Step by Step Guide to Building an EmailOctopus API Integration in Python

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of email marketing automation? Today, we're going to build an integration with EmailOctopus using their nifty API. This guide will walk you through the process, helping you harness the power of EmailOctopus in your Python projects. Let's get those tentacles moving!

Prerequisites

Before we start coding, make sure you've got:

• A Python environment (3.6+ recommended)
• An EmailOctopus account with an API key

Got those? Great! Let's dive in.

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project set up:

pip install requests
mkdir emailoctopus_integration
cd emailoctopus_integration
touch emailoctopus_client.py

Authentication

Now, let's create our client and authenticate:

import requests

class EmailOctopusClient:
    BASE_URL = "https://emailoctopus.com/api/1.6"

    def __init__(self, api_key):
        self.api_key = api_key

    def _make_request(self, method, endpoint, data=None):
        url = f"{self.BASE_URL}{endpoint}"
        params = {"api_key": self.api_key}
        response = requests.request(method, url, params=params, json=data)
        response.raise_for_status()
        return response.json()

Basic API Operations

Let's add some methods to our client for basic operations:

def list_campaigns(self):
    return self._make_request("GET", "/campaigns")

def create_campaign(self, list_id, subject, content):
    data = {
        "list_id": list_id,
        "subject": subject,
        "content": content
    }
    return self._make_request("POST", "/campaigns", data)

def add_contact(self, list_id, email, fields=None):
    data = {
        "email_address": email,
        "fields": fields or {}
    }
    return self._make_request("POST", f"/lists/{list_id}/contacts", data)

Advanced Features

Want to get fancy? Let's add some advanced features:

def create_automation(self, list_id, name, steps):
    data = {
        "list_id": list_id,
        "name": name,
        "steps": steps
    }
    return self._make_request("POST", "/automations", data)

def handle_webhook(self, payload):
    # Process webhook payload
    event_type = payload.get("type")
    if event_type == "contact.subscribed":
        # Handle new subscription
        pass
    # Add more event handlers as needed

Error Handling and Best Practices

Let's make our integration robust:

import time
from requests.exceptions import RequestException

def _make_request(self, method, endpoint, data=None, retries=3):
    for attempt in range(retries):
        try:
            response = requests.request(method, url, params=params, json=data)
            response.raise_for_status()
            return response.json()
        except RequestException as e:
            if attempt == retries - 1:
                raise
            time.sleep(2 ** attempt)  # Exponential backoff

Testing the Integration

Don't forget to test! Here's a quick example:

import unittest

class TestEmailOctopusClient(unittest.TestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        self.client = EmailOctopusClient("your_api_key")

    def test_list_campaigns(self):
        campaigns = self.client.list_campaigns()
        self.assertIsInstance(campaigns, list)

# Add more tests as needed

Deployment Considerations

When deploying, remember:

• Keep your API key secure (use environment variables)
• Consider using a task queue for background processing
• Monitor your API usage to stay within rate limits

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid EmailOctopus integration in Python. With this foundation, you can expand and customize to fit your specific needs. Remember, the ocean of email marketing is vast, so keep exploring and improving your integration.

Happy coding, and may your emails always reach their destination!