Step by Step Guide to Building a Follow Up Boss API Integration in JS

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your real estate CRM game? Let's dive into building a Follow Up Boss API integration using JavaScript. This nifty tool will help you automate tasks, sync data, and make your life a whole lot easier. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

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

• Node.js and npm installed (you're a pro, so I'm sure you do)
• A Follow Up Boss API key (if you don't have one, go grab it from your account settings)
• Your JavaScript skills sharpened and ready to go

Setting up the project

Let's get this party started:

mkdir fub-api-integration
cd fub-api-integration
npm init -y
npm install axios dotenv

Authentication

First things first, let's keep that API key safe:

// .env
FUB_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Now, let's create an authenticated client:

// api.js
require('dotenv').config();
const axios = require('axios');

const api = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://api.followupboss.com/v1',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Basic ${Buffer.from(process.env.FUB_API_KEY + ':').toString('base64')}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

module.exports = api;

Making API requests

Time to flex those API muscles:

// examples.js
const api = require('./api');

// GET request
async function getContacts() {
  const response = await api.get('/contacts');
  return response.data;
}

// POST request
async function createLead(leadData) {
  const response = await api.post('/leads', leadData);
  return response.data;
}

// PUT request
async function updateContact(contactId, updateData) {
  const response = await api.put(`/contacts/${contactId}`, updateData);
  return response.data;
}

// DELETE request
async function deleteTask(taskId) {
  await api.delete(`/tasks/${taskId}`);
}

Handling responses and errors

Let's make sure we're catching those curveballs:

async function safeApiCall(apiFunction) {
  try {
    const result = await apiFunction();
    console.log('Success:', result);
    return result;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error:', error.response ? error.response.data : error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Usage
safeApiCall(() => getContacts());

Implementing webhook support (optional)

Want to level up? Let's add webhook support:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.use(express.json());

app.post('/webhook', (req, res) => {
  const webhookData = req.body;
  console.log('Received webhook:', webhookData);
  // Process webhook data here
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Webhook server running on port 3000'));

Testing the integration

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

// api.test.js
const api = require('./api');

jest.mock('axios');

test('getContacts fetches contacts successfully', async () => {
  const mockContacts = [{ id: 1, name: 'John Doe' }];
  api.get.mockResolvedValue({ data: mockContacts });

  const contacts = await getContacts();
  expect(contacts).toEqual(mockContacts);
});

Best practices and optimization

Remember to:

• Respect rate limits (Follow Up Boss allows 600 requests per minute)
• Implement caching for frequently accessed data
• Use pagination for large data sets

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Follow Up Boss API integration. With this foundation, you can create some seriously cool automations and integrations. Keep exploring the API docs for more endpoints and features to play with.

Happy coding, and may your leads always convert! 🚀