Sell course access and automatically enrol learners after a completed payment. To connect Promote with PayPal, you first need to complete an initial setup in both platforms. This article will guide you through the process step by step.
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Integration Overview
What this integration does
The PayPal integration connects your Promote training programs directly to your PayPal checkout. When a learner purchases a course via PayPal, they are automatically enrolled in the corresponding Promote program. This means they get instant access to their course, without any manual work required.
Why use it?
If you sell training courses online, this integration helps you create a seamless experience from purchase to learning. Your checkout and learning platform work together as one flow.
Learners receive immediate access as soon as their payment is confirmed. This creates a smooth, professional experience and removes delays between buying and starting a course.
Learners get immediate access as soon as their payment is confirmed. This removes delays between purchase and course start and creates a smooth, professional experience.
It is especially useful for:
- Self-paced learning, where learners expect instant access
- Organisations that want to automate enrolment to run in the background
The integration uses a Promote Program ID as a PayPal Product ID.
Ready to get started? Follow the step-by-step setup guide below.
Integration Configuration
In order to establish a connection between Promote and PayPal, an initial configuration must be performed on both platforms. This section will guide you through that configuration.
1. Creating a REST API app in PayPal
In order to connect PayPal to Promote you need to create an REST API app that allows Promote to communicate with PayPal:
- Go to https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications/sandbox
- Click Create App
- Name the app Promote
- Set Type to “Merchant”
- Select correct Account
- Click Create App
2. Enabling the PayPal connector in Promote
We will now enable the PayPal connector in Promote, which requires elevated privileges. To do so, the following steps should be taken by a user with administrative rights:
- Log on to Promote and, under Admin, select Users in the left side menu.
- Search for and select the user who will configure the integration (this is most likely your own user.)
- In the Edit user screen, under Permissions, check manage integrations, and save.
At this point, the Integrations tab will become visible in the left side menu, giving you access to the connector configuration.
- Select Integrations in the left menu bar.
- Click the +Add New button in the upper right corner
- From the Select type list, select PayPal.
- Give the application a descriptive name, such as PayPal Production or PayPal Staging, if you are establishing a connection to a production or staging environment respectively.
- Paste the Client ID from PayPal into the Client ID field in Promote
- Paste the Secret key 1 from Paypal into the Client secret field in Promote
- Paste the URL from Paypal into the Webhook URL field in Promote
- Click Save - Once saved, an endpoint value will be available under Webhook URL
3. Creating the webhook
- Copy the Webhook URL from Promote
- Go to PayPal and your application
- Click Add Webhook
- Paste the Webhook URL from Promote into the Webhook URL field in Paypal
- In Events types select Payment capture completed and Payment sale completed
- Click Save
You now have established a connection between PayPal and Promote. This is a one-time configuration which should never have to change unless changes are made to the PayPal webhook endpoint or PayPal API key.
4. Program Configuration in Promote
Once a connection has been established between the two platforms, a Promote program can be linked to a PayPal product to allow automatic enrollment for any users who purchased a product via PayPal.
- Log on to Promote
- Find the program you want to link the PayPal product to
- For self paced e-learning content it is also recommended to go to program settings and set
- Program type - Individual program
- Program schedule type - Individual start/end date
- Default access period - Number of months learners will have access after enrolling
- In the list of tabs at the top of the screen, click the Integrations tab
- Select the PayPal integration
- Copy the Program code to be used as Product ID in Paypal
- Select one of the available program invitation template to use for learners enrolling via PayPal (templates can be updated or created via the Invitations tab in the program)
5. Participant registration information
By default, when a user purchases a course via PayPal a learner will be added to the program in Promote using the email address and cardholder name provided in the transaction.
6. Program invitations
When a user is added to the program after completing a purchase in PayPal, an invitation email will be sent from Promote by default, to the email provided for the payment, using the template selected in step 2.4.7 above
Product Configuration in Paypal
The configuration of products in Paypal will be customer specific and not covered by these instructions. However there are some requirements:
- Integration will only work with PayPal Checkout. Not Pay links & buttons since they don’t trigger the webhook.
- Product ID in Paypal must match a Promote Program ID
- It’s possible to purchase multiple products in the same purchase. All products will trigger the webhooks individually