Using the Endear API to Get Customers in PHP

Introduction to Endear API for Customer Management

Endear is a powerful CRM platform designed to enhance customer engagement and streamline communication for businesses. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools that allow companies to manage customer relationships effectively, providing insights and analytics to drive sales and improve customer satisfaction.

Developers may want to integrate with Endear's API to access and manage customer data seamlessly. For example, using the Endear API, a developer can retrieve customer information to personalize marketing campaigns or enhance customer service interactions. This integration can automate data retrieval processes, ensuring that customer information is always up-to-date and accessible.

Setting Up Your Endear Test Account for API Integration

Before you can start interacting with the Endear API to manage customer data, you need to set up a test account. This will allow you to safely experiment with API calls without affecting live data. Endear provides a straightforward process to create an integration and obtain the necessary API key for authentication.

Creating an Integration and Generating an API Key in Endear

1. Visit Your Endear Settings: Log in to your Endear account and navigate to the settings page.
2. Access the Integrations Section: Click on the Integrations tab to view available integration options.
3. Add a New Integration: Select Add Integration and choose API from the list of options.
4. Fill in the Required Details: Provide the necessary information to create your integration. Once completed, you will receive an API key.
5. Secure Your API Key: Copy the generated API key and store it securely. You will need this key to authenticate your API requests.

Each API key is scoped to a specific brand, so ensure you generate a separate key for each brand you intend to work with.

Authenticating API Requests with Your Endear API Key

With your API key in hand, you can now authenticate requests to the Endear API. The API uses a POST request to the endpoint https://api.endearhq.com/graphql. You must include the header X-Endear-Api-Key with the value of your generated API key to authenticate successfully.

// Example cURL request to authenticate with Endear API
$ch = curl_init();

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://api.endearhq.com/graphql");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    "Content-Type: application/json",
    "X-Endear-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
]);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

echo $response;

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the API key you generated earlier. This setup ensures that your requests are properly authenticated, allowing you to interact with Endear's API endpoints.

For more details on authentication, refer to the Endear Authentication Documentation.

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Making API Calls to Retrieve Customers Using Endear API in PHP

To interact with the Endear API and retrieve customer data, you'll need to make a POST request to the specified endpoint using PHP. This section will guide you through setting up your PHP environment, installing necessary dependencies, and executing the API call to fetch customer information.

Setting Up Your PHP Environment for Endear API Integration

Before making API calls, ensure your PHP environment is properly configured. You'll need PHP 7.4 or later and the cURL extension enabled. If you're using a local server, verify these requirements in your php.ini file.

To install the cURL extension, use the following command:

sudo apt-get install php-curl

Executing the API Call to Fetch Customer Data from Endear

With your environment set up, you can now write a PHP script to make the API call. The following example demonstrates how to retrieve customer data using the Endear API:

<?php

// Initialize cURL session
$ch = curl_init();

// Set the API endpoint and headers
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://api.endearhq.com/graphql");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    "Content-Type: application/json",
    "X-Endear-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
]);

// Define the GraphQL query
$query = '{
  "query": "query { searchCustomers { edges { node { first_name last_name default_email_address } } } }"
}';

// Attach the query to the request
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $query);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

// Execute the request and capture the response
$response = curl_exec($ch);

// Close the cURL session
curl_close($ch);

// Decode and display the response
$data = json_decode($response, true);
foreach ($data['data']['searchCustomers']['edges'] as $customer) {
    echo "Name: " . $customer['node']['first_name'] . " " . $customer['node']['last_name'] . "\n";
    echo "Email: " . $customer['node']['default_email_address'] . "\n\n";
}

?>

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the API key you obtained earlier. This script initializes a cURL session, sets the necessary headers, and sends a GraphQL query to retrieve customer details such as first name, last name, and email address.

Verifying Successful API Requests and Handling Errors

After executing the script, verify the output to ensure the request was successful. The customer data should be displayed in the console. If the request fails, check for common errors such as incorrect API keys or endpoint URLs.

Endear's API employs rate limits of 120 requests per minute. If you exceed this limit, you'll receive an HTTP 429 error. To handle such errors, implement a retry mechanism with exponential backoff in your script.

For more information on error handling and rate limits, refer to the Endear Rate Limits and Errors Documentation.

Conclusion and Best Practices for Using Endear API in PHP

Integrating with the Endear API allows developers to efficiently manage customer data, enhancing the ability to personalize marketing efforts and improve customer service. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can seamlessly retrieve customer information using PHP, ensuring your applications are both robust and responsive.

Best Practices for Secure and Efficient API Integration

• Secure API Keys: Always store your API keys securely, using environment variables or secure vaults, to prevent unauthorized access.
• Implement Rate Limiting: Be mindful of Endear's rate limit of 120 requests per minute. Implement retry mechanisms with exponential backoff to handle HTTP 429 errors gracefully.
• Data Standardization: Ensure consistent data formatting and validation to maintain data integrity across different systems.
• Error Handling: Implement comprehensive error handling to manage potential issues such as network failures or invalid responses.

Streamlining Integrations with Endgrate

For developers looking to simplify their integration processes, Endgrate offers a unified API solution that connects to multiple platforms, including Endear. By using Endgrate, you can save time and resources, allowing you to focus on your core product development while providing an intuitive integration experience for your customers.

Explore how Endgrate can enhance your integration strategy by visiting Endgrate and discover the benefits of a streamlined, efficient integration process.

Read More

• https://endgrate.com/provider/endear
• https://docs.endearhq.com/docs/authentication
• https://docs.endearhq.com/docs/rate-limits-status-codes-and-errors
• https://docs.endearhq.com/docs/disclaimers
• https://developers.endearhq.com/docs/graphql/objects/Customer
• https://docs.endearhq.com/docs/send-your-first-record