FileMaker 2025 brings a new level of security to both FileMaker Cloud and FileMaker Server, delivering critical enhancements in encryption, SSL handling, and API authentication. These updates are designed to help organizations strengthen data protection and meet stringent compliance requirements, including HIPAA, GDPR, and enterprise-grade security standards.

Whether deployed on-premises or in the cloud, FileMaker 2025 ensures that your sensitive business data stays safe, encrypted, and under your control.

Stronger Encryption and Data Protection

FileMaker 2025 enhances encryption protocols for both data at rest and data in transit. Improved key management and modern cipher support ensure that databases, backups, and network communications maintain top-tier protection.

For organizations managing confidential information—such as healthcare providers, financial institutions, and manufacturers—these encryption upgrades reinforce compliance with global privacy laws and data protection frameworks.

Simplified SSL Management with Let’s Encrypt

Setting up SSL certificates has historically been a challenge for administrators. FileMaker Server 2025 streamlines this process with Let’s Encrypt integration, allowing certificates to be issued and renewed automatically.

This eliminates the need for manual SSL management while ensuring that all connections remain encrypted and compliant with modern browser and network security requirements.

Benefits include:

• Automatic SSL issuance and renewal
  
  

• Reduced configuration errors
  
  

• Continuous, secure connections across all deployments
  
  

Token-Based API Access for Secure Integrations

Both FileMaker Cloud and FileMaker Server now support token-based authentication for API access, replacing static credentials with dynamic, revocable tokens.

This approach enhances integration security by ensuring that credentials:

• Expire automatically after a defined period
  
  

• Can be scoped to specific permissions or resources
  
  

• Are easily revoked if compromised
  
  

Token-based authentication reduces the attack surface and makes it easier to comply with HIPAA and GDPR requirements for data access auditing and control.

Compliance Made Easier

With these security upgrades, FileMaker 2025 provides organizations with a compliance-ready foundation. Key benefits include:

• Encrypted data across all layers—storage, transfer, and access
  
  

• Automated SSL configuration to prevent mismanagement
  
  

• Secure, auditable API integrations using short-lived tokens
  
  

For industries handling sensitive personal or operational data, these improvements simplify compliance management without sacrificing performance or flexibility.

FileMaker 2025’s security enhancements in Cloud and Server reflect Claris’s continued commitment to protecting business-critical information. With improved encryption, automatic SSL handling, and token-based API access, organizations can maintain compliance and operate confidently in highly regulated environments.

Want to strengthen your FileMaker security posture or validate your setup for HIPAA or GDPR compliance? Reach out to Kyo Logic here.

New JSON Functions in FileMaker 2024/2025: What Developers Need to Know

With the release of FileMaker 2024 and 2025, Claris has significantly expanded its native JSON functions, making it easier for developers to work with structured data, integrate APIs, and build modern, scalable FileMaker solutions.

If you’re building or maintaining a FileMaker system, understanding these new JSON capabilities is essential to creating faster, more efficient, and more integrated applications.

Why JSON is a Big Deal in FileMaker

JSON is the data format of modern web services, APIs, OData and cloud platforms. FileMaker’s JSON functions let you generate, parse, and manipulate JSON directly within calculations and scripts.

If you want to:

• Integrate with third-party APIs

• Build flexible data structures

• Communicate data more effectively within all FileMaker applications

• Power Claris Connect and Event-Driven Connect workflows

…you need to master FileMaker’s JSON tools.

What’s New in FileMaker 2024 and 2025 for JSON

The most effective patterns combine newer capabilities like JSONGetElementType (2024) and the 2025 performance gains with long‑standing JSON tools—JSONListKeys, JSONListValues, JSONSetElement, and JSONGetElement. Use the newer functions to validate/branch, and the established ones to iterate, extract, and assemble payloads.

JSONGetElementType (2024)

• Purpose: Returns the data type of a specified JSON element.

• Why it matters: Lets you dynamically validate or branch logic based on whether a JSON value is an object, array, string, number, or boolean.

