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Productboard API Essential Guide

Aug 15, 20246 minute read

What type of API does Productboard provide?

Based on the search results, Productboard does not appear to have a specific API type mentioned. The search results discuss different API types like REST, SOAP, and GraphQL in general, but do not contain any information about Productboard's API specifically.

To determine Productboard's API type, you would need to:

  1. Check Productboard's official API documentation.
  2. Look for developer resources or guides provided by Productboard.
  3. Contact Productboard's support or developer relations team for accurate information.

Without specific information about Productboard's API, it's not possible to provide a definitive answer to the question.

Does the Productboard API have webhooks?

Yes, the official Productboard API does have webhooks. Here are the key points about Productboard's webhook functionality:

Webhook Support

Productboard's API offers webhook functionality, allowing you to subscribe to various events and receive notifications when changes occur in your Productboard workspace.

Event Types

You can subscribe to webhooks for various entities in Productboard, including:

  • Feature updates
  • Note creation or updates
  • Objective changes
  • Initiative changes
  • Release updates

Creating Webhook Subscriptions

To create a webhook subscription, you can use the Productboard API's webhook endpoints:

  • POST /webhooks: Creates a new webhook subscription
  • GET /webhooks: Lists all existing webhook subscriptions
  • GET /webhooks/{id}: Retrieves a specific webhook subscription
  • DELETE /webhooks/{id}: Deletes a webhook subscription

Webhook Verification

When creating a webhook subscription, Productboard sends a probe request to verify that the specified endpoint intends to receive webhook notifications and that the requests can reach the destination.

Best Practices

  1. Include an integration ID in the webhook URL to identify which integration the notification belongs to when processing incoming webhooks.

  2. Store the mapping between Productboard entities and corresponding entities in your system to facilitate updates in both directions.

  3. Implement proper error handling and retry mechanisms for webhook processing to ensure reliability.

  4. Use authentication and HTTPS for your webhook endpoint to secure the data transfer.

Summary

The Productboard API provides webhook functionality, allowing you to subscribe to various events and receive real-time notifications about changes in your Productboard workspace. The API offers endpoints for creating, listing, retrieving, and deleting webhook subscriptions, making it easy to manage your integrations with Productboard.

Rate Limits and other limitations

The API Rate Limits for the Productboard API are:

Key Points:

  • The Productboard API has a rate limit of 50 requests per second.

  • If you exceed this limit, you will receive a 429 Too Many Requests response.

Additional Details:

  • The rate limit is described as "friendly" by Productboard, suggesting it should be sufficient for most standard integrations.

  • Each response from rate-limited endpoints includes helpful headers that provide information about:

    • Your current rate limit
    • How many requests you have left
    • When you can make requests at full speed again

Best Practices:

  1. Monitor the response headers to keep track of your remaining requests and when the limit resets.

  2. Implement proper error handling for 429 responses to gracefully handle rate limit exceedances.

  3. If you find that you consistently need more than 50 requests per second, consider reaching out to Productboard to discuss your specific use case.

  4. Design your application to work efficiently within these limits, possibly by implementing request queuing or throttling on your end.

Summary:

The Productboard API has a straightforward rate limit of 50 requests per second. This limit is designed to be generous enough for standard integrations while ensuring smooth operation of the API for all users. The API provides helpful headers to assist developers in managing their request rates effectively.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results provided, I couldn't find a specific mention of the most recent version of the Productboard API. However, I can provide some relevant information about the Productboard API:

Key Points

  1. The Productboard API is RESTful and uses resource-oriented URLs with JSON-encoded responses.

  2. It adheres to standard HTTP response codes and verbs.

  3. The API has rate limits in place to ensure performance and reliability.

API Access and Usage

  1. To use the API, workspace admins need to generate a developer token from the Integrations page in workspace settings.

  2. The API can be accessed using tools like cURL or Postman.

  3. The API documentation provides a reference for various endpoints, including those for Product Hierarchy, Custom Fields, Releases & Release Groups, Objectives, Key Results, Initiatives, Plugin Integrations, Notes, and Companies & Users.

Getting Started

  1. To make your first API call, you can use either Postman or cURL.

  2. For Postman:

    • Fork the Productboard API collection
    • Add your API token in the variables section
    • Navigate to the desired endpoint (e.g., List all products)
    • Click "Send" to make the request
  3. For cURL:

    • Use a template like this, replacing <insert API token here> with your actual token:
      curl --location --request GET 'https://api.productboard.com/products'  
      --header 'X-Version: 1'  
      --header 'Authorization: Bearer <insert API token here>'
      

Best Practices

  1. When making API calls, be aware of path variables and query parameters that might be required for specific endpoints.

  2. Familiarize yourself with the API documentation and available endpoints before integrating the API into your workflows.

While the search results don't specify the most recent version of the API, they do mention using 'X-Version: 1' in the headers, which suggests that the current version might be 1. However, for the most up-to-date information on the API version, it would be best to consult the official Productboard API documentation or contact their support team directly.

How to get a Productboard developer account and API Keys?

To get a developer account for Productboard to create an API integration, you'll need to follow these steps:

1. Create a Productboard Account

First, you need to have an active Productboard user account. If you don't have one already, you'll need to sign up for Productboard.

2. Register an OAuth2 Application

Once you have a Productboard account:

  • Go to https://app.productboard.com/oauth2/applications
  • Register your application as an OAuth2 client

This step is crucial for creating API integrations that can securely access Productboard data on behalf of users.

3. Generate API Tokens

For workspace admins:

  • Navigate to the Integrations page in workspace settings
  • Generate a developer token

This token will allow you to make API calls to Productboard.

4. Review API Documentation

Familiarize yourself with Productboard's API documentation:

  • Check the Developer API Reference for detailed information on available endpoints and how to use them
  • Review the OAuth2 integration documentation for secure authorization flows

5. Implement Your Integration

Using the API documentation and your registered OAuth2 application:

  • Develop your integration using Productboard's RESTful APIs
  • Implement the OAuth2 flow to securely obtain access tokens from users

What can you do with the Productboard API?

Based on the search results provided, I can offer information about the Productboard API and its data models. Here's a list of bullet points covering what is possible for each data model:

Features

  • Create new features
    • You can create new features using the Productboard API
  • Retrieve features
    • You can get individual features by ID
    • You can list all features
  • Update existing features
    • The API allows you to update features
  • Push features to delivery tools
    • You can integrate with delivery tools like GitLab or Asana to push features

Notes

  • Create new notes
    • The API allows you to create new notes

Insights

  • Collect user feedback
    • While not explicitly mentioned as an API endpoint, the API can be used to funnel user feedback from various channels into Productboard as insights

Status Updates

  • Share status updates
    • The API can be used to automatically notify customers and go-to-market teams about feature changes

General Capabilities

  • Close the feedback loop
    • You can use the API to automatically notify stakeholders about feature changes via various channels (e.g., Slack, Teams, internal apps, or release logs)
  • Build non-native integrations
    • The API allows you to connect Productboard with your existing tools and workflows
  • Automate tasks
    • You can use the API to automate repetitive tasks and sync data across various apps

Key Points to Consider

  • The Productboard API is primarily focused on feature management and related data models.
  • Access to the API may be limited to certain account types (e.g., Pro accounts).
  • Authentication is done using API keys, which need to be securely managed.
  • The API can be integrated with various tools and platforms to extend its functionality and automate workflows.

It's important to note that the available information is limited, and there may be additional data models or capabilities not mentioned in the provided search results. For the most up-to-date and comprehensive information, it's recommended to refer to the official Productboard API documentation.