A partner API that lets partners help themselves

Every partner request landed on the team

Requests came by email, were filled by hand from spreadsheets, and every new partner integration was a custom project. The support team spent its days moving data that a system could move on its own.

• Partners asked for data by email and spreadsheet.
• Records were keyed in by the support team.
• Each new integration was a manual build.
• Support load grew with every partner added.

One OAuth-protected API that partners call themselves

Each partner gets its own credentials, scoped so it only reaches its own data, with rate limits to protect the system. Documentation lets partners integrate without involving the support team.

• Partners pull data and submit records over the API.
• Each partner has scoped credentials via OAuth.
• Rate limits protect the underlying systems.
• Clear docs let partners integrate on their own.

Designed the API around what partners need

We tested with one partner first, fixed the rough edges, then opened it to the rest with documentation.

The API went live in six weeks.

Partners self-integrate, support load drops

New partner integrations launch faster because the API and the docs already exist. The team spends its time on partners that need help, not on moving data by hand.

Partners used to email us for data and we keyed their records in by hand. Now they pull what they need and submit records through the API themselves. Onboarding a new partner takes days, not weeks. Head of Engineering, Services Company