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

Aug 11, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Go enthusiast! Ready to supercharge your app with some sweet customer communication features? Let's dive into building an Intercom API integration. Trust me, it's easier than you might think, and by the end of this guide, you'll be handling users and conversations like a pro.

Prerequisites

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

Go installed (I know you do, but just checking!)
An Intercom account with API credentials (if you don't have one, go grab it real quick)

Setting up the project

Alright, let's get our hands dirty:

mkdir intercom-integration
cd intercom-integration
go mod init intercom-integration

Now, let's grab the Intercom Go client:

go get github.com/intercom/intercom-go

Authentication

First things first, we need to authenticate. Grab your access token from Intercom and let's use it:

import (
    "github.com/intercom/intercom-go"
)

ic := intercom.NewClient("your_access_token")

Easy peasy, right?

Making API requests

Now that we're authenticated, let's start making some requests. The Intercom Go client makes this super straightforward:

user, err := ic.Users.Find(intercom.UserIdentifiers{})
if err != nil {
    // Handle error
}

Implementing key Intercom API endpoints

Let's cover some of the most common operations you'll want to do:

Fetching users

user, err := ic.Users.FindByEmail("[email protected]")
if err != nil {
    // Handle error
}
fmt.Printf("User: %s\n", user.Name)

Creating conversations

convo, err := ic.Conversations.Create(&intercom.Conversation{
    UserID: user.ID,
    Body:   "Hey there! How can we help?",
})
if err != nil {
    // Handle error
}

Sending messages

_, err := ic.Messages.Create(&intercom.MessageRequest{
    From: intercom.Admin{ID: "admin_id"},
    To:   intercom.User{ID: user.ID},
    Body: "Thanks for reaching out!",
})
if err != nil {
    // Handle error
}

Error handling and rate limiting

Always check for errors after each API call. As for rate limiting, the Intercom Go client handles this for you, but it's good to be aware of it.

Testing the integration

Write some unit tests to ensure your integration is working as expected. Here's a quick example:

func TestFetchUser(t *testing.T) {
    user, err := ic.Users.FindByEmail("[email protected]")
    if err != nil {
        t.Fatalf("Failed to fetch user: %v", err)
    }
    if user.Email != "[email protected]" {
        t.Errorf("Expected email %s, got %s", "[email protected]", user.Email)
    }
}

Best practices and optimization

Cache user data when possible to reduce API calls
Use bulk operations for updating multiple users or sending multiple messages
Implement proper logging for easier debugging

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Intercom API integration in Go. Pretty cool, huh? Remember, this is just scratching the surface. There's a whole world of features you can explore in the Intercom API.

Resources

Now go forth and build some awesome customer experiences! You've got this! 🚀