Step by Step Guide to Building an ActiveCampaign API Integration in Go

Jul 31, 2024 • 7 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Go enthusiast! Ready to supercharge your marketing automation game? Let's dive into building an ActiveCampaign API integration using Go. We'll be leveraging the nifty active-campaign-sdk-go package to make our lives easier. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

Before we jump in, make sure you've got:

Go installed (I know, obvious, right?)
ActiveCampaign API credentials (you'll need these to make the magic happen)
A basic grasp of Go and API concepts (but hey, you're here, so I'm sure you're good to go)

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project off the ground:

mkdir activecampaign-integration
cd activecampaign-integration
go mod init activecampaign-integration
go get github.com/activecampaign/activecampaign-api-golang

Initializing the ActiveCampaign client

Now, let's get that client up and running:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "github.com/activecampaign/activecampaign-api-golang"
)

func main() {
    client := activecampaign.NewClient("YOUR_API_URL", "YOUR_API_KEY")
    // We're ready to rock and roll!
}

Basic API operations

Let's start with some bread-and-butter operations:

Retrieving contacts

contacts, err := client.Contacts.List(nil)
if err != nil {
    fmt.Printf("Oops! Couldn't fetch contacts: %v\n", err)
    return
}
fmt.Printf("Found %d contacts\n", len(contacts))

Creating a new contact

newContact := &activecampaign.Contact{
    Email: "[email protected]",
    FirstName: "John",
    LastName: "Doe",
}
createdContact, err := client.Contacts.Create(newContact)
if err != nil {
    fmt.Printf("Uh-oh, contact creation failed: %v\n", err)
    return
}
fmt.Printf("Contact created with ID: %d\n", createdContact.ID)

Updating an existing contact

updatedContact := &activecampaign.Contact{
    ID: 123, // The ID of the contact you want to update
    Email: "[email protected]",
}
_, err := client.Contacts.Update(updatedContact)
if err != nil {
    fmt.Printf("Contact update didn't go as planned: %v\n", err)
    return
}
fmt.Println("Contact updated successfully!")

Deleting a contact

err := client.Contacts.Delete(123) // Replace with the actual contact ID
if err != nil {
    fmt.Printf("Couldn't delete the contact: %v\n", err)
    return
}
fmt.Println("Contact deleted. They're gone, but not forgotten.")

Advanced operations

Ready to level up? Let's tackle some more complex operations:

Working with custom fields

customField := &activecampaign.CustomField{
    Title: "Favorite Color",
    Type:  "text",
}
createdField, err := client.CustomFields.Create(customField)
if err != nil {
    fmt.Printf("Custom field creation hit a snag: %v\n", err)
    return
}
fmt.Printf("Custom field created with ID: %d\n", createdField.ID)

Managing tags

tag := &activecampaign.Tag{
    Tag: "VIP Customer",
}
createdTag, err := client.Tags.Create(tag)
if err != nil {
    fmt.Printf("Tag creation didn't work out: %v\n", err)
    return
}
fmt.Printf("Tag created with ID: %d\n", createdTag.ID)

Creating and managing campaigns

campaign := &activecampaign.Campaign{
    Name: "Summer Sale",
    Type: "email",
}
createdCampaign, err := client.Campaigns.Create(campaign)
if err != nil {
    fmt.Printf("Campaign creation hit a roadblock: %v\n", err)
    return
}
fmt.Printf("Campaign created with ID: %d\n", createdCampaign.ID)

Error handling and best practices

Always check for errors (I know you know this, but it's worth repeating):

result, err := someFunction()
if err != nil {
    // Handle the error like a pro
    log.Printf("Error occurred: %v", err)
    return
}

Keep an eye on rate limits, and consider implementing exponential backoff for retries. And hey, don't forget to log important events for when things inevitably go sideways.

Testing the integration

Writing tests is like flossing - everyone knows they should do it, but not everyone does. Be the developer who flosses... I mean, tests:

func TestCreateContact(t *testing.T) {
    client := activecampaign.NewClient("mock_url", "mock_key")
    // Mock the API response
    // Test the creation
    // Assert the results
}

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid ActiveCampaign API integration in Go. You're now armed with the power to automate your marketing efforts like a boss. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's always more to explore and optimize.

Resources

Want to dive deeper? Check out these resources:

Now go forth and conquer the world of marketing automation with your Go skills! You've got this!