Step by Step Guide to Building a lemlist API Integration in Ruby

Aug 14, 2024 • 6 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Ruby enthusiast! Ready to supercharge your outreach game with lemlist? Let's dive into building a slick API integration that'll have you managing campaigns and leads like a pro. We'll keep things snappy and focus on the good stuff – no fluff, just pure Ruby goodness.

Prerequisites

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

Ruby 2.7+ (because we're not savages)
Your trusty Gemfile
A lemlist API key (if you don't have one, go grab it from your account settings)

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project off the ground:

mkdir lemlist_integration && cd lemlist_integration
bundle init

Now, crack open that Gemfile and add these gems:

gem 'httparty'
gem 'dotenv'

Run bundle install, and we're cooking with gas!

Configuring the API client

Time to create our lemlist API client. Create a new file called lemlist_client.rb:

require 'httparty'
require 'dotenv/load'

class LemlistClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.lemlist.com/api'

  def initialize
    @options = {
      headers: {
        'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
        'Authorization' => "Bearer #{ENV['LEMLIST_API_KEY']}"
      }
    }
  end

  # We'll add more methods here soon!
end

Don't forget to create a .env file in your project root and add your API key:

LEMLIST_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Implementing core API functionalities

Campaigns

Let's add some campaign magic to our client:

def list_campaigns
  self.class.get('/campaigns', @options)
end

def create_campaign(name, team_id)
  body = { name: name, teamId: team_id }
  self.class.post('/campaigns', @options.merge(body: body.to_json))
end

def update_campaign(campaign_id, params)
  self.class.put("/campaigns/#{campaign_id}", @options.merge(body: params.to_json))
end

Leads

Now for some lead management goodness:

def add_lead(campaign_id, lead_data)
  self.class.post("/campaigns/#{campaign_id}/leads", @options.merge(body: lead_data.to_json))
end

def get_lead(campaign_id, lead_id)
  self.class.get("/campaigns/#{campaign_id}/leads/#{lead_id}", @options)
end

def update_lead_status(campaign_id, lead_id, status)
  body = { status: status }
  self.class.put("/campaigns/#{campaign_id}/leads/#{lead_id}", @options.merge(body: body.to_json))
end

Sequences

Let's not forget about sequences:

def create_sequence(campaign_id, sequence_data)
  self.class.post("/campaigns/#{campaign_id}/sequences", @options.merge(body: sequence_data.to_json))
end

def add_sequence_step(campaign_id, sequence_id, step_data)
  self.class.post("/campaigns/#{campaign_id}/sequences/#{sequence_id}/steps", @options.merge(body: step_data.to_json))
end

Error handling and rate limiting

Let's add some resilience to our client:

def with_retry(max_retries = 3)
  retries = 0
  begin
    yield
  rescue StandardError => e
    retries += 1
    if retries <= max_retries
      sleep(2 ** retries)
      retry
    else
      raise e
    end
  end
end

Now wrap your API calls with this method:

def list_campaigns
  with_retry { self.class.get('/campaigns', @options) }
end

Testing the integration

Time to put our client through its paces. Create a test_client.rb file:

require_relative 'lemlist_client'
require 'minitest/autorun'

class TestLemlistClient < Minitest::Test
  def setup
    @client = LemlistClient.new
  end

  def test_list_campaigns
    response = @client.list_campaigns
    assert_equal 200, response.code
  end

  # Add more tests for other methods
end

Run your tests with ruby test_client.rb. Watch those green dots roll in!

Best practices and optimization

To keep things speedy, consider implementing some caching:

require 'redis'

class LemlistClient
  # ... existing code ...

  def initialize
    # ... existing code ...
    @cache = Redis.new
  end

  def list_campaigns
    cached = @cache.get('campaigns')
    return JSON.parse(cached) if cached

    response = with_retry { self.class.get('/campaigns', @options) }
    @cache.setex('campaigns', 300, response.body) # Cache for 5 minutes
    JSON.parse(response.body)
  end
end

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks! A lean, mean lemlist API integration machine. You've got the tools to manage campaigns, leads, and sequences like a boss. Now go forth and conquer those outreach campaigns!

Resources

Remember, this is just the beginning. Feel free to expand on this integration, add more features, and make it your own. Happy coding, and may your open rates be ever in your favor!