DDx API is the data movement technology for the Exchange and provides secure, reliable infrastructure that connects the Democratic tech ecosystem. Think of The Exchange as the central hub where the progressive ecosystem’s data lives! DDx API is the modern highway system that quickly and securely moves data in and out of the Exchange and other tools.
What the DDx API does
However data moves between The Exchange and your organization’s systems, the DDx API moves it. That covers both directions:
- Contributing data (ingress): moving your organization’s voter contact data into the Exchange from your cloud storage or connected platforms — the step that earns your credits.
- Receiving data (egress): delivering the data you’ve subscribed to or exported from Nexus into your pipeline — to AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, and a growing set of additional destinations — up to once per hour, with a consistent field structure across all exports.
DDx API is what makes the Exchange practical at scale: members configure their pipeline once, and data flows continuously without manual uploads or downloads. The delivery engine behind it has been rebuilt from the ground up and built to handle significantly higher data volumes as the network grows, and to stay reliable as DDx expands its membership, data types, and capabilities through 2026 and beyond.
The tools of the DDx API
The DDx API includes several tools, each handling a different kind of data movement:
- Dataset Exchange API — programmatic movement of datasets between the Exchange, member data environments, and other tools.
- •Interactions API — movement of interaction-level voter contact records from one source to multiple destinations.
- VAN API Proxy — a 1:1 managed connection layer covering all routes and responses for vendors and organizations utilizing the VAN API.
How these tools apply to your organization depends on your platforms, your pipeline, and your program. Most members don’t need to choose between them — our team configures the right combination during setup.
What the DDx API is not
A few clarifications that come up often:
- The DDx API does not provision VAN API keys. VAN credentials come from your VAN administrator.
- DDx does not take ownership of your data. Your organization’s data remains your organization’s data; the DDx API moves it under the terms of your membership.
- DDx API is not a CRM. It moves data between systems; it is not a place where your team works with voters day to day.
Getting started
Setting up a connection through the DDx API is a collaborative process. The primary contact or data lead at your organization should email api@demexchange.com, and our team will work with your technical lead to configure the pipeline that fits your systems. See “Setting Up Your Data Egress” and “Setting Up Your Data Ingress” for what to expect.
Base access to DDx API tools are free for vendors (sandbox access, documentation, usage of APIs, and standard support).