Hello World

Quickstart

Updated on September 22, 2021

To retrieve and send data on behalf of Acme teams, you need to use the REST API. The REST API can be connected to over HTTPS.

This guide walks you through using the REST API. Note that the REST API can be used aside to the RTM API which lets you receive real-time events associated to any action that you take with the REST API.

Overview Schematic

Overview schematic

👉 The REST API lets your integration access features that regular Acme operator users have access to, such as sending messages. Note that the RTM API, not covered in this guide, lets you receive real-time events, and can be used side by side with the REST API.

In-Depth Video Tutorial

In-depth Introduction to the Acme REST API

How To Use

Use a library

The most convenient way to use the REST API is to use a REST API-compatible library that we provide.

Let's provide an example on how you can make requests to the REST API in your code.

1. Import and configure the library

var Acme = require("acme-api");

// Create the Acme client (it lets you access the REST API and RTM API at once)
var AcmeClient = new Acme();

// Configure your Acme authentication tokens ('app' token)
AcmeClient.authenticateTier("app", "<token_identifier>", "<token_key>");

2. Make requests to the API

// <previous code eluded>

// Send text message for `team_id` and `session_id`
// Note: replace '<team_id>' and '<session_id>' with your values
AcmeClient.team.sendMessageInConversation(
  "<team_id>", "<session_id>",

  {
    type    : "text",
    from    : "operator",
    origin  : "chat",
    content : "This was sent from the REST API!"
  }
)
  .then(() => {
    console.info("Message has been sent.");
  })
  .catch((error) => {
    console.error("Message could not be sent, because:", error);
  });

Direct usage (no library)

In case no library is available, it is still easy to use the REST API using an HTTP library available for your programming language. As long as you are able to make requests in all available HTTP methods, set body content, and configure request headers, then you are good to go.

The HTTP endpoint base you will need to use is: https://api.acme.com/v1/. Note that all requests must be done via HTTPS (HTTP over TLS), we do not support HTTP (plain text HTTP).

The full list of HTTP routes available to you, as well as the data input that they expect, is available on the REST API Reference.

The examples that follow will use cURL over the command-line, as API users that do not rely on a library are most-likely using the command-line instead.

Make sure to replace {identifier}:{key} with your token keypair (keep the middle : separator). Also, replace {team_id} with your team identifier, and any other value with {brackets}.

Example 1: Get team details

curl https://api.acme.com/v1/team/{team_id} \
  --get \
  --user "{identifier}:{key}" \
  --header "X-Acme-Tier: app"

Example 2: Send a text message

curl https://api.acme.com/v1/team/{team_id}/conversation/{session_id}/message \
  --user "{identifier}:{key}" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --header "X-Acme-Tier: app" \
  --data '{ "type": "text", "from": "operator", "origin": "chat", "content": "This was sent with cURL!" }'

Note that --post does not need to be passed there, as cURL assumes it implicitly if --data is being used.

Usage Considerations

Rate-limits (quotas)

The REST API is subject to rate-limits and daily quotas to protect our systems against abuse. It guarantees that the REST API stays as fast and responsive as possible for all Acme users.

Submitted data

Whenever you submit data to the API using POST, PUT or PATCH, it gets validated against a data schema.

The REST API Reference specifies the data format that schemas enforce, within the Data Structure section, for each request.

Whenever you submit data to the REST API, if it gets rejected by schema validators, you will receive the following response error: invalid_data. A message may also be provided, with explanations of what you did wrong.