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Qualtrics API Essential Guide

Aug 2, 20246 minute read

What type of API does Qualtrics provide?

Based on the search results, Qualtrics uses a REST API. Here are the key points:

Type of API

Qualtrics uses a REST API called the Qualtrics v3 API.

Key characteristics of the Qualtrics API

  • It allows communication with the Qualtrics system using a simple URL syntax
  • Requests can be made using GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE methods
  • It returns JSON responses
  • It requires authentication using an API token
  • Parameters are passed through the header, URL, or body of requests

API Documentation

Qualtrics provides detailed API documentation, including:

  • An API overview
  • Guides on how to use the API
  • API reference documentation detailing available endpoints
  • Code snippets in Python and Java
  • Information on finding necessary Qualtrics IDs for API requests

Other notes

  • The API allows automating processes in Qualtrics and passing information in and out of the system
  • It's available for various Qualtrics products like Survey Platform, Site Intercept, XM Directory, etc.
  • Qualtrics recommends using the latest version of their API

In summary, Qualtrics uses a REST API architecture for its API, not SOAP or GraphQL. The REST API provides a flexible way to interact with Qualtrics systems programmatically.

Does the Qualtrics API have webhooks?

Availability of Webhooks

The official Qualtrics API does have webhook functionality, but it appears to be primarily focused on Qualtrics Social Connect rather than the core Qualtrics survey platform.

Types of Events

In Qualtrics Social Connect, you can subscribe to the following types of events for webhooks:

  1. New mentions and cases
  2. Updates to existing cases

Webhook Configuration

  • You can create automation recipes that trigger webhooks based on specific events.
  • When configuring a webhook, you can specify:
    • A name and description for the webhook
    • The HTTP verb (GET or POST)
    • The URL to send the webhook to
    • Content-Type header (default is application/json)
    • HTTP Authorization header

Webhook Payload

  • For case update recipes, the webhook request automatically includes the mention object with associated variables.
  • For new mention or case recipes, you can specify certain variables to be included in the webhook request body.

Additional Considerations

  • Webhooks can be enabled or disabled, and you can choose to run them only during specific business hours.
  • The search results do not provide comprehensive information about webhooks for the core Qualtrics survey platform.

It's important to note that the information provided is primarily focused on Qualtrics Social Connect, and there may be differences or additional webhook capabilities for other Qualtrics products that are not covered in the given search results.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Based on the search results provided, here are the key points about the API rate limits for the Qualtrics API:

Default Rate Limits

  • The default rate limits for the Qualtrics API vary depending on the authorization method and whether authentication is required.

  • For OAuth calls (the default):

    • 350 requests per hour per user ID associated with the OAuth token
  • For unauthenticated calls:

    • 150 requests per hour, measured against the public IP address making the request

XM Discover API Limits

For the XM Discover API specifically:

  • 65 calls per second
  • 200,000 realtime characters per second

Additional Details

  • Rate limits are generally applied to methods that request, update or delete information.

  • The exact rate limits can be found in the API response HTTP headers.

  • API rate limit increases are not provided by default. Qualtrics recommends optimizing requests rather than requesting increases.

  • If rate limited, the API will return a HTTP 400 response with an error value of "rate_limit_reached".

  • For the XM Discover API, requests exceeding the character limit will be rejected with a RATE_LIMIT error.

Best Practices

  • Monitor current rate limit status and dynamically throttle requests if necessary.

  • Cache API responses when possible instead of making repeated calls.

  • Only request data for recently active users if tracking many users.

  • Contact Qualtrics support if you need rate limit increases for XM Discover, providing details on your use case.

In summary, the Qualtrics API has default hourly rate limits that vary by authentication method, with additional per-second limits for certain APIs like XM Discover. Monitoring usage and optimizing requests is recommended to work within these limits.

Latest API Version

Here are the key points about the most recent version of the Qualtrics API:

Current Version

The most recent version of the Qualtrics API is v3 [2]. This is a REST API that allows communication with the Qualtrics system using a simple URL syntax.

Key Features

  • Uses GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests to interact with the Qualtrics system [2]
  • Returns JSON responses [2]
  • Requires an API token for authentication [2]
  • Allows automation of processes like account creation and contact list management [2]

Recent Updates

While the core API version remains v3, Qualtrics regularly releases minor updates:

  • The most recent major update mentioned in the search results is v3.13.0, released in October 2017 [3]
  • However, Qualtrics likely continues to make incremental updates and improvements to the v3 API

Best Practices

  • Always use the latest version of the API [2]
  • Generate and securely store an API token for authentication [2]
  • Pass parameters correctly through headers, URLs, or request bodies as JSON [2]
  • Refer to the official Qualtrics API documentation for the most up-to-date information on endpoints and usage

Additional Notes

  • Qualtrics provides API documentation and code snippets in Python and Java to help developers [4]
  • The API can be used with various Qualtrics products, including the Survey Platform, Site Intercept, and XM Directory [2]

To get the most current and detailed information about the latest API version and features, it's recommended to check the official Qualtrics API documentation directly, as the search results may not reflect the very latest updates.

How to get a Qualtrics developer account and API Keys?

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

  1. Sign up for a Qualtrics account:

    • If you don't already have a Qualtrics account, you'll need to sign up for one. This can typically be done through the Qualtrics website.
  2. Access the Developer Portal:

  3. Log in to the Developer Portal:

    • Use your Qualtrics account credentials to log in to the Developer Portal.
  4. Create a new project:

    • In the Developer Portal, you should be able to create a new project for your API integration.
  5. Generate API credentials:

    • Within your project, you'll need to generate API credentials. This usually includes an API key or client ID and secret.
  6. Set up your API integration:

    • Use the generated credentials to set up your API integration in your application or development environment.

What can you do with the Qualtrics API?

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Here's a list of data models you can interact with using the Qualtrics API, along with what is possible for each:

Survey Platform

  • Surveys

    • Create, update, delete, and retrieve surveys
    • Manage survey questions, blocks, and logic
    • Control survey flow and branching
  • Responses

    • Export survey responses in various formats (JSON, CSV, etc.)
    • Import responses
    • Delete individual responses
  • Distributions

    • Create and manage survey distributions
    • Send email invitations and reminders
    • Track distribution status
  • Contact Lists

    • Create and manage contact lists
    • Add, update, and remove contacts
    • Import contacts in bulk

XM Directory

  • Contacts

    • Create, update, and delete contacts
    • Manage contact attributes and mailing lists
    • Search and filter contacts
  • Mailing Lists

    • Create and manage mailing lists
    • Add and remove contacts from lists
    • Import and export mailing lists

Website / App Feedback

  • Creatives

    • Create and manage intercepts and feedback forms
    • Control targeting and sampling rules
    • Manage creative content and styling
  • Results

    • Retrieve feedback results
    • Export data for analysis

Qualtrics 360

  • Projects

    • Create and manage 360 feedback projects
    • Set up assessment cycles and participants
  • Assessments

    • Manage assessment questions and competencies
    • Control assessment flow and logic
  • Results

    • Retrieve 360 feedback results
    • Generate and export reports

General

  • Users and Roles

    • Create and manage user accounts
    • Assign and modify user roles and permissions
  • Brand and Division Management

    • Manage brand and division settings
    • Control access and permissions across the organization
  • Reporting

    • Generate and retrieve various reports
    • Schedule automated report exports

This list covers the main data models and operations possible with the Qualtrics API. Each of these areas allows for automation of processes, integration with external systems, and programmatic access to Qualtrics data and functionality.