Set Variable [ $payload ; Value:

    “{ \”customer\”: { \”name\”: \”Alice\”, \”age\”: 30, \”address\”: { \”city\”: \”Boston\” } } }”

]

Set Variable [ $elementType ;

    Value: JSONGetElementType ( $payload ; “customer.address” )

]

// Returns: “object”

JSONListKeys (2018)

• Purpose: Returns a list of all keys in a JSON object.

• Why it matters: Essential for iterating through dynamic JSON objects when you don’t know the keys ahead of time.

Set Variable [ $payload ; Value:

    “{ \”customer\”: { \”name\”: \”Alice\”, \”age\”: 30, \”email\”: \”alice@example.com\” } }”

]

Set Variable [ $keys ;

    Value: JSONListKeys ( $payload ; “customer” )

]

// $keys returns:

// name

// age

// email

JSONListValues (2018)

• Purpose: Returns a list of all values in a JSON object or array.

• Why it matters: Simplifies extracting data from APIs or nested JSON arrays without needing to parse each element manually.

Set Variable [ $payload ; Value:

    “{ \”orders\”: [ \”Order001\”, \”Order002\”, \”Order003\” ] }”

]

Set Variable [ $values ;

    Value: JSONListValues ( $payload ; “orders” )

]

// $values returns:

// Order001

// Order002

// Order003

Improved Performance (2025)

• Parsing and manipulating large JSON objects is faster and more memory-efficient in FileMaker 2025.

• This is critical when handling big API responses or storing complex JSON in fields.

---

Practical Use Cases for Developers

1. API Integrations

When calling external APIs, these new functions make it easier to:

• Parse API responses dynamically.

• Validate data types before inserting into records.

• Log errors or unexpected responses.

Example:

Set Variable [ $apiResponse ; Value: “{ \”status\”: \”success\”, \”data\”: { \”id\”: 123, \”amount\”: 49.99 } }” ]

If [ JSONGetElementType ( $apiResponse ; “data” ) = “object” ]

    Set Variable [ $transactionID ; Value: JSONGetElement ( $apiResponse ; “data.id” ) ]

    Set Variable [ $amount ; Value: JSONGetElement ( $apiResponse ; “data.amount” ) ]

End If

2. Dynamic UI Generation

• Use JSONListKeys to build dynamic interfaces or repeat portals based on the number of returned fields.

Example:

Set Variable [ $fields ; Value: JSONListKeys ( $payload ; “customer” ) ]

Set Variable [ $fieldCount ; Value: ValueCount ( $fields ) ]

# Use $fieldCount to dynamically generate UI elements.

3. Claris Connect Workflows

• Event-Driven Connect payloads rely on JSON—these functions help you parse incoming data and route it appropriately.

Example:

Set Variable [ $payload ; Value: Get(ScriptParameter) ]

Set Variable [ $eventType ; Value: JSONGetElement ( $payload ; “event.type” ) ]

If [ $eventType = “customer_update” ]

    # Process customer update logic

End If

4. Data Storage and Flexibility

• Instead of creating new tables for every data variation, store flexible JSON blobs that can adapt as your data structures evolve.

Example:

Set Field [ Customer::Metadata ; JSONSetElement ( “” ;

    [ “preferences.newsletter” ; “true” ; JSONBoolean ] ;

    [ “preferences.language” ; “en” ; JSONString ]

)]

---

Quick Reference Table

Function	Introduced	Use Case
JSONGetElementType	2024	Validate data types
JSONListKeys	2018	Retrieve dynamic object keys
JSONListValues	2018	Extract lists of values

---

Developer Tip

When working with external APIs, combine these new JSON functions with Try / Catch scripting patterns, data validation routines, and robust error logging to ensure your integrations are stable and reliable.

Ready to Build Smarter with JSON?

If you’re maintaining an older FileMaker system, you’re missing out on these time-saving, game-changing functions. Contact us to discuss upgrading your solution or building new integrations powered by FileMaker 2025’s JSON toolkit.

Need help with your next integration? Let’s modernize your FileMaker environment today.

