Zoho Campaigns API Essential Guide

What type of API does Zoho Campaigns provide?

Type of API

Zoho Campaigns provides REST APIs to access data to and from other Zoho applications and third-party applications.

Key Points

• Zoho Campaigns offers version 1.1 of their API for better security.
• The API allows exporting data in XML or JSON format.
• Authentication is done using access and refresh tokens.
• APIs can be used to integrate with other business applications like accounting, ERP, ecommerce, etc.

Prerequisites

• A valid Zoho Campaigns username and password is required.
• A developer environment or hosting server is needed for third-party application integration.

Best Practices

• Ensure APIs are not misused, as Zoho reserves the right to disable APIs if misuse is detected.
• Contact Zoho Campaigns support for assistance if needed.

Does the Zoho Campaigns API have webhooks?

Based on the search results provided, it appears that the official Zoho Campaigns API does not have webhooks. However, Zoho Subscriptions, which is a different product, does offer webhook functionality. Here's a summary of the information available:

Webhooks in Zoho Subscriptions

Zoho Subscriptions provides webhook functionality, allowing users to receive notifications for specific events.

Key points to consider:

• Webhooks in Zoho Subscriptions are user-defined HTTP callbacks triggered by particular events.
• When an event occurs, Zoho Subscriptions sends an HTTP request to the specified URL.
• The event data is posted as JSON to the webhook URL.

Events You Can Subscribe To

In Zoho Subscriptions, you can create webhooks for the following types of events:

• Changes in subscription status
• Transactions
• Invoice creation

Creating a Webhook

To create a webhook in Zoho Subscriptions:

1. Navigate to Gear icon > More Settings > Webhooks
2. Click on Create Webhook
3. Enter the URL of the external service provider's API
4. Select the types of events for which the webhook should be triggered
5. Click Save

Best Practices

• You can create different webhooks for different events.
• Webhook history for particular events can be viewed by clicking on "Show History" against the event under the Events tab.
• You can edit and delete webhooks as needed.
• There's an option to resend webhooks for specific events if necessary.

It's important to note that this information is specific to Zoho Subscriptions and not Zoho Campaigns. The search results do not provide information about webhooks in Zoho Campaigns specifically. If you need information about Zoho Campaigns API and its webhook capabilities, you may need to consult the official Zoho Campaigns API documentation or contact Zoho support directly.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Based on the search results provided, I can answer your question about the API Rate Limits of the Zoho Campaigns API. However, it's important to note that the search results primarily contain information about Zoho CRM API limits, not specifically Zoho Campaigns API. Since there's no direct information about Zoho Campaigns API limits, I'll provide you with the general API limit information for Zoho services, which may be similar for Zoho Campaigns.

API Credit System

Zoho uses a credit system for API calls [3]. Here are the key points:

• Each API call typically results in a reduction of 1 credit from your credit count.
• Some API calls may consume more credits based on their complexity and resource usage.
• The credit system has a rolling 24-hour window from the start of the call [3].

API Credit Limits

The API credit limits vary based on the edition of the Zoho service you're using [3]:

• Free Edition: 5,000 credits
• Standard/Starter Edition: 50,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 250) + Add-on credits (Maximum 100,000 credits)
• Professional: 50,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 500) + Add-on credits (Maximum 3,000,000 credits)
• Enterprise/Zoho One: 50,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 1000) + Add-on credits (Maximum 5,000,000 credits)
• Ultimate/CRM Plus: 50,000 credits + (Number of User licenses x 2000) + Add-on credits (Unlimited)

Concurrency Limits

In addition to the credit system, Zoho also implements concurrency limits [3]:

• Free Edition: 5 concurrent calls
• Standard/Starter: 10 concurrent calls
• Professional: 15 concurrent calls
• Enterprise/Zoho One: 20 concurrent calls
• Ultimate/CRM Plus: 25 concurrent calls

Sub-concurrency Limits

For certain API operations, there's an additional sub-concurrency limit of 10 concurrent calls across all editions [3].

Best Practices

1. Optimize your API usage by retrieving a maximum of 200 records with each request [1].
2. For insert, update, or delete operations, limit to a maximum of 100 records per request [1].
3. Monitor your API usage through the API Dashboard provided by Zoho [3].
4. If you need more API credits, the super-admin can increase the credit limit (additional charges may apply) [3].

Important Notes

• The PST Time zone is considered for API limits [1].
• Zoho notifies administrators if the organization exceeds the API limit [1].
• If you exceed the limit, additional API requests will not be processed [1].

While these limits are based on Zoho CRM API information, they may provide a general idea of what to expect for Zoho Campaigns API. For specific Zoho Campaigns API limits, it's recommended to contact Zoho support directly or check the Zoho Campaigns API documentation.

