The Value of APIs

What is an API?

API stands for “Application Program Interface,” which indicates a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. They are used to access information from databases or take certain actions outside of a user interface.

CAKE API

In CAKE, APIs are used by our clients to access data from their instance without logging in. CAKE also offers external APIs, including; advertiser, affiliate and buyer APIs which allows these users to obtain and update data without logging into their portals. For example, an Advertiser might want to pull a list of offers and assets including offer ID, offer name, vertical, conversion pixel and test link. Similarly, buyers might want to use an API to return leads to the CAKE client without logging into the buyer portal.

Leveraging APIs

CAKE has multiple categories of APIs, with Affiliate Signup and Reporting being the most commonly used. The Affiliate signup API is used to connect custom signup forms with CAKE to add Advertisers and Affiliates to their instance as they signup. Reporting APIs pull reports out of CAKE. There are currently 20 reporting APIs that clients can use and they generally include more data points (although not data) than the UI since everything has a corresponding database ID that you normally don’t see in the user interface. Please note that CAKE does not have any APIs to pull data in from other sources.

Some of CAKE‘s clients have even leveraged APIs to create a custom dashboard tailored to how they want to view their data! For example, a handful of clients are leveraging the Report Affiliate APIs to build a performance comparison dashboard, which gives them an instant visual to view performance.

If you are looking to learn more regarding leveraging APIs, please reach out to your Client Success Manager!

Author

Garth Harris

As COO of the Affiliate Marketing Group, Garth's focus is to drive growth and adoption through the marketing and product teams while providing excellent customer service within the onboarding and support departments. During his 15 years in the affiliate marketing industry, Garth has held a wide range of roles, from client services manager to senior director of product engineering and, most recently, general manager at CAKE. These experiences have helped him build a deep understanding of his customers and their businesses. Outside of work, Garth is happiest behind a grill or at the beach with his family.