Know Your Limits: Maximizing Efficiency with HERE Technologies’ New Tool

With the transition to the HERE Platform and the adjustment of some licensing models, there is now the opportunity to use the new HERE Usage Alert API as well as the HERE Usage API from HERE Technologies.

This helpful functionality, alongside the HERE Usage API and Usage Manager in the HERE Administration Interface, provides users with proactive email notifications about the status of their specified limits.

Keeping Track of Usage

When utilizing HERE services, all API calls are counted as transactions, which will later be used for billing purposes. Users can view the number of transactions they have used in the form of charts and tables on the “Usage” page at platform.here.com. These data can also be exported as CSV files to create reports or spreadsheets, which is convenient for occasional use. However, for those who need this information on a regular basis, there is a more efficient way to retrieve it automatically.

HERE Usage API

The HERE Usage API allows users to retrieve information about transaction counts for a specified time interval. For example, a simple request like https://usage.bam.api.here.com/v2/usage/realms/<your_org_id>?startDate=2024-05-01T00:00:00&endDate=2024-06-30T23:59:59 will return a summarized transaction count for May and June 2024, broken down by each feature. If not all data is needed, there are several parameters to filter the response. Users can select distinct features (e.g., “only Geocode and Search API”) or appIDs. The granularity of the data can be adjusted using the “detailLevel” or the “groupBy” parameters, and the amount of information per item can be limited to fields relevant to the specific purpose (“usageFields”).

For more detailed information on the Usage API, please refer to the Usage API Documentation.

HERE Usage Alert API

In addition to the Usage API, HERE has now released the new Usage Alert API. This tool allows users to set thresholds for transactions (or GB-months in the case of storage), which will trigger an action if exceeded. The action can be an email sent to the administrator or a webhook.

The Usage Alert API provides everything needed to create, update, view, and delete alert rules. Like the Usage API, the Usage Alert API can be fine-tuned to meet specific needs. Rules can be assigned to distinct features or appIDs and evaluated on a monthly or daily basis, relative to the usage limit or as an absolute value.

For more detailed information on the Usage Alert API, please refer to the Usage Alert API Documentation.

Authentication

Both APIs use authentication via a bearer token. Detailed instructions on how to obtain and use a bearer token can be found in the Identity and Access Management Developer Guide.

By leveraging the new tools provided by HERE Technologies, users can effectively monitor and manage their usage, ensuring they stay within their limits and avoid unexpected charges.

The proactive notifications and automated data retrieval capabilities offered by the HERE Usage and HERE Usage Alert APIs can significantly enhance efficiency and control over HERE services. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

About the author:
Niels Fahse
Head of Product Development
Michael Bauer International GmbH