Latest API Version

The most recent version of the Zoho Campaigns API is version 1.1. [1]

Key points to consider:

• Zoho Campaigns API version 1.1 uses OAuth 2.0 protocol for authentication through access and refresh tokens. [2]

• This version provides better security by limiting access to specific activities that the user needs to perform. [1]

• To use APIs in version 1.1, you need to generate access and refresh tokens. [1]

• The API root endpoint for version 1.1 is: https://campaigns.zoho.com/api/v1.1/ [2]

Best practices:

1. Generate access and refresh tokens before using the API. [2]

2. Include the necessary scopes for which you require access in your authorization request. [2]

3. Use the access token in the header section when making API calls:

   Header: Authorization: Zoho-oauthtoken <your_access_token>
   

   [2]

4. Be aware that access tokens expire after one hour. Use the refresh token to generate a new access token when needed. [2]

5. Specify the correct scope for each API call to ensure proper authorization and prevent "INVALID_SCOPE" errors. [2]

By using version 1.1 of the Zoho Campaigns API, you can benefit from enhanced security features and more granular control over access to different functionalities within the API.

How to get a Zoho Campaigns developer account and API Keys?

To get a developer account for Zoho Campaigns and create an API integration, you need to follow these steps:

Prerequisites

1. You must have a valid Zoho Campaigns account with a username and password.

2. You need a development environment or hosting server to integrate your third-party application.

Steps to Create a Developer Account and API Integration

1. Register a client in Zoho Accounts:

   • This is the first step to access API version 1.1.
   • You can learn how to register a client by clicking on the provided link in the Zoho Campaigns documentation.

2. Understand API Scopes:

   • Familiarize yourself with the available scopes in Zoho Campaigns.
   • Scopes determine the level of access your application will have to different Zoho Campaigns features.

3. Generate Access and Refresh Tokens:

   • Send an authorization request to Zoho Accounts, including the necessary scopes.
   • The Zoho Campaigns account owner will verify and grant permission for the requested scopes.
   • You'll receive a grant code, which you can use to request an access token.
   • Access and refresh tokens will be generated and sent to you.

4. Use the Access Token:

   • Include the access token in the header of your API requests.
   • The header format is: Authorization: Zoho-oauthtoken.

5. Make API Calls:

   • Use the API root endpoint: https://campaigns.zoho.com/api/v1.1/.
   • Ensure you're using the correct scope for each API call.

Key Points to Consider

• Access tokens expire after one hour. You can use the refresh token to generate a new access token when needed.
• Ensure that you don't misuse the APIs, as Zoho reserves the right to disable your APIs if any misuse is detected.
• All JSON parameters in API requests should be encoded for enhanced security.

Best Practices

1. Only request the necessary scopes for your application to maintain security.
2. Keep your access and refresh tokens secure and don't share them publicly.
3. Implement proper error handling in your application, especially for cases like invalid scopes or expired tokens.
4. Regularly review and update your integration to ensure compatibility with any Zoho Campaigns API changes.

If you need assistance during this process, you can contact the Zoho Campaigns Support Team at [email protected].

What can you do with the Zoho Campaigns API?

Based on the search results provided, there is no specific information about the data models that can be interacted with using the Zoho Campaigns API. However, I can provide some general information about Zoho APIs and data models that might be relevant:

Data Models in Zoho CRM

While not specific to Zoho Campaigns, Zoho CRM offers a Data Model feature that provides insights into the structure of data:

• Modules: These are the main entities in Zoho CRM, such as Campaigns, Deals, and Contacts.
• Relationships: The Data Model illustrates relationships between entities, including one-to-one and many-to-one relationships.
• Custom Modules: Users can create custom modules to suit their specific needs.
• Subforms: These are part of the entities represented in the Data Model.
• Fields: Each entity contains various fields with different data types.

API Interactions

While not specific to Zoho Campaigns, Zoho offers various API capabilities for other products:

• Data Addition: APIs can be used to add data to tables.
• Data Update: Existing data can be updated via API.
• Data Deletion: APIs allow for the deletion of data.
• Bulk Import: Large amounts of data can be imported using API functions.
• Data Export: Tables, reports, and dashboards can be exported in various formats (PDF, Excel, JSON, HTML, Image, and CSV) using APIs.

Key Points to Consider

• API Configuration: Zoho APIs are typically configurable, allowing for customization of data access and operations.
• Permissions: Access to certain features, like the Data Model in Zoho CRM, requires specific permissions such as "Manage Extensibility" or "Modules Customization".
• Automatic Updates: When changes are made to modules or custom modules, the data model is automatically updated.
• Developer Mode: This mode provides additional information about entities and fields, including API names and data types.

Best Practices

1. Use the appropriate permissions to access and interact with the API.
2. Leverage developer mode when working with APIs to access important metadata.
3. Keep track of relationships between entities to understand data structure.
4. Utilize bulk operations when dealing with large amounts of data.
5. Consider using data export APIs to backup or analyze data in external systems.

While this information is not specific to Zoho Campaigns, it provides a general understanding of how Zoho structures its data models and API interactions. For specific details about Zoho Campaigns API, it would be best to consult the official Zoho Campaigns API documentation.