Mental model
Cisco objective 3.4 says “Describe the capabilities of Cisco collaboration platforms and APIs (Webex, Webex devices, Cisco Unified Communications Manager including AXL and UDS interfaces)”. Four APIs on the list.
| API | What you do | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Webex REST API | Send messages, create rooms, build chat bots, admin users | REST + JSON + Bearer token |
| Webex Devices xAPI | Control a Webex Room device (join a meeting, change volume, show branding) | JSON RPC over SSH / WebSocket / HTTP |
| CUCM AXL | Admin + provisioning for on-prem phones (create a user, add a line, change a device pool) | SOAP XML over HTTPS |
| CUCM UDS | Read user data for self-care portals and phone directory lookups | REST + XML/JSON |
Webex REST API
Hosted at https://webexapis.com. One of the friendliest APIs Cisco publishes.
Common endpoints
| Method | URL | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| GET | /v1/rooms | List rooms (spaces) you are in |
| POST | /v1/messages | Send a message to a room or person |
| POST | /v1/webhooks | Register a webhook (push instead of poll) |
| GET | /v1/people/me | Who am I |
| POST | /v1/rooms | Create a new space |
| GET | /v1/memberships | List people in a room |
Auth
Bearer token. For your own account go to developer.webex.com → My Webex Apps → Personal Access Token. For a bot or integration, OAuth2 flow issues the token.
Hello world: send a message
curl -X POST \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $WEBEX_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"toPersonEmail":"you@example.com","text":"hello from the API"}' \
https://webexapis.com/v1/messages
Why it is on the exam
Objective 3.9.b asks you to “Manage spaces, participants, and messages in Webex”. Two or three REST calls. See the Webex messages lab.
Webex Devices xAPI
The programmable control plane for the physical Webex Room / Desk / Board devices.
- xStatus reads a status: current volume, who is logged in, meeting running yes/no.
- xCommand runs an action: join a meeting, dial a number, start a presentation.
- xConfiguration reads or sets a config value.
Access via:
- SSH (
ssh admin@device, then typexCommand ...). - WebSocket (programmable from code, auto-reconnects).
- HTTP (one-shot calls).
- Macros (JavaScript running inside the device for always-on local control).
Typical use: automate meeting join / leave; integrate with scheduling systems; display custom branding; listen for a specific event (person entered the room) and react.
CUCM AXL
AXL (Administrative XML) is the SOAP API for Cisco Unified Communications Manager. It is big (hundreds of endpoints) and old (SOAP from the WSDL era). You will use it for provisioning phones and users on-prem.
Example (simplified):
POST /axl/
Authorization: Basic <base64 user:pass>
Content-Type: text/xml
SOAPAction: "CUCM:DB ver=14.0 addUser"
<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv="...">
<soapenv:Body>
<ns:addUser>
<user>
<userid>alice</userid>
<firstName>Alice</firstName>
...
</user>
</ns:addUser>
</soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>
Most teams wrap AXL with Python (zeep, requests + XML) rather than typing SOAP by hand.
CUCM UDS
UDS (User Data Services) is the REST read-only API, mainly used by self-service portals and phone client directory lookups.
Example:
curl https://cucm.example.com:8443/cucm-uds/users?last=smith
Returns an XML or JSON list of users matching the search.
When you reach for which
| Scenario | API |
|---|---|
| ”Build a chat bot that answers questions in Webex” | Webex REST + webhooks |
| ”List all my team’s Webex spaces and clean up old ones” | Webex REST |
| ”Press a button and have the Webex Room auto-join the next meeting” | Webex Devices xAPI (xCommand Dial) |
| “Provision 500 new phones for a new office” | CUCM AXL |
| ”Build a phone directory search for the intranet” | CUCM UDS |
FAQ
Is Webex Teams the same as Webex? Cisco renamed Webex Teams → Webex Messaging a few years back. The messaging API is the same.
Can I run xAPI commands from the Webex REST API? Partially. Webex REST has a Devices resource for discovery and some control; for deep per-device automation you still use xAPI directly.
Is SOAP really still used? For CUCM provisioning, yes. The AXL interface has been around for 15+ years and vendors / integrators keep it alive. Nothing new in Cisco collab is being built on SOAP.
What dropped from the v1.1 blueprint? The 2020 DEVASC blueprint mentioned ChatBots explicitly; v1.1 removed it (bots are just a Webex REST + webhook use case, not a separate product). AXL and UDS interfaces were added to the CUCM mention.