Inbound and outbound API enhancements
mParticle introduces two new ways for data services to build integrations with mParticle: Inbound Feed and Outbound HTTP.
mParticle provides a single, secure API that gives brands the power to collect data from any source in a standardized format and deploy it to anywhere it is needed. To date, we’ve developed hundreds of integrations with the leading marketing, analytics, data warehousing, messaging and attribution services and we are continuously adding more. This week we are excited to introduce two new ways for data services to build integrations with mParticle: Inbound Feed and Outbound HTTP.
Inbound Feed Data services can send client data to mParticle as a Feed, so that mutual customers can forward their data to other services. To make a customer’s data available as a Feed, you need to send it to mParticle’s Server to Server API in batch format
Outbound HTTP Data services can create an outbound integration to send data from mParticle to your service via AWS Lambda or an HTTP endpoint
In planning to build an integration with mParticle there are two key questions to ask:
- What type of data?
- Which direction is the data going?
Type of Data – Event & Audience
mParticle supports two key data types: Event and Audience.
- Event data is information about actions that occur within an app or webpage. An event can be as simple as opening an app, or as complex as a multiple item purchase. For example, an app may use the mParticle SDK to forward data about purchase to mParticle, where it can be forwarded to an analytics platform and used to track the Lifetime Value of users.
- Audience data is information about groups of people, used to execute targeted campaigns. For example, if your platform has the capability to identify an important group of users, such as users with an abandoned shopping cart, you can send the details of this audience to mParticle, where it can be forwarded on to an email or push notification platform, to send tailored messages to that audience.
Direction – Outbound or Inbound?
Outbound Integrations receive data from mParticle. To create an outbound integration, you must develop a function to receive data in mParticle’s standard format and transform it into a format accepted by your platform. You have two options for receiving data:
- Host your integration as an AWS Lambda Function and grant mParticle permission to invoke it. This option allows you to use AWS tools to easily manage a stream of data from mParticle.
- NEW! – Host your integration on your own server and expose an HTTPS endpoint for mParticle to send data to.
Inbound integrations transmit data to mParticle as a ‘Feed’. Feed integrations use mParticle’s server-to-server API to send data to mParticle, using API credentials issued to each customer using the integration.
Ready to build an integration? Check out our docs or contact us for more information.
