Define new terms
We have covered a lot of technical terminology in this course. Refer back to this glossary for a handy reference to technical terminology.
API: a software interface that allows two pieces of software to communicate with one another.
API call: a message sent asking the API to send or retrieve data. Also known as an API request.
Array: ordered collections of values. In JSON, arrays are enclosed in square brackets and separated by commas.
Authentication: approval that you have the right to make a certain API call.
Authorization: how one is authenticated to make an API call. In Klaviyo, use your private API key in an Authorization header to authenticate API calls.
Client: the origin point of the API call; who is making the API request.
Endpoint: the location within the API that is set up to receive a specific request. Also known as request URL.
HTTP: an internet communication protocol. Klaviyo's APIs use this protocol to communicate between systems.
JSON: JavaScript Object Notation. This is a specific format used when sending data across the web. Klaviyo APIs return JSON data and accept JSON bodies.
JSON object: a collection of key-value pairs enclosed in curly braces.
Key-value pair: a set of two related pieces of data. In JSON, keys are always surrounded by double quotes. When you look up the key, you get the value.
Method: how the API interacts with the resource. This specifies whether the API should retrieve, alter, create, or remove data.
Nested data: JSON data that is enclosed within another JSON object. In Klaviyo, nested data cannot be used for filtering nor segmentation.
Payload: the data you send over or receive as part of an API call.
Response: what you receive after making an API call. An API response consists of a status code and response body.
Request: also known as an API call, the message sent asking the API to send or retrieve data.
Request URL: the location within the API that is set up to receive a specific request. Also known as an API endpoint.
Server: a computer program or computer that contains the data the API interacts with.
Status code: also known as a response code, the 3 digit number representing the status of the API call.
String: a text value. In JSON, strings must be surrounded with double quotation marks.
Webhook: a method used to automatically send data from one application to another whenever a specific event occurs.
You can access this glossary y point after completing this course. Bookmark this page for easy reference!
Take your next step in the world of development
Now that you've built up your foundational API knowledge, take these next steps to get connected and learn more.
Join the developer community
If you haven't already, take a moment to join the Developer Group on the Klaviyo Community. This is a great forum to ask questions and interact with other developers. You can also get a sense of what other developers are working on.
Note that anyone interested in learning more can join this group; it's not strictly for developers. This is a great place to get connected with experienced developers in addition to people wanting to learn more.
Take the Developer Certificate
While working through this course, you've built up the foundational knowledge required as a prerequisite to the Developer Certificate. Take this certificate to deepen your skills, make even more API calls, and learn all about what you can do as a Klaviyo developer.
Work with a developer
To get started building out custom features, reach out to one of our developer partners in our partner directory.