Migrating Decisions from Slate to WebAdMIT

Retrieving Your User Identity ID with Postman

To use Postman to retrieve your User Identity ID, follow these steps:

1. Download the WebAdMIT API collection (updated 9/22/25).
2. Download the WebAdMIT API Prelaunch environment and the WebAdMIT API Production environment (updated 9/22/25).
3. From your Workspace, select the Collections tab and click Import.
   
   
4. Select the WebAdMIT API collection and WebAdMIT API environments from your computer. It will automatically import. You should now see a collection created in the Collections section and an environment created in the Environments section.
5. Click Environments, then the WebAdMIT Prelaunch environment. Add the API key you generated for your WebAdMIT account to the environment.
   
   
6. Repeat step 5 for the production environment.
7. Click Collections, then in the WebAdMIT API Decisions grouping, select GET User Identities. In the dropdown in the upper right corner, select your WebAdMIT API Prelaunch environment.
   
   
8. Click Send to retrieve the User Identities.
   
   
9. Copy the number after “id” for the CAS and cycle you want your applicant decisions updated and add this number to your environment in the “UserIdentityID” variable.
   
   
10. Make note of the value for cycle. You will need to insert this value into a query in Slate (e.g., "2025 - 2026" with spaces surrounding the dash).
11. If the API call fails, it will return a status code of 401. This indicates that the user is not authorized to access the API. Check the user’s permissions in WebAdMIT and verify that the user has the correct organization and program assignments.

Retrieving Your User Identity ID without Postman

To retrieve your User Identity ID without using Postman, follow these steps:

1. Use CURL or POSTMAN to make the below API calls:

• PRODUCTION

$ curl -n https://api.webadmit.org/api/v1/user_identities \
  -H "x-api-key: <ENTER YOUR API KEY>"

• PRELAUNCH

$ curl -n https://prelaunch.webadmit.org/api/v1/user_identities \
-H "x-api-key: <ENTER YOUR API KEY>"

3. Make sure to use the correct API Keys for PRELAUNCH and PRODUCTION.
4. A successful API call should generate a status code of “200” with the following example response body:           

{
"href": "/api/v1/user_identities",
"user_identities": [
{
"id": 42,
"type": "Admissions User",
"association": "SOPHAS",
"institution": "Demo University",
"organization": "Demo University School of Public Health",
"cycle": "2014 - 2015"
}
]
}

5. Make note of the number after "id":. Corresponding to the cycle for which you want your applicant decisions updated, this is the identity ID and is needed for prelaunch and production. This “id” is needed to retrieve the Decision IDs in the next section.
6. Make note of the value for cycle. You will need to insert this value into a query in Slate (e.g., "2025 - 2026" with spaces surrounding the dash).
7. If the API call is unsuccessful, then it will return a status code of 401. This means the user is not authorized to gain access to the API. Verify the user’s permissions in WebAdMIT and ensure the user has the correct organization and program assignments.

Retrieving Decision IDs with Postman

To use Postman to retrieve the Decision IDs, follow these steps:

1. In Collections, under the WebAdMIT API Decisions grouping, select GETDecisionList.
2. Ensure that the correct environment is selected (prelaunch or production) in the upper right corner and click Send.
   
   
3. Note all the IDs as they are listed one after the other. You will need the IDs to build the export in Slate.

Retrieving Decision IDs without Postman

To retrieve the Decision IDs without Postman, proceed as follows:

1. Make the following API calls to retrieve decision IDs in WebAdMIT.  The examples below are for production WebAdMIT. To use the below code for prelaunch, please use the following base URL: https://prelaunch.webadmit.org
2. Retrieve the Decision ID by making the following call:

$ curl -n https://api.webadmit.org/api/v1/user_identities/:<ENTER USER_IDENTITY_ID>/decisions/
 -H "x-api-key: <ENTER YOUR API KEY

4. A successful API call should generate a status code of “200” with the following example response body:           

{
  "href": "/api/v1/user_identities/1/decisions",
  "decisions": [
    {
      "id": 42,
      "name": "Offer Accepted"
    }
  ]
}

5. Note all the IDs as they are listed one after the other. You will need the IDs to build the export in Slate.

Installing Python

Editing the Python script

1. Download the Python script and config.json file from Integration Help Center and place it on the windows server meant to host the script.
2. On the server, create a folder called SlateToWebAdMITDecisions.
3.  Create a sub-folder called Archive.
4. Place the Python script and the config.json file in the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder.
5. The CSV file from Slate must also be dropped in the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder.
6. Edit the config.json file in the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder using Notepad++ or Notepad and make the following changes:
   • Change the api_key value to your API key for prelaunch or production.
   • Change the url_link value to prelaunch or production URL.
   • Change working_dir to the full directory path of your SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder. Note that the directory separations use  "/".
   • Set file_name to the name of the incoming CSV file from Slate.
7. Save the file.

Creating a Python executable

Next, you'll need to create a Python executable that will run the script. To do so:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Run the following command: pip install pyinstaller
   • If you get an error message that  pip is not recognized as an internal or external command, this means your Python installation did not include the pip package.
   • The article How to Install PIP on Windows provides guidance on installing pip.
   • Once installed, type pip –version in Command Prompt to verify if the installation was successful.
   • If pip installation was successful, rerun thepip install pyinstaller command.
3. Run the following command: pip install requests and ensure the requests module gets installed correctly.
4. If pyinstaller and requests installation was successful, in Command Prompt, navigate to the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions directory.
5. Type the following command: pyinstaller --onefile Decisions.py and press enter.
6. This command converts the script into an executable.
7. The executable is found in the \SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\dist\ folder.
8. Copy the config.json file from the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder to \SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\dist\ folder.

