Quick Guide to Realtime Data in Google Meet without Webhooks

Aug 2, 2024 • 7 minute read

Hey there, fellow JavaScript devs! Ready to dive into the world of realtime data in Google Meet? Let's skip the webhook hassle and focus on good ol' polling. Trust me, it's not as outdated as you might think!

Setting up the Google Meet API

First things first, let's get that API up and running. You probably know the drill, but just in case:

Head to the Google Cloud Console
Enable the Google Meet API
Grab your credentials

For the nitty-gritty details, check out the official docs. Now, let's get to the fun part!

Implementing Polling

Polling is like that friend who keeps asking "Are we there yet?" – annoying, but effective. Here's a simple polling function to get you started:

async function pollMeetData(meetingId) {
  while (true) {
    try {
      const data = await fetchMeetData(meetingId);
      processData(data);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5000)); // Poll every 5 seconds
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Polling error:', error);
    }
  }
}

Optimizing Polling Frequency

Don't be that overeager friend. Let's make our polling smarter:

let pollInterval = 5000;

async function adaptivePolling(meetingId) {
  while (true) {
    try {
      const data = await fetchMeetData(meetingId);
      if (hasActivityChanged(data)) {
        pollInterval = Math.max(1000, pollInterval / 2);
      } else {
        pollInterval = Math.min(30000, pollInterval * 1.5);
      }
      processData(data);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, pollInterval));
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Polling error:', error);
    }
  }
}

Efficient Data Fetching

Let's not be data hoarders. Fetch only what you need:

async function fetchMeetData(meetingId) {
  const response = await fetch(`https://meet.googleapis.com/v1/meetings/${meetingId}?fields=id,participants,startTime`);
  return response.json();
}

Handling Rate Limits

Google's not a fan of spam. Let's play nice with exponential backoff:

async function fetchWithBackoff(meetingId, retries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < retries; i++) {
    try {
      return await fetchMeetData(meetingId);
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.status === 429 && i < retries - 1) {
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, Math.pow(2, i) * 1000));
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }
}

Caching and State Management

Let's not ask for the same thing twice:

const cache = new Map();

function getCachedData(meetingId) {
  if (cache.has(meetingId)) {
    const { data, timestamp } = cache.get(meetingId);
    if (Date.now() - timestamp < 60000) { // 1 minute cache
      return data;
    }
  }
  return null;
}

async function fetchAndCacheData(meetingId) {
  const cachedData = getCachedData(meetingId);
  if (cachedData) return cachedData;

  const data = await fetchMeetData(meetingId);
  cache.set(meetingId, { data, timestamp: Date.now() });
  return data;
}

Error Handling and Resilience

Let's make our polling function bulletproof:

async function robustPolling(meetingId) {
  while (true) {
    try {
      const data = await fetchWithBackoff(meetingId);
      processData(data);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, pollInterval));
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Polling error:', error);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 30000)); // Wait 30 seconds before retrying
    }
  }
}

Performance Considerations

Want to keep your main thread happy? Let's use a Web Worker:

// In your main script
const worker = new Worker('polling-worker.js');
worker.postMessage({ meetingId: 'your-meeting-id' });

worker.onmessage = function(event) {
  console.log('Received data from worker:', event.data);
};

// In polling-worker.js
self.onmessage = function(event) {
  const { meetingId } = event.data;
  robustPolling(meetingId);
};

function postDataToMain(data) {
  self.postMessage(data);
}

Wrapping Up

There you have it! You're now armed with the knowledge to create a robust, efficient polling system for Google Meet. Remember, while webhooks might seem cooler, sometimes the tried-and-true methods are just what you need.

Keep experimenting, stay curious, and happy coding!

Additional Resources

Now go forth and build some awesome Google Meet integrations!