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API + No-Code Integrations

API + No-Code Integrations

July 18, 2023

Module 4 — Lesson 25

Before we wrap up this module with automated journeys, I want to cover an often-overlooked part of building your newsletter. Integrations. There are two ways to connect different systems: with APIs or with no-code integrations.

If you’re new to the whole integrations world, it can be confusing. There’s an overwhelming amount of things you can do with integrations, so I won’t go too into the weeds. I’ll simply run you through the pros and cons of each (plus what we recommend).

API

API stands for Application Programming Interface. Essentially, it’s a way for two or more computer programs to work with each other. Let’s put it like this:

Say you’re at a restaurant and you order a hamburger. You’re the user. The waiter is the API. And the chef is all the backend computer stuff. You get to enjoy the hamburger without having to make it yourself.

Here are just a few examples of things you'll be able to do via our API:

Add new subscribers along with any custom fields (name, age, etc.)
Update the subscription status of any reader
Display your posts wherever you'd like to
Pull campaign data and metrics from any (or all) of your posts
Retrieve data about your referral program to display elsewhere
Retrieve data about various audience segments or email blasts

...and so much more. Visit the full documentation here: developers.beehiiv.com

Pros:

It’s the cheapest option
You’ll get access to full capabilities
It can be very powerful if you know what you’re doing

Cons:

It’s harder to work with if you’re not a developer

No-code Software

No-code platforms are usually a type of visual software that allows people to drag and drop different elements and components instead of having to code them together.