API Glossary

There are many parameters and terms used through the Public API documentation, request/response bodies, and the paths themselves that may be unfamiliar to you. Perhaps you are not familiar with DirectScale or with the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) industry as a whole. To remedy this, we've put together a basic glossary that contains definitions of many of the terms you will see.



DirectScale/Industry Terms

Visit the Help Center for a more expansive glossary.

  • Admin - DirectScale internal reference to Web Office Admin.

  • Associate - Term used throughout the DirectScale Platform that refers to:

    • Distributors
    • Customers
    • Preferred Customers
  • AutoShip - Subscription that is a recurring shipment of an automatic order.

  • Back Office - DirectScale internal reference to the Associate-facing Web Office.

  • Client - A business using the DirectScale solutions. Each client is assigned a unique Client ID.

  • Commission Date -

  • Compensation Plan - A complex set of business rules and conditions by which a client’s Associate may earn rewards, bonuses, and/or commission payments. Generally, the compensation plan will:

    • Specify incentives and rank qualifications that determine commission earnings.
    • Outline the details for the system to manage and organize the complex Genealogy/relationship aspect between Associates, Preferred Customers, and retail customers.
  • Corporate Admin - This is the heart of the DirectScale Platform in that it acts as the database for many of the external or end-user facing elements. Nearly all the data and statistics that show in the Corporate Admin are data streams from the commission and Genealogy engines. Also known as Data & Commissions and Disco. The terms Disco, Corp Admin, or Corporate Office refer to the Corporate Admin. This part of the Platform:

    • Houses the actual commission programming and manages all the 3rd-party integrations needed for a client to function properly (money in, money out, tax, ERP, 3PLs, etc.).
    • Functions as the eCommerce backbone by managing pricing, inventory, stores, promotions, etc.
    • Serves as the corporate-wide reporting engine for total sales, sales by market, etc.
  • CV

  • Enrollee

  • Enrollment - Captures information from an individual interested in purchasing or reselling a client’s products or services and creates the appropriate account type (Distributor, Preferred Customer, Retail Customer, etc.).

    • Guides someone through the process of placing an initial product order and/or creating a recurring AutoShip order.
    • Guarantees new Distributors agree to any legal terms and conditions required by the client.
    • Safeguards that new Distributors are placed in the organization or downline of a specific Distributor.
    • Enrollment may be accessed from the eCommerce Shop and the Web Office.
  • Downline

  • Leg

  • Office - Industry reference or common term used to describe the Web Office.

  • QV

  • Sponsor

  • Statistics (Stats) - Data points that are defined in a Compensation Plan and can vary by client. Statistics are updated for orders or Enrollments that happen to Associates or with members of their downlines. These statistics drive business dashboards and reporting.

  • Tree

  • Upline



Platform IDs

Almost every endpoint has a Platform ID as a parameter. These unique identifiers connect you to specific data. Typically, they are the primary keys of the data in the Database tables. Most of the IDs are pretty self-evident; however, there are some that could be confusing due to their obscurity or naming convention.

  • AssociateID - Numerical unique identifier for the Associate. Originates as the recordnumber (primary key) of the CRM_Distributors table. Read more about the Associate ID.
  • AutoShipId
  • BackOfficeId - An Associate's unique identifier that is known to them. It is typically Hexadecimal format but the client can customize this in Corporate Admin. See Building Back Office IDs for more information.
  • customerId - Another name for the Associate ID. Not to be confused with the Customer ID that appears in the Admin UI, which is the Back Office ID.
  • CustomerStatus - Associate-assigned status that affects their login access and commission payout. The client can add additional statuses in Corporate Admin.
  • CustomerType - Another name for the Associate Type. There are three base Associate Types: Distributor, Retail, and Preferred Customer. The client can add additional types in Corporate Admin.
  • EnrollerId - The unique identifier for the person who enrolled an Associate to become an Independent Distributor.
  • ExternalReferenceId
  • ItemId - Unique identifier assigned to an added inventory item. Originates as the recordnumber (primary key) of the INV_Inventory table. The ItemId also appears in Corporate Admin on the Item Detail page.
  • MerchantId - The identifier for integrated payment provider merchants. See a full list in Money In/Out Merchant IDs.
  • orderId
  • OrderNumber
  • OrderType
  • packageId
  • PartyId
  • PaymentMerchantId
  • PaymentMethodId
  • PriceGroup
  • regionId
  • rmaId
  • ShipMethodId
  • SponsorId
  • StoreId
  • TaxId
  • WarehouseId
  • WebAlias - The Associate's eCommerce Shop name. Typically, it matches their username. This is added when an Associate is enrolled. An administrator can also add it manually in Corporate Admin.