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

Aug 9, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your Ruby app with some email marketing magic? Let's dive into integrating the Sendinblue API. This powerhouse will let you send transactional emails, manage contacts, and run campaigns like a pro. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

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

A Ruby environment (2.4 or later)
A Sendinblue account with an API key (grab it from your account settings)

Got those? Great! Let's roll.

Installation

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

gem install sib-api-v3-sdk

Authentication

Now, let's set up that API key. Create a new Ruby file and add:

require 'sib-api-v3-sdk'

SibApiV3Sdk.configure do |config|
  config.api_key['api-key'] = 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'
end

Replace 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE' with your actual API key. Easy peasy!

Basic API Requests

Let's make our first API call. We'll fetch your account info:

api_instance = SibApiV3Sdk::AccountApi.new

begin
  result = api_instance.get_account
  puts result
rescue SibApiV3Sdk::ApiError => e
  puts "Exception when calling AccountApi->get_account: #{e}"
end

Run this, and you should see your account details. Cool, right?

Common Use Cases

Sending Transactional Emails

Here's how to send a quick email:

api_instance = SibApiV3Sdk::TransactionalEmailsApi.new

email = { 
  to: [{ email: '[email protected]', name: 'John Doe' }],
  subject: 'Hello from Ruby!',
  html_content: '<html><body><h1>This is a test email</h1></body></html>',
  sender: { name: 'Jane Doe', email: '[email protected]' }
}

begin
  result = api_instance.send_transac_email(email)
  puts result
rescue SibApiV3Sdk::ApiError => e
  puts "Exception when calling TransactionalEmailsApi->send_transac_email: #{e}"
end

Managing Contacts

Adding a new contact is a breeze:

api_instance = SibApiV3Sdk::ContactsApi.new

create_contact = { 
  email: '[email protected]',
  attributes: { FIRSTNAME: 'John', LASTNAME: 'Doe' },
  list_ids: [2, 4]
}

begin
  result = api_instance.create_contact(create_contact)
  puts result
rescue SibApiV3Sdk::ApiError => e
  puts "Exception when calling ContactsApi->create_contact: #{e}"
end

Error Handling

Always wrap your API calls in a begin/rescue block to catch any ApiErrors. This will help you gracefully handle any issues that pop up.

Best Practices

Keep an eye on rate limits. Sendinblue has different limits for different endpoints.
Use batch operations when possible for better performance.
Store your API key securely, never commit it to version control!

Testing

Don't forget to test your integration! Here's a quick RSpec example:

require 'rspec'
require 'sib-api-v3-sdk'

RSpec.describe 'Sendinblue API Integration' do
  it 'successfully sends an email' do
    # Your test code here
  end
end

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to harness the power of Sendinblue in your Ruby app. Remember, this is just scratching the surface. Dive into the official documentation for more advanced features.

Happy coding, and may your emails always reach their destination!