With FileMaker 2025, AI is no longer confined to individual apps. By combining Claris FileMaker’s native LLM capabilities with Claris Connect’s automation engine, organizations can now build end-to-end workflows that span multiple systems—without relying on extra middleware or third-party tools. This means you can harness AI to not only make smarter decisions inside FileMaker but also trigger actions across your broader tech stack.

From Single App to Multi-System Intelligence

In previous versions, AI-powered features were mostly limited to in-app tasks like summarizing records or generating content. With Claris Connect, those capabilities extend outward. A single AI trigger inside FileMaker can now launch processes across apps such as Slack, Google Sheets, Outlook, or a CRM—turning your database into an intelligent hub for your entire organization.

Examples of AI-Enhanced Workflows

• Lead Intake: A prospect fills out a form in Claris Studio. FileMaker captures the record, uses an AI script to summarize or score the lead, then Claris Connect posts the summary to Slack and updates a Google Sheet.
  
  

• Document Review: Contracts stored in FileMaker are run through AI to extract key terms. Claris Connect automatically sends flagged items to your legal team’s email queue for review.
  
  

• Customer Support: AI summarizes incoming support tickets and routes them to the right department via Teams or Slack.
  
  

These kinds of workflows reduce manual effort, improve accuracy, and keep information flowing in real time.

No Extra Tools, No Extra Overhead

Because both FileMaker’s LLM features and Claris Connect’s automation are built into the Claris ecosystem, you don’t need additional APIs or subscription services to get started. Data stays inside your trusted environment while still connecting seamlessly to the systems your teams use every day.

Why It Matters

Bringing AI-enhanced workflows across your organization means:

• Faster decisions by automating repetitive, multi-step processes
  
  

• More consistent outcomes through standardized AI prompts and triggers
  
  

• Reduced integration costs by eliminating separate middleware
  
  

• Stronger data governance since sensitive information stays in FileMaker
  
  

With FileMaker 2025 and Claris Connect, AI becomes more than a feature—it becomes the backbone of cross-system workflows. From intake and scoring to document routing and reporting, you can build intelligent, automated processes that scale across your entire organization without leaving the Claris platform.

Interested in building AI-enhanced workflows tailored to your business? Reach out to Kyo Logic here.

Can Your FileMaker Do This? FileMaker, AI-Built Apps, and Enterprise Suites: A Practical Guide

Teams have great options today. Enterprise suites like Salesforce or Oracle bring breadth and governance. AI-built apps (custom code with GPT-style copilots) offer full creative freedom. FileMaker 2025 (with Claris Studio + Claris Connect) adds a low-code layer for the everyday work: forms, approvals, exceptions, and quick changes.

This is about picking the right tool and helping them work well together.

The Landscape (What Each Does Best)

Enterprise Suites (Salesforce/Oracle/etc.)
Ideal as systems of record with strong data models, compliance, and mature ecosystems. Strong for standardized processes that don’t change often.

AI-Built Apps (custom code + copilots)
Great for new experiences and bespoke logic when you want full UI freedom or internet-scale delivery.

FileMaker 2025 (with Studio + Connect)
A natural fit as the operations layer for departmental workflows, field capture, and dashboards (the work that shifts month to month and involves real people and real context).

Why FileMaker (What It Does Uniquely Well)

• Operations-in-a-box: Data, UI, scripts, and security in one place, so changes are fast and safe.
  
  

• Governed agility: Roles, logging, and auditable changes without a sprawling codebase.
  
  

• Field-ready inputs: FileMaker Go + Claris Studio handle photos, scans, GPS, signatures. No custom app required.
  
  

• Event-driven automation: Event-Driven Connect turns record changes into Slack/Teams alerts, tickets, emails, and documents.
  
  

• Standards at the edge: OData (Power BI), Data API/eDAPI, and JSON for clean hand-offs to the broader stack.
  
  

• Incremental modernization: Keep Salesforce/Oracle steady; add FileMaker where hands-on work happens. Quick wins, low disruption.
  
  

Who tends to benefit most

• Departments of 10–200 daily users (Ops, Supply Chain, Field Service, QA, Facilities, Finance Ops)
  
  

• Teams juggling spreadsheets, email approvals, and plug-ins
  
  

• Organizations that need mobile/web data capture without funding a full custom app build
  
  

Where Each Typically Wins

Enterprise suites are strong for: deep modules (CPQ/ERP), strict compliance, global scale with unified governance.

