CDW Integration Setup Guide

You don't need to write code or understand APIs to connect CDW. You're creating a set of credentials that let Scopable look up CDW's catalog, pricing, and availability on your behalf, then pasting them into Scopable once. Budget about 10 minutes on the Scopable side. The longer part is getting API access from CDW, so we cover that first.

If you already run quotes through a PSA, this pairs well with our ConnectWise Manage setup guide so your PSA and distributor data line up from day one.

What connecting CDW does

Once CDW is connected, Scopable can:

Search the CDW catalog and pull live price and availability right inside the Quote Wizard.
Turn a CDW result into a quote line that remembers where it came from, including the CDW part number and the manufacturer part number.

CDW runs as its own distributor source, so it sits alongside Ingram Micro, Pax8, and TD SYNNEX. A problem with one distributor never takes down the others. CDW products come through as one-time hardware and software by default, not subscriptions, which is what you'd expect from a hardware-heavy distributor.

How the CDW connection works (the short version)

CDW asks for three things, and Scopable's setup card matches them one for one:

A Subscription Key. An API subscription key from CDW's developer portal. Scopable stores it encrypted and uses it to authenticate every catalog and pricing call.
A Customer Account Number. The CDW account number tied to your contract pricing and availability. It's how CDW knows which prices to show you instead of plain list prices.
An Environment: Sandbox or Production. Production connects to your live CDW account. Sandbox is only useful if CDW issued you separate test credentials.

There's no "click to authorize" login popup. You paste the values in once and Scopable handles the calls from there. One thing worth knowing up front: CDW rotates subscription keys periodically. If CDW issues you a new key, you update it in Scopable with Reconnect (covered in Troubleshooting). Everything else is set and forget.

Before you start (2-minute checklist)

A quick prep pass prevents almost every setup failure:

Confirm your company has API access with CDW and a subscription key. If you've never used CDW's API, this is the long pole. Ask your CDW account team to set it up first.
Have your CDW customer account number ready. Your CDW rep can confirm which account number maps to your contract pricing.
Make sure your Scopable user can manage integrations. That's usually an admin.
Confirm the CDW integration is turned on for your Scopable account. It rolls out account by account, so it may not be visible yet (more on that below).

Step 1: Get your CDW API credentials

This is the part you do on CDW's side, and it's the step that varies most between accounts.

CDW provides API access through their developer portal using subscription keys. Two things you need out of it:

A subscription key for the catalog and price/availability APIs.
Your customer account number for contract pricing.

CDW provisions API access per partner, and the portal screens change from time to time, so we're keeping this about what to ask for rather than click-by-click paths that might be stale by the time you read this. The reliable route: ask your CDW account team or sales rep for API access and a subscription key, and tell them you're connecting a third-party quoting tool that needs catalog search plus price and availability for your account.

Save the subscription key in a password manager the moment you get it. Treat it like a password. If CDW gives you both a sandbox and a production key, note which is which. You'll choose one in Scopable in the next step.

Step 2: Connect in Scopable

Now the easy part.

Log in to Scopable as an admin (or a user with permission to manage integrations).
In the left-side navigation under Administration, click Integrations.
Find the CDW card under Distributors and click Connect.
On the setup card, fill in:
- Subscription Key (stored encrypted in Scopable's secure vault, never shown again after you save it)
- Customer Account Number (the account number CDW uses for your contract pricing and availability)
- Environment: leave it off for Sandbox, or switch it on for Production. Most teams want Production, since that's your live catalog and pricing.
Click Save & Test Connection.

Scopable saves the credentials, then immediately runs a connection test against CDW. On success you'll see a green Connected badge and a note that the Quote Wizard is ready to use live CDW data. From there you can re-run Test Connection or hit Reconfigure at any time.

Your credentials are encrypted and stored securely. Scopable never shows the subscription key again after you save it, and we can't read it back.

Don't see CDW, or a message that it's switched off? The CDW integration rolls out account by account. If the page reads "The CDW integration is switched off for your account right now," it isn't enabled for you yet. Contact Scopable and we'll turn it on.

What to do right after connecting

Once the badge is green, run one quick real-world check:

Open a test opportunity in the Quote Wizard and go to the Products step.
Search for a common part you'd normally quote through CDW.
Confirm price and availability come back with a green CDW badge.

