Distinguish between API reference and guides
Fluency in developer documentation is at the heart of writing your own API calls and code. For any platform, the developer documentation will include all the information you need to work with any developer functionality.
In Klaviyo, all developer documentation is hosted on the Klaviyo developer portal, which has 2 main sections: API reference docs and guides.
Read through the tabs below for more information on what information you can find in each of these sections.
API Reference
Under API reference, you will find a page for every API endpoint that includes detailed information about how to make an API call to that endpoint. The endpoints are listed on the left and grouped by Klaviyo product area (e.g., lists, profiles, etc.).
Each product area also contains an API overview that provides a high level description of:
- How to use the API
- Use cases
- Example payload
- Structure of the API
For example, if I know I want to create a new profile in my Klaviyo account, I would navigate to the "Profiles" resources, then to the Create Profile endpoint that allows me to create a new profile.
Guides
The developer portal also hosts guides to developing with Klaviyo.
Within these guides, you can find best practices for implementing solutions to common business needs, like setting up custom integrations, catalogs, and more.
For example, developer guides can provide your developers with detailed instructions on how to integrate an ecommerce platform without a pre-built Klaviyo integration.
In general, you can think of API reference documentation like a dictionary, allowing you to look up specific information about individual components of an API. Guides are more like a user manual, offering step-by-step instructions and best practices on how to use those API components to achieve specific tasks.
Differentiate between client- and server-side API calls
Throughout the developer portal, you may see the terms client-side and server-side used frequently.
With Klaviyo's APIs, client-side API calls are typically made from the user's browser or device and are authenticated using a public API key. Client-side API calls are visible to everyone on the web, so you should never perform operations requiring sensitive data with a client-side API call. Client-side API calls can be likened to a server in a restaurant: you see them, request actions, and they execute them.
Server-side API calls are made from a secure environment like a backed server and are authenticated using a private API key. This offers a higher level of security suitable for accessing sensitive operations or data. Server-side API calls are like the chef in the kitchen of a restaurant, working securely in the background, so other customers in the restaurant do not have access to your orders.
For more information, reference our guide to differentiating between client and server.