AI-built apps are strong for: highly branded, external-facing portals; novel algorithms/services; full framework freedom.

FileMaker is strong for: rapidly evolving or highly custom internal workflows, immediate field capture, event-driven automations, and fast time-to-value.

How FileMaker Works Alongside Salesforce/Oracle

Common patterns

• Keep the system of record in Salesforce/Oracle.
  
  

• Use FileMaker as a system of engagement where people enter, review, approve, and act.
  
  

• Bridge them with:
  
  

  • Claris Connect for “when X happens → do Y” workflows
    
    

  • Data API/eDAPI for JSON hand-offs
    
    

  • OData for analytics in Power BI/Tableau
    
    

  • SSO (Okta/Azure AD) for unified identity
    
    

Example flows

• Case Management: A case in Salesforce triggers a FileMaker triage workspace (Studio forms + dashboards); updates return to Salesforce.
  
  

• Manufacturing/Logistics: Oracle holds inventory; FileMaker handles receiving, QC, and exceptions on the floor; results sync back via Connect/Data API.
  
  

• Healthcare/Education: Core records live in the suite; FileMaker covers mobile intake, audits, and scheduling with role-based access.
  
  

Quick Start (Non-Technical)

1. Choose one pain point outside the suite (spreadsheets, email approvals, field capture).
   
   

2. Mirror the workflow in FileMaker/Studio: one browser form + one small dashboard.
   
   

3. Connect to Salesforce/Oracle via Connect or Data API (start one-way, then add updates).
   
   

4. Trigger actions on events (status change → Slack/Teams → ticket/doc/email).
   
   

5. Pilot for two weeks and measure time saved, fewer errors, and faster visibility.
   
   

Next step: Want to see how this can look in your environment? We can stand up one FileMaker/Studio workflow, one automation, and one suite integration so you can evaluate impact before scaling.

FileMaker 2025 isn’t just about AI and UI upgrades—it also delivers critical improvements to FileMaker Server, giving IT teams more speed, security, and control over deployments. From faster JSON handling to simpler SSL setup and expanded Admin API functions, this release makes running FileMaker Server more efficient and less of a headache.

Faster JSON Parsing and Schema Patching

FileMaker Server 2025 introduces major performance gains in JSON parsing, making data exchange and API-driven workflows significantly faster. For solutions relying on web services, integrations, or heavy JSON payloads, these improvements mean quicker response times and more reliable performance.

Additionally, new schema patching tools make it easier to apply updates to layouts and structures without full rebuilds—helping teams maintain uptime and reduce disruption during upgrades.

Let’s Encrypt SSL Integration

SSL setup has historically been one of the trickier parts of FileMaker Server deployment. With built-in Let’s Encrypt support, SSL certificates can now be generated and renewed automatically. This dramatically simplifies secure deployment and ensures connections remain compliant without manual certificate management.

Expanded Admin API Functions

The Admin API also sees important new capabilities in FileMaker 2025, giving administrators finer control over server performance and behavior. New functions include:

• Flush pages to manage cache and improve responsiveness
  
  

• Script engine control for better process management
  
  

• Additional insights for monitoring and diagnostics
  
  

For IT teams, these expanded tools provide better visibility and more proactive management options without needing to dive into the command line.

Why These Server Updates Matter

For businesses running mission-critical solutions, these enhancements reduce complexity and risk:

• Faster JSON parsing improves integrations and web app performance
  
  

• Schema patching shortens upgrade cycles
  
  

• Automated SSL ensures secure connections with minimal effort
  
  

• New Admin API controls give IT teams the flexibility they need to keep systems running smoothly
  
  

FileMaker Server 2025 brings meaningful improvements that simplify deployment, boost performance, and strengthen security. These updates help IT teams spend less time on maintenance and more time on delivering value to end users.

Interested in optimizing your FileMaker Server environment? Reach out to Kyo Logic here.