Testing the executable

The following should be completed for Slate to prelaunch WebAdMIT:

1. Navigate to the \SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\dist\ folder in Windows Explorer and double-click main.exe to open a running Command Prompt window.
2. If the Command Prompt window closes immediately after opening, then there is an issue with your Python code or the config.json file. In that case, navigate to the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions \dist folder and check the main.log file. If this file shows HTTP connection errors, this could mean that your API key, URL, or Cycle is incorrect.
3. Edit the config.json file to make sure the file name, directory paths, API keys, base URL, and cycle are correct.
4. Once verified, run the executable again.
5. If the executable continues to run, this means the JSON file is correct.
6. Drop a CSV export from Slate to the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder. The file will be picked, processed, and archived by the executable.
7. Navigate to the Archive folder under SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\Archive folder. You will see a timestamped_yourfilename.csv file.
8. Open the file, and you will see HTTP status codes printed in each row.
9. Successful loads would have a status code of 200, while unsuccessful loads would have a status code of 404 or 422.
10. The 404 status code could indicate several issues, including the Decision ID not existing in WebAdMIT, incorrect authentication methods (api_key), or CASID not found in WebAdMIT.
11. If error 422 is thrown, the applicant has already has a local status associated with their record.
12. Note that Decision Codes in WebAdMIT can only be updated via API for applicants that do not already have a Local Status associated with them.
13. If all rows show a 200 for each field, then the next step is to check prelaunch WebAdMIT to ensure the decision data was correctly applied in WebAdMIT.
14. If all looks good, then close the running executable command prompt window and delete the archived file.

Setting the Python Executable as a Windows Service

To keep the script running indefinitely, the following steps are required to set up the Python executable as a windows service. For this purpose, you'll need to install a tool called NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager).

1. On your web browser on the Windows server meant to host the script, navigate to https://nssm.cc/download
2. Download the latest release of NSSM which is nssm 2.24.
3. This should download a zip file called nssm-2.24.zip.
4. Extract the zip file in the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder.
5. Open Command Prompt as an administrator, and within Command Prompt,  navigate to SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\nssm-2.24\win64 (or win32, depending on your windows server).
6. Run the following command by replacing the paths to your python executable and python (.py) file:
   • nssm install "SlateToWebAdMITDecisions" "PathTo\SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\dist\Decisions.exe" "PathTo\SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\Decisions.py"
7. If the service is successfully installed, it displays the following message in command prompt Service "SlateToWebAdMITDecisions" installed successfully!.
8. Open services.msc in Windows as an admin and locate the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service.
9. Start the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service.

Testing the SlateToWebAdMIT Service

1. To test the service, navigate to Testing the executable and perform steps 6 to 14.
2. If the test is successful, then stop the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service in services.msc and make sure to delete the archived file.
3. After all testing is completed and preparations are being made to move to production then perform the following steps to remove the service:
   • Open Command Prompt as an administrator, and within Command Prompt navigate to SlateToWebAdMITDecisions\nssm-2.24\win64 (or win32 depending on your Windows server).
   • Run the following in Command Prompt:nssm remove “SlateToWebAdMITDecisions”
   • A dialog box will open to ask if you want to remove the service, click yes, and it should say the service was successfully removed.
   • Open services.msc as an admin and refresh the services to ensure the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service is not in the list of services.

Moving the Script to Production

1. If all testing has been completed in the prelaunch environments, then it is time to prepare the script for production use.
2. Navigate to the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder in Windows Explorer.
3. Delete the following file and folders:
   • Build folder.
   • Dist folder.
   • Main.spec file.
4. Edit the config.json file found in the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions folder.
5. In the file, change the  API key, URL, and cycle to production values.
6. Save the file.
7. Perform the steps found in Creating a Python executable section.
8. Perform the steps found in Setting the Python executable as a Windows Service section.
9. Start the SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service.
10. Have Slate drop a CSV file to the SlateToWebAdMIT Decisions folder.
11. Check the archived file for status codes for a successful load.

Non-Overlapping Cycles

It is important to note that Decision IDs in Prelaunch and Production WebAdMIT change cycle to cycle. In preparation for the next cycle, complete the following steps:

1. Revisit the Retrieving the Decision IDs in WebAdMIT section to grab the new Decision IDs.
2. Update the Slate decision translation table with the new Decision IDs.
3. In the Slate query, update the Cycle value to the new years (e.g., "2026 – 2027", with spaces surrounding the dash).
4. The SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service may continue to run; no changes are needed to the script or the config file.

Overlapping Cycles

If a new cycle opens while the previous cycle is still active, a new query, translation table, and schedule will be required. Complete the following steps to add a new cycle:

1. Copy the existing Slate query and update the cycle (e.g., "2026 – 2027", with spaces surrounding the dash).
2. Copy the existing decision Translation Table and update the IDs for the new cycle.
3. Add a schedule to the new cycle’s export that runs at a different time than the existing export. The SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service is looking for a specific file name, and while both queries can export the same file name, they cannot be on the SFTP at the same time without overwriting each other.
4. The SlateToWebAdMITDecisions service may continue to run; no changes are needed to the script or the config file.

Multiple CASs

If you have multiple CASs that need this script in WebAdMIT, then you will need multiple versions of this script, the Slate export, and the translation tables. You'll also need different SFTP folders which will house each script and JSON file, and serve as the target for the Slate export.