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

Aug 11, 2024 • 6 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Ruby enthusiast! Ready to supercharge your app with some sweet customer communication features? Let's dive into building an Intercom API integration using the nifty intercom-ruby package. Buckle up, because we're about to make your app a whole lot chattier!

Prerequisites

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

A Ruby environment that's all set up and ready to roll
An Intercom account with API credentials (if you don't have one, go grab it – it's easy peasy)

Installation

First things first, let's get that intercom-ruby gem installed. Pop open your terminal and run:

gem install intercom-ruby

Or if you're using Bundler (and you should be!), add this to your Gemfile:

gem 'intercom-ruby'

Then run bundle install. Easy as pie!

Authentication

Now, let's get you authenticated. It's like getting your VIP pass to the Intercom party:

require 'intercom'
intercom = Intercom::Client.new(token: 'your_access_token')

Replace 'your_access_token' with your actual token, and you're golden!

Basic Operations

Retrieving Users

Want to fetch a user? It's as simple as:

user = intercom.users.find(id: "user_id")

Creating Users

Creating a new user? Coming right up:

user = intercom.users.create(email: "[email protected]", name: "Walter White")

Updating User Attributes

Need to update a user? No sweat:

intercom.users.update(id: "user_id", custom_attributes: {favorite_color: "blue"})

Advanced Features

Managing Conversations

Let's get chatty:

conversation = intercom.conversations.find(id: "conversation_id")
intercom.conversations.reply(id: conversation.id, type: 'user', message_type: 'comment', body: "Hello there!")

Sending Messages

Slide into those DMs:

intercom.messages.create({
  message_type: 'inapp',
  body: "Hey! How's it going?",
  from: {
    type: 'admin',
    id: 'admin_id'
  },
  to: {
    type: 'user',
    id: 'user_id'
  }
})

Creating and Managing Tags

Organize like a boss:

intercom.tags.create(name: "VIP")
intercom.tags.tag(name: "VIP", users: [{id: "user_id"}])

Handling Errors and Rate Limiting

Always wrap your API calls in a begin/rescue block. It's like wearing a seatbelt, but for your code:

begin
  # Your Intercom API call here
rescue Intercom::IntercomError => e
  puts "Oops! #{e.message}"
end

As for rate limiting, the intercom-ruby gem handles it automatically. Neat, huh?

Webhooks Integration

Setting up webhooks is like setting up a bat-signal for your app:

require 'sinatra'

post '/webhooks/intercom' do
  webhook_notification = JSON.parse(request.body.read)
  # Process the webhook notification
  "OK"
end

Testing and Debugging

For testing, mock those API calls:

require 'webmock'

RSpec.describe "Intercom Integration" do
  it "creates a user" do
    stub_request(:post, "https://api.intercom.io/users").
      to_return(status: 200, body: '{"id": "123", "email": "[email protected]"}', headers: {})
    
    # Your test code here
  end
end

For debugging, puts is your best friend. Don't be shy, sprinkle it around!

Best Practices and Optimization

Cache frequently accessed data to reduce API calls
Use bulk operations when possible
Keep your access token safe – treat it like your secret recipe

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now an Intercom API integration wizard. Remember, the Intercom API docs are your spell book – don't hesitate to consult them.

Now go forth and make your app communicate like never before! Happy coding!