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

Hey there, fellow code wrangler! Ready to dive into the world of Thinkific API integration? Buckle up, because we're about to embark on a journey that'll have you integrating Thinkific into your JavaScript projects faster than you can say "e-learning revolution."

Introduction

Thinkific's API is your ticket to programmatically accessing course data, user information, and more. Whether you're building a custom dashboard or automating student enrollments, this guide will get you up and running in no time.

Prerequisites

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

• A Thinkific account (duh!)
• Your shiny API key (find it in your Thinkific admin panel)
• Node.js and npm installed (you're a dev, so I'm sure you've got this covered)

Project Setup

Let's kick things off:

mkdir thinkific-integration && cd thinkific-integration
npm init -y
npm install axios dotenv

Authentication

First things first, let's keep our API key safe:

echo "THINKIFIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here" > .env

Now, let's create our API client:

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

const apiClient = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://api.thinkific.com/api/public/v1',
  headers: {
    'X-Auth-API-Key': process.env.THINKIFIC_API_KEY,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

Basic API Requests

Time to make some requests! Let's fetch courses and create a user:

// GET courses
async function getCourses() {
  try {
    const response = await apiClient.get('/courses');
    console.log(response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching courses:', error);
  }
}

// POST new user
async function createUser(userData) {
  try {
    const response = await apiClient.post('/users', userData);
    console.log('User created:', response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error creating user:', error);
  }
}

Handling Responses

Thinkific sends back JSON, so parsing is a breeze. Just remember to wrap your calls in try/catch blocks to handle any curveballs.

Pagination

Got a ton of data? No sweat! Here's how to handle pagination:

async function getAllCourses() {
  let page = 1;
  let allCourses = [];

  while (true) {
    const response = await apiClient.get('/courses', { params: { page } });
    allCourses = allCourses.concat(response.data.items);

    if (!response.data.meta.pagination.next_page) break;
    page++;
  }

  return allCourses;
}

Webhooks

Thinkific can notify your app about events. Set up an endpoint and let the data flow:

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

app.post('/webhook', express.json(), (req, res) => {
  console.log('Webhook received:', req.body);
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

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

Rate Limiting

Play nice with Thinkific's servers. Implement rate limiting to avoid hitting the ceiling:

const rateLimit = require('axios-rate-limit');

const apiClient = rateLimit(axios.create({
  // ... previous config
}), { maxRequests: 10, perMilliseconds: 1000 });

Best Practices

• Log errors comprehensively
• Cache responses when possible
• Keep your API key secret (use environment variables!)

Testing

Don't forget to test! Use Jest or Mocha to ensure your integration is rock-solid:

const nock = require('nock');

test('getCourses fetches courses successfully', async () => {
  nock('https://api.thinkific.com')
    .get('/api/public/v1/courses')
    .reply(200, { items: [{ id: 1, name: 'Test Course' }] });

  const courses = await getCourses();
  expect(courses).toHaveLength(1);
  expect(courses[0].name).toBe('Test Course');
});

Deployment Considerations

When deploying, remember:

• Set up environment variables securely
• Implement API key rotation for added security

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now armed with the knowledge to build a robust Thinkific API integration. Remember, the API docs are your friend, so keep them handy as you build out your integration.

Happy coding, and may your API calls always return 200 OK! 🚀