BDP and PropertyHive Integration

Any web site can be integrated with BDP using the existing API. However, one approach that has been historically popular with our clients is to use WordPress as a web content management solution, and to integrate with BDP via existing data import/export routes that are already supported by this third party plugin.

Additional features unique to BDP are further supported by additional plugins to include BDP-specific data, additional scenarios for linking and SEO, and a return path for enquiries.

Basic website requirements

In order to implement BDP in WordPress, you first of all need a suitable WordPress site.

BDP addons

  • The BDP for PropertyHive plugin is recommended:
    • Includes closing dates, EPC rating, Garden and other extension fields for templating
    • Includes support for Home Report links
    • Manages redirects to properties on your website based on BDP id (useful for adding property URLs to marketing materials before the property is live in PropertyHive – e.g. for designing schedules)
  • The BDP for Contact Form7 plugin is recommended:
    • Enabled developers to set up a return path to send viewing requests and general enquiries back into BDP.
  • If you are building your website using Elementor, the BDP for Elementor plugin will add actions to Elementor to route forms built in Elementor back to BDP. This is much easier to use than CF7, but you will need to have a site built using the Elementor application.

Please contact our support team to request the PlugIns

PropertyHive’s own BDP Plugin

PropertyHive have developed a BDP import plugin independent of this project, to integrate properties sourced directly from the BDP API into PropertyHive rather than via the BLM route we outline here. This plugin is not developed nor is it supported by BDP and any enquiries about usage or integration should be addressed to PropertyHive direct should you choose to use it.

Basic Setup

  • Ask BDP Support to provide a datafeed export for use in PropertyHive. This will take the form of a URL to a BLM export file.
  • In the PropertyHive configuration, add the data feed as a “BLM File – Remote URL”:
    BDP Plugin - PropertyHive Configuration
  • Configure the rest of your PropertyHive installation, including templating, as required.

BDP For PropertyHive

PropertyHive includes long-form URLs for property pages, which are SEO-friendly and should be used where possible. However, these are in the control of PropertyHive. In order to create predictable URLs for inclusion in printed material, etc, BDP for PropertyHive plugin support a redirect scheme to a BDP ID, e.g. properties will be addressable via the shortcode URL:
https://myfirm.com/property/224562

In WordPress dashboard (Settings → BDP PropertyHive), define the URL prefix for these predictable URLS – the “property” in the example above – as the “Redirect Base”. You may also specify a destination page for any invalid or old property ids, we recommend the main property details page.
BDP for PropertyHive

Post Meta Data

The BDP for PropertyHive plugin adds metadata terms for some useful additional fields. These are also available in the property detail template, including closing date, the price band, which may be useful in search details, a link to the Home Report, the EPC rating and the high-level district name, derived from the address/postcode.
Residential_Sales_Details_PropertyHive_Plugin

Residential_Details_PropertyHive_Plugin
Data sourced exclusively from BDP is shown as read-only in PropertyHive.

Marketing Area

For developers: WordPress sites based upon BDP may have a requirement to group properties by a conceptual area, which is not supported in either BDP, WordPress or PropertyHive. These areas do not correspond to town/city names in the full address, nor a primary area specified in BDP.

BDP for WordPress allows you to create broad areas such as this, for use in search forms and the like, based upon the postcodes in incoming feeds.

In Settings → BDP PropertyHive, specify a mapping to translate between a regular expression that will be applied to the property’s postcode and an area name to display for the property. This area name is then available to templating and search plugins as the area_group meta data key.

Add as many, and as complex, a set of regexes as you like. The lowest matching term will be used.

These values can be edited manually in the PropertyHive property details screens.
Postcode_to_Area_Maps_PropertyHive

BDP For Contact Form 7 (CF7)

Create contact forms for individual property viewings, general enquiries and for valuations.

Ensure that your BDP API Key and details are set in wp-config.php:

      define(‘BDP_API_KEY’, ‘V2.15.XXXX’);
      define(‘BDP_ACCOUNT_ID’, ’00’);
      define(‘BDP_API_SECRET’, ‘xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx’);

Visit BDP Mapping from the CF7 menu. For each CF7 form you would like to send to BDP, select “Add new BDP Form” and match the fields in the input form to the fields required in BDP.

For property-specific queries (i.e. Viewing requests), BDP support will be able to help configure the form to link contact forms back to the BDP property being shown. Futher details about setting up CF7 for integration with BDP is outlined in the BDP For Contact Form 7 document.

BDP for Elementor

PropertyHive includes increasingly sophisticated support for Elementor-built websites.

The BDP for Elementor plugin introduces a Form Action that simplifies the return path, to add enquiry forms to property detail templates use the Elementor form builder.

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