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

Hey there, fellow Ruby enthusiast! Ready to dive into the world of SharpSpring API integration? Let's roll up our sleeves and get coding!

Introduction

SharpSpring's API is a powerful tool that allows us to tap into their marketing automation platform. Whether you're looking to sync data, automate workflows, or create custom reports, this integration will be your golden ticket.

Prerequisites

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

• Ruby 2.7+ installed
• Bundler gem
• SharpSpring API credentials (if you don't have these yet, no worries – we'll cover that)

Setting Up the Project

First things first, let's get our project structure in place:

mkdir sharpspring_integration
cd sharpspring_integration
bundle init

Now, open up that Gemfile and add these gems:

gem 'httparty'
gem 'dotenv'

Run bundle install, and we're off to the races!

Authentication

Alright, time to get those API credentials. Head over to your SharpSpring account, navigate to Settings > API Settings, and generate your API key and secret.

Now, let's keep those credentials safe. Create a .env file in your project root:

SHARPSPRING_API_KEY=your_api_key
SHARPSPRING_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

Making API Requests

Let's create a base client class to handle our API interactions:

require 'httparty'
require 'dotenv/load'

class SharpSpringClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.sharpspring.com/pubapi/v1/'

  def initialize
    @options = {
      query: {
        accountID: ENV['SHARPSPRING_API_KEY'],
        secretKey: ENV['SHARPSPRING_API_SECRET']
      }
    }
  end

  def call_api(method, params)
    self.class.post('', @options.merge(
      body: {
        method: method,
        params: params
      }.to_json
    ))
  end
end

Implementing Core SharpSpring API Methods

Now that we've got our client, let's add some methods to interact with SharpSpring:

class SharpSpringClient
  # ... previous code ...

  def get_leads(limit = 100)
    call_api('getLeads', { limit: limit })
  end

  def create_contact(contact_data)
    call_api('createLeads', { objects: [contact_data] })
  end

  def update_deal(deal_id, deal_data)
    call_api('updateDeals', { objects: [{ id: deal_id, **deal_data }] })
  end
end

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

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

class SharpSpringClient
  # ... previous code ...

  def call_api(method, params)
    response = self.class.post('', @options.merge(
      body: {
        method: method,
        params: params
      }.to_json
    ))

    handle_response(response)
  end

  private

  def handle_response(response)
    case response.code
    when 200
      JSON.parse(response.body)
    when 429
      sleep(60)
      raise "Rate limit exceeded. Retry after 60 seconds."
    else
      raise "API error: #{response.code} - #{response.message}"
    end
  end
end

Testing the Integration

Time to put our code to the test! Create a test.rb file:

require_relative 'sharpspring_client'

client = SharpSpringClient.new

# Get leads
puts client.get_leads(5)

# Create a contact
new_contact = {
  emailAddress: '[email protected]',
  firstName: 'John',
  lastName: 'Doe'
}
puts client.create_contact(new_contact)

# Update a deal
deal_update = {
  dealValue: 5000,
  dealStatus: 'Won'
}
puts client.update_deal('DEAL_ID', deal_update)

Run it with ruby test.rb and watch the magic happen!

Best Practices and Optimization

To take your integration to the next level:

1. Implement caching for frequently accessed data.
2. Use batch operations when possible to reduce API calls.
3. Set up proper logging for debugging and monitoring.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your SharpSpring API integration in Ruby. Remember, this is just the beginning – there's a whole world of possibilities waiting for you to explore.

Keep experimenting, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it! If you hit any snags, the SharpSpring API docs are your best friend. Now go forth and automate all the things! 🚀