Step by Step Guide to Building a Sendinblue API Integration in Python

Aug 9, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your email marketing game with Sendinblue? You're in the right place. We're going to walk through building a Sendinblue API integration in Python. It's powerful, it's flexible, and trust me, it's easier than you might think.

Prerequisites

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

A Python environment up and running (I know you've got this!)
A Sendinblue account with an API key (if you don't have one, hop over to their website and grab it)

Installation

First things first, let's get the Sendinblue Python SDK installed. It's as easy as:

pip install sib-api-v3-sdk

Authentication

Now, let's get you authenticated. It's just a matter of configuring your API key:

import sib_api_v3_sdk
configuration = sib_api_v3_sdk.Configuration()
configuration.api_key['api-key'] = 'YOUR_API_KEY'

Basic API Requests

Let's make your first API call. Here's a quick example to get your account info:

api_instance = sib_api_v3_sdk.AccountApi(sib_api_v3_sdk.ApiClient(configuration))
api_response = api_instance.get_account()
print(api_response)

Key Functionalities

Managing Contacts

Adding a contact is a breeze:

api_instance = sib_api_v3_sdk.ContactsApi(sib_api_v3_sdk.ApiClient(configuration))
create_contact = sib_api_v3_sdk.CreateContact(email="[email protected]", attributes={"FNAME":"John", "LNAME":"Doe"})
api_instance.create_contact(create_contact)

Creating and Sending Campaigns

Set up a campaign and send it out:

api_instance = sib_api_v3_sdk.EmailCampaignsApi(sib_api_v3_sdk.ApiClient(configuration))
email_campaigns = sib_api_v3_sdk.CreateEmailCampaign(
    name="Campaign Name",
    subject="My Subject",
    sender={"name": "From Name", "email":"[email protected]"},
    type="classic",
    html_content="<html><body><h1>This is a test campaign</h1></body></html>"
)
api_instance.create_email_campaign(email_campaigns)

Transactional Emails

Sending a transactional email is just as simple:

api_instance = sib_api_v3_sdk.TransactionalEmailsApi(sib_api_v3_sdk.ApiClient(configuration))
subject = "My Subject"
html_content = "<html><body><h1>This is a transactional email</h1></body></html>"
sender = {"name":"John Doe", "email":"[email protected]"}
to = [{"email":"[email protected]", "name":"Jane Doe"}]
send_smtp_email = sib_api_v3_sdk.SendSmtpEmail(to=to, html_content=html_content, sender=sender, subject=subject)
api_instance.send_transac_email(send_smtp_email)

SMS Messaging

Want to send an SMS? Here you go:

api_instance = sib_api_v3_sdk.TransactionalSMSApi(sib_api_v3_sdk.ApiClient(configuration))
send_transac_sms = sib_api_v3_sdk.SendTransacSms(sender="MySender", recipient="33689765432", content="My SMS message")
api_instance.send_transac_sms(send_transac_sms)

Error Handling and Best Practices

Always wrap your API calls in try-except blocks to handle potential errors:

try:
    api_response = api_instance.get_account()
    print(api_response)
except ApiException as e:
    print("Exception when calling AccountApi->get_account: %s\n" % e)

And remember, Sendinblue has rate limits. Be kind to their servers (and your own sanity) by implementing proper rate limiting in your code.

Testing and Debugging

Unit testing your integration is crucial. Here's a quick example using pytest:

def test_get_account():
    api_instance = sib_api_v3_sdk.AccountApi(sib_api_v3_sdk.ApiClient(configuration))
    response = api_instance.get_account()
    assert response.email is not None

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to harness the power of Sendinblue's API with Python. Remember, this is just scratching the surface. There's so much more you can do, from setting up webhooks to creating complex automation workflows.

Keep exploring, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it! If you get stuck, Sendinblue's documentation is your best friend. Now go forth and send those emails like a pro!