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

Aug 11, 2024 • 6 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your productivity game? Let's dive into building a Todoist API integration using JavaScript. Todoist's API is a powerhouse for task management, and we're about to harness that power. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

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

Node.js and npm installed (you're a pro, so I'm sure you do)
A Todoist account and API token (grab it from your Todoist settings)

Setting up the project

Let's get our hands dirty:

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

Authentication

First things first, let's keep that API token safe:

// .env
TODOIST_API_TOKEN=your_api_token_here

// index.js
require('dotenv').config();
const axios = require('axios');

const api = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://api.todoist.com/rest/v2',
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.TODOIST_API_TOKEN}` }
});

Making API requests

Time to flex those API muscles:

// GET tasks
const getTasks = async () => {
  const response = await api.get('/tasks');
  return response.data;
};

// POST a new task
const createTask = async (content) => {
  const response = await api.post('/tasks', { content });
  return response.data;
};

// PUT (update) a task
const updateTask = async (id, updates) => {
  const response = await api.post(`/tasks/${id}`, updates);
  return response.data;
};

// DELETE a task
const deleteTask = async (id) => {
  await api.delete(`/tasks/${id}`);
};

Handling responses

Let's keep it clean and handle those responses like a pro:

const handleApiCall = async (apiCall) => {
  try {
    const result = await apiCall();
    return result;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('API Error:', error.response?.data || error.message);
    throw error;
  }
};

// Usage
const tasks = await handleApiCall(getTasks);

Implementing key features

Now for the fun part - let's build some cool features:

// Fetch projects
const getProjects = async () => {
  return handleApiCall(() => api.get('/projects'));
};

// Create task with due date and priority
const createDetailedTask = async (content, dueString, priority) => {
  return handleApiCall(() => api.post('/tasks', { content, due_string: dueString, priority }));
};

// Complete a task
const completeTask = async (id) => {
  return handleApiCall(() => api.post(`/tasks/${id}/close`));
};

// Move task to another project
const moveTask = async (taskId, projectId) => {
  return handleApiCall(() => api.post(`/tasks/${taskId}`, { project_id: projectId }));
};

Optimizing the integration

Keep an eye on those rate limits, champ! Todoist allows 450 requests per minute, so let's play nice:

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

const api = rateLimit(axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://api.todoist.com/rest/v2',
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.TODOIST_API_TOKEN}` }
}), { maxRequests: 450, perMilliseconds: 60000 });

Testing the integration

Don't forget to test! Here's a quick Jest test to get you started:

// __tests__/api.test.js
jest.mock('axios');

test('getTasks fetches tasks successfully', async () => {
  const mockTasks = [{ id: 1, content: 'Test task' }];
  axios.get.mockResolvedValue({ data: mockTasks });

  const tasks = await getTasks();
  expect(tasks).toEqual(mockTasks);
});

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Todoist API integration. You're now equipped to create, manage, and optimize tasks like a true productivity ninja. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's so much more you can do with the Todoist API. Keep exploring and building awesome things!

Resources

Now go forth and conquer those tasks! Happy coding! 🚀