If something looks off, click Test Connection on the CDW card to recheck the link.

Where CDW shows up in a quote

Once you're connected, CDW becomes one of the sources the Quote Wizard searches. Here's what changes in the Products step:

Merged search. Search once and CDW results come back next to your other connected sources (ConnectWise, Ingram Micro, Pax8, TD SYNNEX) in a single list.
Source badges. CDW rows carry a green CDW badge on price and availability, so you can tell at a glance where a number came from.
Source filter. Use the Source filter above the results to show only CDW, or All Sources to compare everyone side by side.
Line-item provenance. When you add a CDW result to a quote, Scopable tags that line as coming from CDW and keeps the CDW part number and manufacturer part number with it. Change the quantity or price and it stays a CDW line, so your team and fulfillment always know the source.
Partial results beat blank results. If CDW has a hiccup mid-search, the other distributors still return. One source being down doesn't blank out the whole search.

If you're standardizing how your team quotes, this is a good moment to skim the MSP Quoting Software Comparison and map where CDW pricing should replace manual lookups.

Troubleshooting

"The CDW integration is switched off for your account right now"

CDW isn't enabled for your account yet. It rolls out account by account. Contact Scopable to turn it on, then head back to Integrations and open the CDW card.

"Needs attention," or the connection test fails after saving

Usually one of these:

Stray characters. The subscription key and account number have to be exact. Re-copy each one and watch for trailing spaces or line breaks.
Rotated key. CDW rotates subscription keys periodically. If the connection worked for a while and then started failing with an auth error, your key probably rotated on CDW's side. Get the current key from CDW, click Reconnect on the CDW card, paste it in, and save.
Wrong environment. If you entered sandbox credentials but left the toggle on Production (or the reverse), the test fails. Match the toggle to the key CDW gave you.
Account number mismatch. If the key is valid but pricing looks like list price, or nothing comes back, confirm the customer account number is the one tied to your contract pricing.

"You don't have permission to connect CDW"

The signed-in Scopable user can't manage integrations. Have a Scopable admin do the setup.

It connected, but no CDW results show up in a quote

Two things both have to be true for CDW to appear in search: the integration is enabled for your account, and your credentials are connected. If the CDW card shows Connected but search still comes up empty, click Test Connection to confirm the link, then try a broad, common part number. If it's still empty, email us and we'll dig in.

Still stuck?

Email us at [email protected] with a screenshot of the error and we'll figure it out together. Not a chatbot. A person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a sandbox or a production mode?

Both. The setup card has an Environment toggle. Left off it uses Sandbox (only useful if CDW gave you test credentials); switched on it uses Production, your live account. Most teams run Production.

Does connecting CDW cost anything on Scopable's side?

No. There's no extra Scopable fee to connect CDW. API access terms on CDW's side are between you and CDW, so check with your CDW account team if you're unsure what your agreement covers.

What data does Scopable pull from CDW?

Catalog search results plus live price and availability by part number. CDW items come through as one-time hardware or software, not subscriptions.

Can more than one teammate use it once it's connected?

Yes. The CDW connection is tied to your Scopable account, not to one person. Set it up once, and anyone with the right permissions can use CDW-powered search in the Quote Wizard.

Are my credentials safe?

Yes. The subscription key is encrypted in Scopable's secure vault and never shown again after you save it. The account number is stored so Scopable can send it with catalog and pricing calls. We can't read your subscription key back.

Why doesn't CDW show up in my quote search?

Most often, one of the two gates isn't met: CDW has to be enabled for your account, and your credentials have to be connected. Check the CDW card under Integrations. A green Connected badge, plus the integration being on for your account, is what puts CDW into search.

Ready to put CDW pricing into real quotes?

Once CDW is connected, the point is turning that live catalog and pricing into faster, margin-aware quotes instead of tabs and spreadsheets. If you want CDW pricing flowing straight into client-ready proposals, start your Scopable free trial.

Still shopping the workflow around it? Read Best MSP Quoting Software in 2026, compare options in the MSP Quoting Software Comparison, and browse the rest of the Knowledge Base for the other distributor setup guides.