- Exact: Exact Globe+ - Upswitch: Exact Globe XML export flow - LettSense: Sumatra for Exact Globe and Synergy - APIcenter: Exact Globe integration - Onventis: Exact Globe connection via the SDK - Clickker: Exact API - Codeless Platforms: Exact Globe integration - Alumio: Exact Globe connector - xCore on ChannelEngine - Tradecloud: Exact Globe connector (AB Entiteiten Interface)

Exact GlobeGuideAutomation

How to get data out of Exact Globe: 7 methods compared (2026)

Joshua Morris·17 oktober 2026·Lees in het Nederlands →

Short answer: There are seven practical ways to get data in and out of Exact Globe: file import/export, reading the database directly, Exact Entity Services, the Globe SDK, a REST API layer such as Clickker, an integration platform, or a partner automation add-on. For a nightly report, a file export is enough. To connect a web shop, warehouse or CRM in real time, a REST API layer is usually the fastest and lowest-maintenance route.

Most advice online about "Exact integrations" is really about Exact Online, which is a different product with its own public API. If you run Exact Globe, Globe Next or Globe+, the options are different, and nobody seems to have put them side by side. This guide does that, including the options we don't sell.

First: are you on Exact Globe or Exact Online?

Exact Globe runs on your own server; Exact Online runs in Exact's cloud and has a public REST API. Everything in this guide is about Globe. If you're not sure which you have: if staff open a Windows program installed in the office or on a remote desktop, it's almost certainly Globe. If they log in through a web browser at exact.com, it's Online.

The difference matters because many "Exact" connectors, from Shopify apps to accounting tools, only support Exact Online.

The 7 methods at a glance

Method	What it is	Real-time?	Needs a developer?	Best for
1. File import/export	Exact Globe's built-in XML and CSV exchange	No, batch	Rarely	Nightly or one-off transfers
2. Direct database access	Reading Globe's SQL Server tables	Yes	Yes	Read-only reporting and dashboards
3. Entity Services	Exact's own web service (OData)	Near	Yes	In-house development teams
4. Globe SDK	Exact's .NET development kit	Yes	Yes, .NET	Custom applications
5. REST API layer	A ready-made API such as Clickker	Yes, with webhooks	Light setup	Web shops, WMS, CRM, automation tools
6. Integration platform	iPaaS such as Alumio, Codeless Platforms, APIcenter	Varies	Low to medium	Teams wanting a visual builder
7. Partner add-on	Automation tools from Exact partners, e.g. AB Software's	Yes	Configuration	Process automation inside Exact

1. How does file import and export work in Exact Globe?

Exact Globe can export and import data as XML and CSV files, which is the simplest way to move data in batches and needs no extra software. You can export items, customers, transactions and more, and import them the same way. Plenty of tools that support Globe at all do it this way: they ask you to export a standard XML file from Globe and they process it.

It's reliable for what it is, but it isn't live. Someone (or a scheduled task) has to run the export, and errors usually surface as a rejected file rather than a clear message.

Good for: month-end reporting, data migration, sending a price list once a week.
Not good for: anything a customer is waiting on, like order confirmations or stock levels on a web shop.
Cost: included with Exact Globe.

2. Can you read Exact Globe's database directly?

Yes. Exact Globe stores its data in Microsoft SQL Server, so reporting and BI tools can read it directly, but writing to it directly is risky and we'd avoid it. Many dashboard products read Globe's tables this way, and some, like LettSense's Sumatra, ship with the Globe and Synergy database already mapped.

Reading is fine if you know the schema. Writing straight into the tables bypasses Exact's business logic: the checks, the calculations, the audit trail. That's how you end up with orders that look right in one screen and wrong in another. Direct-database integrations are also the most likely to break after a Globe upgrade.

Good for: dashboards, management reporting, Power BI.
Not good for: creating or changing records.

3. What are Exact Entity Services?

Entity Services is Exact's own web service for Exact Globe and Synergy, exposing business objects such as accounts, items and orders over REST/OData. It's the official way for a developer to read and write Globe data from another application.

It works, but it's a building block rather than a finished integration. Entity Services runs as a Windows service that comes with the Globe client installation and, out of the box, only answers on the server itself. Reaching it from a cloud system means publishing it securely, typically through a reverse proxy over HTTPS, and then building error handling and monitoring yourself. Several integration platforms rely on it under the hood: APIcenter, for example, requires Entity Services to be installed and publicly available before its Globe connector will work.

