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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your app with some sweet customer communication features? Let's dive into building an Intercom API integration using PHP. We'll be using the intercom/intercom-php package, which makes our lives a whole lot easier. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

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

• A PHP environment (you're a pro, so I'm sure you've got this covered)
• Composer installed (because who wants to manage dependencies manually?)
• Intercom API credentials (grab these from your Intercom dashboard)

Installation

First things first, let's get that Intercom PHP package installed. Fire up your terminal and run:

composer require intercom/intercom-php

Easy peasy, right?

Authentication

Now, let's set up our Intercom client. It's as simple as:

use Intercom\IntercomClient;

$client = new IntercomClient('your-access-token');

Replace 'your-access-token' with your actual Intercom access token. Keep it secret, keep it safe!

Basic Operations

Retrieving Users

Want to fetch a user? Here's how:

$user = $client->users->getUser('user_id');

Creating Users

Creating a new user? No sweat:

$user = $client->users->create([
    'email' => '[email protected]',
    'name' => 'John Doe'
]);

Updating User Data

Need to update a user? Got you covered:

$client->users->update([
    'id' => 'user_id',
    'custom_attributes' => ['plan' => 'pro']
]);

Deleting Users

Saying goodbye to a user? It happens:

$client->users->deleteUser('user_id');

Advanced Features

Managing Conversations

Let's get chatty:

$conversation = $client->conversations->getConversation('conversation_id');

Sending Messages

Slide into those DMs:

$message = $client->messages->create([
    'message_type' => 'inapp',
    'body' => 'Hey there!',
    'from' => [
        'type' => 'admin',
        'id' => 'admin_id'
    ],
    'to' => [
        'type' => 'user',
        'id' => 'user_id'
    ]
]);

Handling Events

Track those user actions:

$client->events->create([
    'event_name' => 'purchased',
    'created_at' => time(),
    'email' => '[email protected]',
    'metadata' => [
        'order_id' => '123',
        'price' => 99.99
    ]
]);

Error Handling and Best Practices

Don't let those pesky errors catch you off guard. Wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks:

try {
    $user = $client->users->getUser('user_id');
} catch (\Intercom\Exception\IntercomException $e) {
    // Handle the error
    error_log($e->getMessage());
}

And remember, Intercom has rate limits. Be a good citizen and don't hammer their API!

Testing

You're a pro, so I know you're writing tests. Here's a quick example using PHPUnit:

public function testCreateUser()
{
    $client = new \Intercom\IntercomClient('test-token');
    $user = $client->users->create([
        'email' => '[email protected]',
        'name' => 'Test User'
    ]);
    $this->assertEquals('Test User', $user->name);
}

Deployment Considerations

When you're ready to go live:

• Keep your access token out of your codebase. Use environment variables.
• Consider caching frequently accessed data to reduce API calls.
• Monitor your API usage to stay within limits.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build a robust Intercom integration. Remember, the Intercom API docs are your friend for more advanced features.

Now go forth and build amazing things! Your users will thank you for the awesome communication features you're about to unleash. Happy coding!