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Import Samsara Data

Use the Generic REST connection and a REST Request step to import Samsara data. This keeps the API token in a reusable connection and uses the same generic cursor-paging controls available for any API that returns a continuation cursor.

Before You Begin

Section titled “Before You Begin”

In Samsara, create an API token with only the read scopes and tag access the import needs. Samsara shows the token only when you create it, so copy it before leaving the page. See Samsara API authentication.

Choose the host that matches your Samsara dashboard:

Samsara dashboard Host or IP Address
US or legacy Canada cloud api.samsara.com
EU / UK api.eu.samsara.com
Canada cloud api.ca.samsara.com

Create the Connection

Section titled “Create the Connection”
  1. Open Connections and create a Generic REST connection named Samsara.
  2. Enter the matching host from the table above.
  3. On Authentication, select Bearer Token and paste the Samsara API token. Do not add an Authorization header yourself.
  4. Save the connection.

Import Vehicles

Section titled “Import Vehicles”

This first import confirms the connection and provides a recipe you can reuse for other modern Samsara list endpoints.

  1. Add a REST Request step and select the Samsara connection.
  2. Set Endpoint Source to Manual, Method to GET, and Endpoint to /fleet/vehicles.
  3. Select a Target Table, such as samsara_vehicles.
  4. On Query Parameters, add limit with the value 512.
  5. In Request, set the following values:
Field Value
Row Format Object
Streaming Mode Cursor Paging
Items Path (JSON format) ["data"]
Mode Params (JSON format) {"cursor": "after"}
Mode Paths (JSON format) {"has_more": ["pagination", "hasNextPage"], "cursor": ["pagination", "endCursor"]}
  1. Select Test Paging. PlaidCloud fetches only enough pages for the preview, so you can verify the result before a full run.
  2. Save and run the step.

Copy these values exactly when configuring a modern Samsara list endpoint:

{"cursor": "after"}
{"has_more": ["pagination", "hasNextPage"], "cursor": ["pagination", "endCursor"]}

When Samsara returns hasNextPage: true, PlaidCloud sends the returned endCursor as the next request’s after parameter. It continues even when a page is empty, because Samsara can have later pages with data. See Samsara pagination.

Run Efficiently

Section titled “Run Efficiently”
  • Use one REST Request step for each list endpoint. Cursor values are opaque and must be sent exactly as returned.
  • Set limit=512 when the endpoint supports limit; 512 is Samsara’s documented maximum.
  • Avoid one-request-per-row fan-out for a list endpoint. Use it only for genuinely independent detail requests, and keep its request rate within the endpoint’s limit.
  • /feed endpoints are incremental rather than full snapshots. Persist the last successful cursor and schedule the workflow more often than Samsara’s 30-day cursor-expiry window.

Troubleshoot

Section titled “Troubleshoot”
Problem What to check
401 or 403 Confirm the regional host, token, tag access, and endpoint read scope.
No rows Confirm this is a list endpoint and Items Path is ["data"].
Paging stops too soon Use the modern endpoint in Samsara’s current API reference. Legacy /v1/ endpoints can use different pagination fields.
429 Reduce the request rate for independent fan-out calls. The REST Request step respects Samsara’s Retry-After response when it retries a safe read request.
Section titled “Related”