Focus Realtime API – Setup Requirements and Activation Guide

Overview

The Focus Realtime API provides authorized third-party integrators with real-time access to live data and events from Focus POS systems. This enables seamless integrations for online ordering platforms, analytics dashboards, mobile apps, and other third-party services that require immediate updates on orders, payments, inventory changes, and table status.

This Knowledge Base article details the minimum requirements, activation process, and critical configuration notes to successfully enable the Realtime API. Meeting these requirements ensures reliable, low-latency data flow and prevents common connectivity or authentication failures.

Prerequisites

Before activation or use, the following must be confirmed:

• Focus POS Minimum Version: 10.1.260107 or higher (Earlier versions do not support the Realtime API endpoints and event streaming.)
• Focus Key Station Must Be Running The Key Station service is required as the local bridge between the Focus POS store level POS and the Realtime API. It must be actively running on the server.
• Focus Key Station CANNOT Run with the -setup Command Line Switch Launching the Key Station in setup mode (-setup) disables normal operation and blocks Realtime API communication. This is a common cause of “no data received” issues during testing.
• Active Realtime API Subscription The restaurant group must have a valid, Realtime API subscription. Without it, the hardware key will not be authorized for API traffic.
• Store Enrolled in a myFocus Restaurant Group The location must be assigned to a myFocus Restaurant Group. The API Key and Secret are issued at the integrator + restaurant group level, not per individual store or terminal.

Activation Process

1. Verify all prerequisites above are met.
2. Email [e-mail] with the following details:
   • Hardware Key & Restaurant Name
   • myFocus Restaurant Group name 
   • Integrator/company name (the third-party service requesting access)

Focus Support will:

• Activate the Realtime API on the specified hardware key
• Generate and return the Restaurant Group API Key and Secret which will be provided directly to the 3rd party 

Once received, the integrator can begin authentication and testing once the Focus keyed station software is relaunched to activate the API Thread at the store level

Important Notes & Considerations

• API Credentials Scope: The Key/Secret pair is strictly scoped to one integrator and one restaurant group. Sharing credentials across integrators or groups will result in authentication failures and potential security flags.
• Multi-Location Groups: If the restaurant group contains multiple stores, the same API credentials can be used across all locations in that group (no need for separate keys per store).
• Command-Line Impact: Running the Key Station with -setup is typically used only during initial system configuration or troubleshooting. For production Realtime API use, always launch it in normal mode.
• Edge Cases:
  • New integrators or newly created restaurant groups may experience a delay between activation and first successful API calls, until the software is restarted
  • If the Key Station is restarted or updated, confirm it does not default to the -setup flag.
  • Firewall or network changes can block outbound connections; ensure port 443 (HTTPS) is open to the Focus API endpoints.
• Testing Recommendation: After activation, use the provided API documentation to run the sample “ping” or status endpoint first to verify connectivity before implementing full event streaming.

API Documentation

Full reference, endpoints, authentication examples, and real-time event schemas: Focus POS API Documentation

Support

For activation requests, credential issues, or troubleshooting:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Include your hardware key, restaurant group, and a description of the issue (including any error messages received from the API).