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

Aug 15, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of SharpSpring API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be building a robust Python integration that'll have you manipulating leads, contacts, and campaigns like a pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

Python 3.7+
requests library
Your SharpSpring API credentials (if you don't have these, go bug your admin!)

Setting Up the Environment

First things first, let's get our environment ready:

pip install requests

Now, let's store those precious API credentials:

API_KEY = 'your_api_key'
API_SECRET = 'your_api_secret'

Basic API Connection

Time to establish our connection. We'll create a handy function to handle our API requests:

import requests
import json

def api_request(method, params):
    endpoint = 'https://api.sharpspring.com/pubapi/v1/'
    data = {
        'method': method,
        'params': params,
        'id': 'pythonintegration',
        'accountID': API_KEY
    }
    response = requests.post(endpoint, json=data)
    return response.json()

Implementing Core API Methods

Now we're cooking! Let's implement our CRUD operations:

def get_leads(limit=100):
    return api_request('getLeads', {'limit': limit})

def create_lead(lead_data):
    return api_request('createLeads', {'objects': [lead_data]})

def update_lead(lead_id, lead_data):
    lead_data['id'] = lead_id
    return api_request('updateLeads', {'objects': [lead_data]})

def delete_lead(lead_id):
    return api_request('deleteLeads', {'ids': [lead_id]})

Working with SharpSpring Objects

You can apply similar patterns for contacts, opportunities, and campaigns. Here's a quick example for contacts:

def get_contacts(limit=100):
    return api_request('getContacts', {'limit': limit})

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Let's add some error handling and respect those rate limits:

import time

def api_request_with_retry(method, params, max_retries=3):
    for attempt in range(max_retries):
        response = api_request(method, params)
        if 'error' not in response:
            return response
        if 'rate limit exceeded' in response['error'].lower():
            time.sleep(2 ** attempt)  # Exponential backoff
        else:
            raise Exception(f"API Error: {response['error']}")
    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")

Advanced Features

Want to paginate through results? Here's a generator function to make your life easier:

def paginate_results(method, params, limit=100):
    offset = 0
    while True:
        params['limit'] = limit
        params['offset'] = offset
        response = api_request_with_retry(method, params)
        yield from response['result']
        if len(response['result']) < limit:
            break
        offset += limit

Testing the Integration

Don't forget to test! Here's a simple example:

def test_create_and_get_lead():
    lead_data = {'emailAddress': '[email protected]', 'firstName': 'Test'}
    create_response = create_lead(lead_data)
    assert 'error' not in create_response
    
    get_response = get_leads(limit=1)
    assert 'error' not in get_response
    assert len(get_response['result']) == 1

Best Practices and Optimization

To optimize your integration, consider implementing caching for frequently accessed data and using asynchronous requests for better performance.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your SharpSpring API integration. Remember, this is just the beginning. There's a whole world of possibilities waiting for you to explore. Keep experimenting, keep building, and most importantly, keep having fun with it!

Resources

Now go forth and integrate like a boss! 🚀