> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.solya.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Data sources

> Connect the systems Solya imports your data from — POS systems, APIs, and file uploads.

A **data source** is a system or channel that Solya ingests business data from —
for example a point-of-sale (POS) system, an e-commerce API, or manual file uploads.
You activate the data sources your organization uses, and Solya manages the ingestion
pipeline and the file landing location for each one.

## Source types

| Type           | Examples                                   |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **POS**        | Polaris, Kezia                             |
| **API**        | E-commerce / external service integrations |
| **User files** | Manual CSV / Excel uploads                 |
| **ERP**        | Enterprise resource planning systems       |
| **Custom**     | Bespoke sources for your organization      |

## What defines a data source

* **Display name** — the friendly name shown across the app.
* **Source type** — the category (`pos`, `api`, `user_files`, `erp`, `custom`).
* **Vendor** — the system's vendor, when relevant.
* **Catalog status** — `active` (available to activate) or `coming soon`.
* **Activation status** — whether your organization is currently using the source.
* **Tags** — system and format tags (e.g. *Polaris*, *CSV*) used for filtering.
* **Landing path** — where files from this source are staged before ingestion.

## Working with data sources

<Steps>
  <Step title="Browse the catalog">
    Open **Data platform → Data sources** and review the catalog of available sources.
    Sources marked *coming soon* aren't available to activate yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate a source">
    Activate the sources your organization uses. Once active, Solya prepares its
    landing location and it appears on your data-source dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor it">
    From a data source you can follow its datasets and jump to its
    [ingestion runs](/en/data-layer/ingestion-runs) to see import history.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deactivate when no longer needed">
    Deactivate a source you've stopped using; it stays in the catalog so you can
    re-activate it later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Each data source is interpreted by one or more **ingestion specs**, which describe
  how its files are read. See [Ingestion specs](/en/data-layer/ingestion-spec).
</Note>