Step by Step Guide to Building a Klaviyo API Integration in JS

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your marketing automation? Let's dive into building a Klaviyo API integration using JavaScript. Klaviyo's powerful API allows you to sync customer data, track events, and manage email lists programmatically. Buckle up, and let's get coding!

Prerequisites

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

• Node.js and npm installed (you're a pro, so I'm sure you do)
• A Klaviyo account with an API key handy

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project structure in place:

mkdir klaviyo-integration && cd klaviyo-integration
npm init -y
npm install axios dotenv

Create a .env file to store your Klaviyo API key:

KLAVIYO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Authentication

Now, let's set up our authentication. Create a klaviyo.js file:

require('dotenv').config();
const axios = require('axios');

const klaviyoApi = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://a.klaviyo.com/api',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Klaviyo-API-Key ${process.env.KLAVIYO_API_KEY}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

module.exports = klaviyoApi;

Making API Requests

With our klaviyoApi instance, making requests is a breeze. Here's a quick example:

const klaviyoApi = require('./klaviyo');

async function getProfiles() {
  try {
    const response = await klaviyoApi.get('/profiles');
    console.log(response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching profiles:', error.response.data);
  }
}

getProfiles();

Core Klaviyo API Functionalities

Lists Management

Creating a list:

async function createList(name) {
  try {
    const response = await klaviyoApi.post('/lists', { name });
    console.log('List created:', response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error creating list:', error.response.data);
  }
}

Adding subscribers:

async function addSubscriber(listId, email) {
  try {
    const response = await klaviyoApi.post(`/lists/${listId}/profiles`, {
      email
    });
    console.log('Subscriber added:', response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error adding subscriber:', error.response.data);
  }
}

Tracking Events

async function trackEvent(event, customerProperties, properties) {
  try {
    const response = await klaviyoApi.post('/events', {
      event,
      customer_properties: customerProperties,
      properties
    });
    console.log('Event tracked:', response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error tracking event:', error.response.data);
  }
}

Profiles

async function updateProfile(profileId, properties) {
  try {
    const response = await klaviyoApi.patch(`/profiles/${profileId}`, {
      properties
    });
    console.log('Profile updated:', response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error updating profile:', error.response.data);
  }
}

Implementing Webhooks (Optional)

If you're feeling adventurous, set up a simple Express server to handle webhooks:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.use(express.json());

app.post('/webhooks/klaviyo', (req, res) => {
  console.log('Received webhook:', req.body);
  // Handle the webhook event
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Webhook server running on port 3000'));

Error Handling and Best Practices

Remember to handle rate limits gracefully:

function handleRateLimit(error) {
  if (error.response && error.response.status === 429) {
    const retryAfter = error.response.headers['retry-after'];
    console.log(`Rate limited. Retrying after ${retryAfter} seconds`);
    // Implement retry logic here
  }
}

Testing the Integration

Don't forget to test! Here's a simple test using Jest:

const klaviyoApi = require('./klaviyo');

test('fetches profiles successfully', async () => {
  const response = await klaviyoApi.get('/profiles');
  expect(response.status).toBe(200);
  expect(response.data).toBeDefined();
});

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your Klaviyo API integration. Remember, this is just scratching the surface – Klaviyo's API has tons more to offer. Keep exploring, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it!

For more in-depth info, check out the Klaviyo API docs. Happy integrating!