Frequently Asked Questions
What is VendorGate?
VendorGate is a data operations platform that collects files and API data from vendors, validates them against contracts, transforms them into a clean schema, and monitors the APIs that supply them.
Do I need a contract for every pipeline?
Yes. A single pipeline must be linked to one contract. A workbook pipeline must have one contract per sheet. Contracts tell VendorGate what a valid file looks like and which problems should block delivery.
What source and destination types are supported?
Pipelines can read from and write to SFTP, FTP, S3-compatible storage, HTTP APIs, and databases. Pipelines can also deliver validated data to lookup datasets. Transformations can deliver to the same destination types.
What is the difference between a pipeline and a transformation?
A pipeline collects, validates, and delivers files. A transformation, also called a standardizer, takes validated pipeline output and reshapes it into a different schema before sending it to its final destination. Transformations can also depend on other transformations.
What is API Monitoring?
API Monitoring is a separate feature that checks the health of remote endpoints on a schedule. It verifies status codes, response times, response content, and TLS certificate expiry, then alerts your team when something is wrong.
Which credential types can I create?
You can create credentials for SFTP, FTP, HTTP APIs, S3-compatible storage, databases, webhooks, and LLM providers.
How does team access work?
VendorGate uses team-based access with three roles: Owner, Admin, and Member. Owners can manage billing and account settings. Admins can manage resources and invite members. Members can create and modify pipelines, contracts, transformations, and monitors.
How are secrets handled?
Credentials are encrypted at rest. Secret values are never returned in API responses or shown in the UI after creation. You reference a credential by name in pipelines and monitors, so secrets are never embedded in configuration.
Can I test a contract before using it in production?
Yes. You can test a contract against sample files in the contract builder. The test report shows which rules passed or failed and which rows violated the rules.
Is there a free trial?
New accounts start with a trial. The billing page shows the trial end date and the limits included in your plan.
Where can I get help?
If you cannot resolve an issue, capture the run ID and error message and contact your account administrator or the VendorGate support team.