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Add SOAP documentation from a WSDL file

Transform your WSDL files into reference documentation by integrating them into your project. Give your users the tools they need to make the most of your SOAP APIs with comprehensive reference documentation. Either add individual schema files to your project alongside your other content, or use a classic catalog to showcase your SOAP APIs alongside OpenAPI and AsyncAPI APIs.

About the SOAP API plugin

The SOAP API documentation plugin (@redocly/portal-plugin-soap-api) uses a SOAP library to generate documentation from your WSDL files. When you add this plugin to your project, it automatically detects WSDL specification files and includes them as SOAP documentation pages. To be recognized, the specification files must have a .wsdl extension.

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following before you begin:

  • a redocly.yaml file in the root of your project
  • a package.json file in the root of your project
  • the Redocly package for the product you use (such as @redocly/realm) listed as a dependency in the package.json file
Local dependencies required

Redocly projects can be previewed locally without installing dependencies, but to add the SOAP plugin, you must have both Realm and the SOAP plugin installed as local dependencies.

If you see the error Theme "@redocly/portal-plugin-soap-api" not found, then check that you have the @redocly/realm package listed in your package.json file.

Install the Redocly SOAP API plugin

To generate reference documentation for WSDL files, you must have the Redocly SOAP API plugin installed in your project. If you are working locally, you must install the plugin using a package manager. If you are working in Reunite, you must add the plugin as a dependency in your package.json file.

Install in Reunite

When you work in Reunite, you do not need to have a package.json file to build your project. However, if you need to install a plugin that is not included in the standard project, you do need a package.json file. If you are working in Reunite, to generate SOAP reference documentation from a WSDL file, you must add a package.json file with the Redocly SOAP API plugin listed as a dependency.

Use the following example package.json file that includes the Redocly SOAP API plugin as a dependency, updating * with the latest version:

package.json
{
  "name": "demo project",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "private": true,
  "description": "demo",
  "dependencies": {
    "@redocly/portal-plugin-soap-api": "*"
  }
}

Install using a package manager

Redocly projects can be previewed locally without installing dependencies, but to add the Redocly SOAP plugin, you must have both Realm and the SOAP plugin installed as local dependencies.

To install the Redocly SOAP plugin, use one of the following commands, depending on the package manager you are using:

npm
npm install @redocly/portal-plugin-soap-api

Enable the plugin in redocly.yaml

After you have installed the plugin in your project, you must also enable it in your redocly.yaml file by adding it to the plugins object.

To enable the Redocly SOAP API plugin in your project, add the following configuration to your redocly.yaml file at the root of your project:

redocly.yaml
plugins:
  - '@redocly/portal-plugin-soap-api/plugin.js'

Add the WSDL file to your project

If you only have one or two WSDL files, and you do not have a sidebars.yaml file in your project, to add SOAP API documentation to your project, place the WSDL files in your project, either at the root or in a folder. Afterward, the SOAP reference documentation is automatically added to your sidebar when you run your project.

If you have a sidebars.yaml file in your project, you must add your WSDL file to your sidebars.yaml file for it to be included in your sidebar navigation menu.

Use the sidebars.yaml file

If you have a sidebars.yaml file in your project, you must add any files, including WSDL files, you want displayed in your sidebar to it. For more information on configuring a sidebars.yaml file for your project, see Sidebar configuration.

To add a WSDL file to your project with a sidebars.yaml file, add the page and label keys with the corresponding values for the WSDL file to your sidebars.yaml file, as in the following example:

sidebars.yaml
- page: apis/sample-api.wsdl
  label: Sample API

If you have multiple API descriptions, you can group them to better organize your sidebar navigation menu.

Use the group key for multiple descriptions

If you have multiple WSDL files, you can use a group key for each so that the different endpoints are only revealed when selected.

To add multiple WSDL files using group keys, update your sidebars.yaml file as in the following example:

sidebars.yaml
- group: Sample product 1 API
  items:
    - page: apis/sample-api-1.wsdl
      label: Sample product 1 API
- group: Sample product 2 API
  items:
    - page: apis/sample-product-2.wsdl
      label: Sample product 2 API

Resources

  • API catalog configuration - Organize multiple API descriptions including SOAP services with catalogs for better user experience and navigation
  • Sidebar navigation setup - Configure navigation structures to help users discover and access your SOAP API documentation content
  • Replay API explorer - Add interactive API testing capabilities to your SOAP API reference documentation
 
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