---
title: "API-Alt"
description: "**Important** This page describes the old AJAX API in ChurchTools. Information about the new RESTful API can be found on the [API](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/system-settings/api-en/overview-api/) page. ## How the API works Since ChurchTools controls all communication via AJAX, every function can also be…"
url: "https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/system-settings/api-en/api-alt/"
updated: "2026-07-28"
category: Integrations / API
tags:
  - Content outdated
---

# API-Alt

**Important**

This page describes the old AJAX API in ChurchTools. Information about the new RESTful API can be found on the [API](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/system-settings/api-en/overview-api/) page.

## How the API works

Since ChurchTools controls all communication via AJAX, every function can also be called via API.

For example [https://xxx.church.tools/index.php?q=churchresource/ajax](https://xxx.churchtools.de/index.php?q=churchresource/ajax)

And then via POST:*func=getBookings* (returns all*bookings* ) or e.g. *func=getMasterData*returns all necessary master data.

It is important that the call is sent via POST command and that the desired function is contained in the parameter "func=functioname". There are different calls per module. This can be looked up under system/modulename/classes/CTModulename.class.php.

## Further examples of API calls

For example, Login via

[`https://xxx.church.tools/?q=login`](https://xxx.churchtools.de/?q=login)

Then POST the parameters:

email

password

directtool=yes

**Query from all persons**

[`https://xxx.church.tools/?q=churchdb/ajax&func=getAllPersonData`](https://xxx.churchtools.de/?q=churchdb/ajax&func=getAllPersonData)

**Query a person**

[`https://xxx.church.tools/?q=churchdb/ajax&func=getPersonDetails&id=736`](https://xxx.churchtools.de/?q=churchdb/ajax&func=getPersonDetails&id=736)

## Example of an API call in PHP

`<?php`
`/** * Example API call to ChurchTools Installation for PHP. The cookies will be stored to current directory`
`* Author: Jens Martin Rauen`
`* Copyright: 2015`
`**/`

`/**`
`* Get saved Cookies from filesystem and returns an array`
`* @return array of Cookies in string`
`*/`
`function getCookies() {`
`$aCookies = glob("*.txt");`
`$n = count($aCookies);`
`if ($n !== 0) {`
`$counter = 0;`

`while ($counter < $n) {`
`$sCombined .= file_get_contents($aCookies["$counter"]) . ';';`
`++$counter;`
`}`
`return $sCombined;`
`} else {`
`return $n;`
`}`
`}`

`/**`
`* Save cookies from $aRH (http response header) to the filesystem`
`* @param $aRH`
`*/`
`function saveCookies($aRH) {`
`$n = count($aRH); // Number of Pieces`
`$counter = 0;`
`while ($counter <= $n) {`
`if(preg_match('@Set-Cookie: (([^=]+)=[^;]+)@i', $aRH["$counter"], $matches)) {`
`$fp = fopen($matches["2"].'.txt', 'w');`
`fwrite($fp, $matches["1"]);`
`fclose($fp);`
`}`
`++$counter;`
`}`
`}`

`/**`
 `* Send request to $url with $data`
`* @param [type] $url  [description]`
`* @param [type] $data [description]`
`*/`
`function sendRequest($url, $data) {`
`$options1 = array(`
`'http' => array(`
`'header'  => "Cookie: ".getCookies() . "rnContent-type: application/x-www-form-urlencodedrn",`
`'method'  => 'POST',`
`'content' => http_build_query($data),`
`),`
`);`
`$context  = stream_context_create($options1);`
`$result = file_get_contents($url, false, $context);`
`print_r($result);`
`saveCookies($http_response_header);`
`}`

`// Login to mghh churchtools`
`$url = 'https://mghh.churchtools.de/?q=login';`
`$data = array('email' => 'sabine@mghh.churchtools.de', 'password' => '1234',`
`'directtool' => 'yes');`
`sendRequest($url, $data);`

`// Now get all Person data`
`$url = 'https://mghh.churchtools.de/index.php?q=churchdb/ajax';`
`$data = array('func' => 'getAllPersonData');`
`sendRequest($url, $data);`

## Read more

- [Overview API](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/system-settings/api-en/overview-api/)
- [API authentication](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/system-settings/api-en/api-authentication/)