Good for: companies with developers who want to stay on Exact's own technology.
Watch out for: the hidden work around it. The endpoint is the easy part.

4. When should you use the Exact Globe SDK?

Use the Globe SDK when .NET developers are building a custom application that needs deep, reliable access to Exact Globe's business logic. The SDK is Exact's development kit, and its big strength is stability. Onventis, a procurement platform, credits the SDK for its Globe connection staying stable through updates and upgrades.

The downside is time and skills. You're writing software, and you'll own it. For connecting one off-the-shelf system to Globe, that's usually more than you need. We go deeper on the SDK-versus-API question in our guide to getting an Exact Globe API.

Good for: bespoke apps, complex business rules, companies with a .NET team.
Cost: developer time, then maintenance.

5. What is a REST API layer for Exact Globe?

A REST API layer is software installed alongside Exact Globe that gives it a modern JSON API with webhooks, so web shops, warehouses, CRMs and automation tools can connect without custom code. Clickker, made by Sense Cloud in Emmen, is the best-known example. Its makers describe it as combining the best of Entity Services and the SDK in one platform.

It can run on your own server or be hosted in the Netherlands, it comes with more than 25 standard integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Akeneo and others), and it works with tools like n8n through ordinary API calls. It also covers Exact Online and Exact Financials. Setup usually takes about two weeks. To write data into Globe this way, your Exact licence needs the Connectivity Client module.

Good for: connecting several systems to Globe in real time, and teams without developers.
Cost: from €285 per month plus a one-off €1,000 installation (2026, excluding VAT).
Disclosure: we resell Clickker, so weigh this section accordingly.

6. Are integration platforms (iPaaS) a good fit for Exact Globe?

Integration platforms suit teams that want to build and manage connections in a visual tool, as long as the platform's Exact Globe connector covers the data you need. Several have one:

Platform	What stands out
Alumio	Large connector library; Exact Globe linked to many shop, PIM and WMS systems
Codeless Platforms (UK)	BPA Platform with ready-made Exact Globe scenarios, including Shopify and VAT number checks; published subscription pricing
APIcenter	Self-serve setup with a free trial; uses Entity Services for Globe
xCore	Focused on e-commerce connections for Exact Globe and Online

The trade-off: you're adding another platform to learn and pay for, and each connector only goes as deep as its builder took it. Check that the exact fields and document types you need are supported before you sign.

7. What about partner add-ons?

Some Exact partners sell add-ons that automate work inside Exact Globe and connect it to machines and other systems, and they're a strong choice if you already work with that partner. The best known is AB Software & Consultancy's Entiteiten Interface (ABEI), built for manufacturers. It automates actions in Exact using if-then rules, such as booking hours, sending order emails or reading weighing scales, and it's also used as the Globe connector for supply-chain platforms like Tradecloud.

Add-ons like this are usually implemented by the partner who sells them, so they fit best when that partner already looks after your Exact.

Which method should you choose?

Match the method to what you're connecting and who will maintain it. Our rules of thumb:

A report or a one-off transfer: file export, or a BI tool reading the database.
One web shop, warehouse or CRM, synced in real time: a REST API layer.
Many systems, managed by your own team in a visual tool: an integration platform, or a REST layer plus n8n.
A custom application with complex logic, and .NET developers on staff: the SDK.
Manufacturing processes automated inside Exact, with that partner already on board: a partner add-on.
Never: writing straight into Globe's database.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest way to get data out of Exact Globe?

For occasional transfers, Exact Globe's built-in XML or CSV export. For live data flowing to another system, a REST API layer is easiest because there's nothing to code.

Does Exact Globe have an API?

Not a public REST API like Exact Online's. Globe offers Entity Services and the SDK for developers, and you can add a ready-made REST API with a layer such as Clickker.

Can I connect Exact Globe to Power BI?

Yes. Power BI can read Exact Globe's SQL Server database directly for reporting. Keep it read-only.

Is it safe to write directly to the Exact Globe database?

We wouldn't. It skips Exact's own validation and audit trail, and it's the type of integration most likely to break when Globe is upgraded.

Can I use the same integration if we move to Exact Online later?

It depends on the method. Clickker supports both Exact Globe and Exact Online, so integrations built on it can move with you more easily than ones written against Globe's SDK or database.

About the author. Joshua Morris is the founder of AFOD (All For One Digital), which builds automations for Exact Globe users in the Netherlands and the UK, and is the first UK partner for Clickker.

Disclosure. AFOD resells Clickker. We've described the other options as fairly as we can, and we'll happily tell you if one of them suits you better.