How Can I Create a Destination Using the REST API?

Question

How can I create a destination using the API?

Environment

REST API

Answer

Use the Create a Destination endpoint after creating or identifying a group. See step 2 of the REST API quickstart for the group setup flow.

Prerequisite: complete the destination's setup guide first

The REST API only registers a destination, so you must complete the cloud-side setup first. Before calling POST /v1/destinations, create users, roles, warehouses, and databases, and configure permissions or authentication credentials in your warehouse. Each destination's setup guide lists the required setup:

Once the cloud-side setup is complete, call the API using the configured destination credentials.

Destination-specific auth fields

Some destinations use an explicit auth method field that determines which credential fields are required. For example, auth for Snowflake or auth_type for Redshift. Sending fields that belong to a different auth method results in an HTTP 400 Bad Request error. Other destinations, such as Databricks and BigQuery, imply the auth method from whichever credential fields you provide.

The following Snowflake examples illustrate this pattern. The auth field accepts PASSWORD or KEY_PAIR. Sending both, or using an invalid value such as PRIVATE_KEY, causes an HTTP 400 error.

Required fields by auth method: Snowflake

Field	`PASSWORD`	`KEY_PAIR`	Notes
`host`	required	required	Format: `your-account.snowflakecomputing.com`
`port`	required	required
`database`	required	required
`user`	required	required
`auth`	`"PASSWORD"`	`"KEY_PAIR"`	Required; no other values are accepted
`password`	required	omit	Sending `password` with `KEY_PAIR` returns `400`
`private_key`	omit	required	PEM-formatted RSA private key
`is_private_key_encrypted`	omit	required	`true` or `false`
`passphrase`	omit	if key encrypted	Required only when `is_private_key_encrypted: true`
`role`	recommended	recommended	Omitting uses the user's default role, which may lack the permissions Fivetran requires
`default_virtual_warehouse`	recommended	recommended	Omitting uses the user's default warehouse, which may cause permission errors

Example: PASSWORD auth

curl -X POST "https://api.fivetran.com/v1/destinations" \
  -u "$FIVETRAN_API_KEY:$FIVETRAN_API_SECRET" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "group_id": "YOUR_GROUP_ID",
    "service": "snowflake",
    "region": "GCP_US_EAST4",
    "time_zone_offset": "-5",
    "config": {
      "host": "your-account.snowflakecomputing.com",
      "port": 443,
      "database": "FIVETRAN",
      "auth": "PASSWORD",
      "user": "FIVETRAN_USER",
      "password": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_PASSWORD",
      "role": "FIVETRAN_ROLE",
      "default_virtual_warehouse": "FIVETRAN_WAREHOUSE"
    }
  }'

Example: KEY_PAIR auth

curl -X POST "https://api.fivetran.com/v1/destinations" \
  -u "$FIVETRAN_API_KEY:$FIVETRAN_API_SECRET" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "group_id": "YOUR_GROUP_ID",
    "service": "snowflake",
    "region": "GCP_US_EAST4",
    "time_zone_offset": "-5",
    "config": {
      "host": "your-account.snowflakecomputing.com",
      "port": 443,
      "database": "FIVETRAN",
      "auth": "KEY_PAIR",
      "user": "FIVETRAN_USER",
      "private_key": "-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\nYOUR_KEY_CONTENT\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----",
      "is_private_key_encrypted": false,
      "role": "FIVETRAN_ROLE",
      "default_virtual_warehouse": "FIVETRAN_WAREHOUSE"
    }
  }'

If your private key has a passphrase, set "is_private_key_encrypted": true and add "passphrase": "YOUR_PASSPHRASE".

A failed POST /v1/destinations leaves no partial resource. Correct the request body and retry.

Other destinations follow the same pattern

Many destination types have an auth or connection method enum with mutually exclusive field sets, but some infer the method from the credential fields you provide. Before constructing the payload, see the destination's setup guide and the Create a Destination API reference for the exact field names and accepted values.