Back

Jotform API Essential Guide

Aug 1, 20246 minute read

What type of API does Jotform provide?

API Type

Jotform provides a REST API.

Key Characteristics

  • Uses HTTP methods like GET and POST for requests
  • Authenticates using an API key
  • Has endpoints for accessing resources like users, forms, and submissions
  • Returns data in JSON format

How to Use

  1. Obtain an API key from your Jotform account
  2. Make HTTP requests to the API endpoints using your preferred programming language
  3. Authenticate requests by including the API key in the headers

For example, to get user information:

curl -H "APIKEY: {myApiKey}" "https://api.jotform.com/user"

Summary

Jotform provides a REST API that allows developers to integrate Jotform functionality into their applications. It follows standard REST conventions, making it relatively straightforward to work with for developers familiar with REST APIs.

Does the Jotform API have webhooks?

Yes, the Jotform API has webhooks. Here are the key points:

Webhook Availability

  • Jotform offers webhooks as part of their API and integrations.
  • Webhooks send instant form submission notifications to a specific URL outside of Jotform.

Events You Can Subscribe To

  • The primary event you can subscribe to is new form submissions.

How Webhooks Work

  • Webhooks connect apps by sending HTTP POST notifications based on specific triggers.
  • When a form is submitted, the webhook sends a notification to the specified URL.

Setting Up Webhooks

  1. In the Form Builder, click on Settings at the top.
  2. Choose Integrations on the left.
  3. Search and select WebHooks.
  4. Enter your endpoint or webhook URL in the Add WebHook field.
  5. Click the Complete Integration button.

Important Considerations

  • Webhooks are not triggered when submissions are made via the Jotform API.
  • Webhooks are only triggered when submissions are made using the submit button on the form.
  • For API-created submissions, you may need to manually trigger the webhook using an HTTP call.

Best Practices

  • Use webhooks to integrate Jotform with third-party applications for real-time data processing.
  • Consider using Jotform Tables Action buttons as an alternative for manually triggering webhooks.
  • Ensure your endpoint can handle the incoming data and process it securely.

While Jotform API supports webhooks, they have limitations, particularly for API-created submissions. For complex integrations or specific use cases, custom solutions or additional tools may be necessary.

Rate Limits and other limitations

The API rate limits for the Jotform API are as follows:

Daily API Call Limits

The daily API call limits vary depending on the plan:

  • Starter (Free) Plan: 1,000 requests per day
  • Bronze Plan: 10,000 requests per day
  • Silver Plan: 50,000 requests per day
  • Gold Plan: 100,000 requests per day

These limits reset every midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Key Points to Consider

  • The daily limit is on the number of API calls, not the number of submissions retrieved.

  • By default, each API call returns 20 submissions, but you can increase this up to 1000 submissions per call by using the limit parameter.

  • For example, to get 100 submissions in one call:

    https://api.jotform.com/form/${formId}/submissions?apiKey=${api_key}&limit=100
    
  • The maximum number of submissions you can retrieve in a single API call is 1000.

  • There is no monthly or account-level limit on submissions retrieved, only the daily API call limit.

Best Practices

  • Use the limit parameter efficiently to reduce the number of API calls needed.

  • Monitor your remaining API calls using the "limit-left" value in API responses.

  • If you need more API calls, consider upgrading your plan or contacting Jotform support for custom solutions.

  • For high-volume needs, Jotform Enterprise has no limit on API calls.

By understanding and working within these limits, you can effectively use the Jotform API for your integration needs.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results provided, I could not find a specific mention of the most recent version of the Jotform API. However, I can provide some relevant information about the Jotform API:

The Jotform API allows users to connect to their form data without using the Jotform website. It is designed for Jotform users and third-party developers who want to serve Jotform users.

Key points to consider:

  1. The API is commonly used for integrating with third-party apps to process existing form submission data or receive submission notifications with webhooks.

  2. To use the Jotform API, you need a valid API key, which can be obtained from your Jotform account.

  3. Jotform provides API libraries in various programming languages, including PHP, Python, Java, NodeJS, and more.

  4. The API documentation is available at https://api.jotform.com/docs/.

  5. Jotform regularly updates its integrations and APIs to keep them current with partner services. For example, they recently updated their integration with Monday.com to align with the new API version 2023-10.

Best practices:

  1. Always check the official Jotform API documentation for the most up-to-date information on API versions and features.

  2. When using the API, ensure you're using the latest version of the API library for your chosen programming language.

  3. Keep an eye on any announcements from Jotform regarding API updates or changes.

While I couldn't provide the specific most recent version of the Jotform API, the information above should help you understand its current state and how to stay updated with any changes.

How to get a Jotform developer account and API Keys?

To get a developer account for Jotform and create an API integration:

  1. Create a Jotform account if you don't have one.

  2. Go to your Jotform account settings and navigate to the API section.

  3. Create a new API key in your account settings. Choose between:

    • Read Access - grants read-only permission to your data
    • Full Access - grants full access to add, edit, and delete data
  4. Give your API key a name/label.

  5. Once created, you'll receive a unique API key to authenticate and access the Jotform API.

  6. Use this API key to authenticate your requests to the Jotform API using:

    • Query parameters
    • HTTP headers
    • Jotform's JavaScript SDK
  7. Review the Jotform API documentation to understand how to use the API and what endpoints are available.

  8. For complex integrations, contact the Jotform API team at [email protected] for assistance.

Key things to note:

  • There are daily API call limits based on your Jotform subscription plan.
  • The API allows you to access form data, user statistics, and other Jotform information.
  • You can use the API to build custom applications and integrations with Jotform.

What can you do with the Jotform API?

Based on the search results provided, here is a list of data models you can interact with using the Jotform API, along with what is possible for each:

Forms

  • Retrieve form data and metadata
  • Create new forms
  • Update existing forms
  • Delete forms
  • Customize form fields and properties

Submissions

  • View form submissions
  • Retrieve submission data
  • Create new submissions programmatically
  • Update existing submissions
  • Delete submissions

Users

  • Access user statistics and account information
  • Manage user permissions and access

Files/Uploads

  • Download uploaded files and attachments from submissions
  • Manage file uploads

Reports

  • Generate reports on form data
  • Access report data

Widgets

  • Create custom form widgets
  • Modify existing widgets

Integrations

  • Set up webhooks to receive real-time submission notifications
  • Connect Jotform data to other services and applications

Form Fields

  • Pre-populate form fields via URL parameters
  • Add unique IDs to form questions
  • Customize field properties

Encryption

  • Encrypt form data for added security

Data Import/Export

  • Import data from CSV/Excel files to submit to forms
  • Export form data to external databases

The Jotform API provides comprehensive access to manage forms, submissions, users, and related data. Developers can use it to integrate Jotform functionality into their own applications and workflows.