SignStudio's Calendar component connects to Google Calendar, Outlook and Office 365, or any iCal (ICS) feed, and shows events as a month, week or day view, an agenda list or just the next event. It suits lobby event boards, school schedules and meeting room signs. On screens in public areas, show only what visitors should see, for example hiding private meeting titles.
How do meeting room booking displays work?
A small screen outside each room reads the room's calendar from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or a booking system and shows whether the room is free, the current meeting and what is next. Some add check-in buttons that release no-show bookings. A lobby display can list all rooms at once. Room screens are usually tablets or small touch panels mounted by the door. See calendar and room booking.
Can digital signage show data from my own internal systems?
Yes. The simplest route is to expose the data as a JSON or XML feed, or a shared spreadsheet, and point a data component at it. SignStudio's JSON and XML components map fields from a feed to text and images on screen and refresh on a schedule. The SignStudio documentation also describes direct database queries on the on-premise server edition. Keep personal or confidential data off screens in public areas. See data integration.
How often should digital signage data feeds refresh?
Match the refresh to how fast the data changes. Prices and availability every few minutes, news every 15 to 30 minutes, weather every 15 to 60 minutes, and slow data such as a staff directory once a day. Refreshing faster than the data changes wastes bandwidth and may hit the provider's API limits. For time-critical changes, push updates through a webhook rather than polling more often.
What happens if a data feed stops working?
A well-built signage setup keeps showing the last good data or falls back to static content rather than displaying an error. Design each data zone with that in mind: set a fallback image or message, avoid layouts that break when a feed returns nothing, and use monitoring to notice failed feeds. For critical information, such as prices, use a reliable source and review the screens after any change to the data provider.
QR codes, IoT and alerts
How big should a QR code be on a digital sign?
Make the QR code at least one tenth of the scanning distance, and about one eighth for reliable scanning. For a viewer 6 feet away, that means at least 7 inches on the actual screen. Keep strong contrast (dark code on a light background), a clear quiet border around it, and a short line explaining what the scan gives the viewer. Place it where people can stand still long enough to scan.
Should I use static or dynamic QR codes on digital signage?
Dynamic QR codes are usually the better choice. A dynamic code points to a short redirect URL, so you can change the destination later without changing the screen content, and you get scan counts. Static codes encode the final URL directly: free and permanent, but they cannot be edited or tracked. For long-running signage and campaigns you want to measure, dynamic codes are worth the small cost.
Can a QR code be part of a video or rotating slide?
Yes, if it holds still long enough. Phone cameras need a stable image, so do not animate the code itself. Either pause on the frame with the QR code for 15 seconds or more, or overlay a fixed QR code in a corner throughout the loop. In SignStudio you can place a QR code in its own zone so it stays on screen while the main playlist rotates.
What is IoT digital signage?
IoT digital signage is signage that reacts to data from connected devices and sensors. A motion sensor wakes a screen when someone approaches, a temperature sensor switches a promotion, an occupancy counter shows how busy a space is, and a beacon, NFC or RFID reader changes content when a tagged item is nearby. DigitalSignage.com supports IoT triggers from motion, temperature, occupancy, beacon, NFC and RFID sources as part of the Enterprise plan. See IoT integration.
How do sensors send data to a DigitalSignage.com player?
Through SignService, a local API that runs on SignPlayer. A sensor, script or gateway on the same network sends an HTTP POST with JSON data and an event name to the player, and SignStudio scenes bind to that event so text updates or the scene switches instantly. For many sensors, an MQTT broker or Node-RED gateway collects readings and forwards them. Microcontrollers and small computers such as Raspberry Pi can send events directly.
Can a motion sensor change what a screen shows?
Yes. A motion or presence sensor sends an event when someone approaches, and the signage switches from an idle loop to a welcome or interactive scene, then returns after a timeout. With DigitalSignage.com the sensor, or a small gateway it is wired to, posts the event to the player's SignService API, and SignStudio's event-driven scene switching does the rest. The same approach works for proximity, lift-and-learn shelves and door sensors.
Can digital signage show emergency alerts automatically?
Yes. Signage can receive alerts from CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) feeds, such as NOAA weather alerts in the United States, from mass notification systems or from fire panel relays, and switch every screen to a full-screen alert. On DigitalSignage.com, alerts use the emergency schedule priority, which overrides all other content on all or selected screens. Coordinate any fire-alarm link with your fire marshal. See emergency alerts.
Can I white-label DigitalSignage.com under my own brand?
Yes, on the Enterprise plan. White-label branding lets resellers, integrators and agencies present the platform under their own name and logo to their clients, and it pairs with SignDashboard for managing many client accounts from one place. Enterprise pricing is dynamic and comes from the public price calculator, which gives an exact quote for any screen count.