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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow code wrangler! Ready to supercharge your app with some sweet messaging capabilities? Let's dive into integrating the Salesmsg API into your JavaScript project. This powerhouse will let you send messages, manage conversations, and handle contacts like a pro. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

Before we hit the ground running, make sure you've got:

• Node.js installed (you're cool like that, right?)
• A Salesmsg account (grab one if you haven't already)
• Your Salesmsg API key (keep it secret, keep it safe)

Setting up the project

Let's get this party started:

mkdir salesmsg-integration
cd salesmsg-integration
npm init -y
npm install axios dotenv

Create a .env file and stash your API key:

SALESMSG_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Authentication

Time to make friends with the Salesmsg API. Create an auth.js file:

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

const apiClient = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://api.salesmsg.com/v1',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.SALESMSG_API_KEY}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

module.exports = apiClient;

Core API Endpoints

Let's flex those API muscles! Create an api.js file:

const apiClient = require('./auth');

async function sendMessage(to, body) {
  try {
    const response = await apiClient.post('/messages', { to, body });
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error.response.data);
    throw error;
  }
}

async function getConversations() {
  try {
    const response = await apiClient.get('/conversations');
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching conversations:', error.response.data);
    throw error;
  }
}

async function createContact(name, phone) {
  try {
    const response = await apiClient.post('/contacts', { name, phone });
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error creating contact:', error.response.data);
    throw error;
  }
}

module.exports = { sendMessage, getConversations, createContact };

Handling Webhooks

Webhooks are like little messengers from Salesmsg. Let's welcome them with open arms:

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

app.use(express.json());

app.post('/webhook', (req, res) => {
  const event = req.body;
  console.log('Received webhook:', event);
  // Handle the event based on its type
  // ...
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

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

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Don't let errors rain on your parade. Wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks (like we did above) and implement exponential backoff for rate limiting:

async function retryWithBackoff(fn, maxRetries = 3) {
  let retries = 0;
  while (retries < maxRetries) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.response && error.response.status === 429) {
        retries++;
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2 ** retries * 1000));
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }
  throw new Error('Max retries reached');
}

Testing the Integration

Time to put our creation through its paces:

const { sendMessage, getConversations, createContact } = require('./api');

async function runTests() {
  try {
    await createContact('John Doe', '+1234567890');
    await sendMessage('+1234567890', 'Hello, world!');
    const conversations = await getConversations();
    console.log('Tests passed!', conversations);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Test failed:', error);
  }
}

runTests();

Best Practices

• Keep your API key safe and use environment variables
• Implement proper error handling and logging
• Use async/await for cleaner, more readable code
• Respect rate limits and implement backoff strategies

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks! You've just built a rockin' Salesmsg API integration. You're now armed with the power to send messages, manage conversations, and handle contacts like a boss. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility – use it wisely!

For more details and advanced features, check out the Salesmsg API docs. Now go forth and build something awesome!