API: contact with "91" as list subscription status

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API: Contact with "91" as List Subscription Status

Introduction

The API: contact with "91" as list subscription status feature in ActiveCampaign is crucial for managing contact lists efficiently. This feature pertains specifically to the status code "91," which indicates that a contact has had that list subscription actively removed from their record. It is important to differentiate this from an unsubscribed status, as that signifies a different scenario. Understanding how this status works can greatly assist developers and businesses in managing their contacts accurately and ensuring effective communication strategies.

How to Access This Feature

To utilize the contact_edit v1 API endpoint, your integration or application must be set up with the necessary API access credentials. An API key is required to authenticate requests to ActiveCampaign’s servers. You can find the relevant API documentation within the ActiveCampaign Developer section.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. **Prepare Your API Request**:

  Start by constructing your API request to the /contact_edit/v1 endpoint. Ensure you have your API key ready for authentication.

2. **Set the Overwrite Parameter**:

  When sending your list data, you will need to include the parameter "overwrite". This parameter is crucial since it dictates how existing list subscriptions are handled.

3. **Understand the "Overwrite" Mechanism**:

  - In its default setting, the "overwrite" parameter is set to "1". This setting will replace all existing list subscriptions for a contact with the lists you provide in the "p" parameter.
  - If you wish to maintain a contact's current subscriptions while adding new ones, explicitly set the "overwrite" parameter to "0".

4. **Make Your API Call**:

  Execute your API call to modify the contact’s subscriptions. Review the response to ensure that the operation was successful.

Configuration Options and Settings

Understanding how to configure your API requests is key to avoiding subscription issues. The main points to remember include:

- **Overwrite Parameter**: Always consider the default value of the "overwrite" parameter. If it's left as "1", existing subscriptions might be removed, leading to unintended consequences. Always set it to "0" if you do not wish to overwrite existing data.

Best Practices and Tips

- **Test API Calls**: Before executing on a live environment, employ a test account or staging environment. This helps avoid accidental data loss due to misunderstandings in API usages, such as the overwrite parameter.

- **Communicate with Integrations**: If an external integration is causing issues with improper API calls, raise these concerns with the integration provider. They may need to adjust their use of the ActiveCampaign API.

- **Monitor Subscription Status**: Regularly check the subscription status of your contacts to ensure they are reflected correctly in your marketing workflows.

Common Use Cases with Examples

1. **List Management**: Using the feature to programmatically manage a contact's list subscriptions can help in scenarios where contacts are being added or removed from events, promotions or campaigns based on their interactions.

2. **Data Cleanup**: If certain contacts have outdated subscriptions, leveraging the API: contact with "91" as list subscription status can help remove these without mistakenly unsubscribing them.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while using this feature: - Verify that your API key is correctly configured and has the necessary permissions. - Ensure you are correctly formatting your API requests according to the structure indicated in the ActiveCampaign documentation. - Check that the overwrite parameter is set correctly to avoid unexpected changes in contact subscriptions.

FAQ

Q1: What does the "91" status code mean? A1: A "91" status indicates that a contact's list subscription has been removed, not just unsubscribed, reflecting that the contact's record has been modified through the API.

Q2: How can I prevent overwriting my contact list subscriptions? A2: You can prevent overwriting existing list subscriptions by setting the "overwrite" parameter to "0" in your API request.

Q3: What happens if I don’t set the "overwrite" parameter? A3: By default, if not specified, the "overwrite" parameter is set to "1", which will replace all existing list subscriptions with what you provide.

Q4: Can I use other API endpoints to manage subscriptions? A4: Yes, there are a variety of other endpoints available in ActiveCampaign’s API that allow for different types of data manipulation and management of contacts.

Q5: Are there any restrictions on what can be removed using this API? A5: The removals depend on what lists you send through the API request. If a list isn't included in the call, that subscription will be removed unless managed through the "overwrite" setting.

Q6: What plans support this feature? A6: This feature is available for accounts under the Starter, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans.

Q7: How often can I call this API? A7: Refer to ActiveCampaign's rate-limiting guidelines in the documentation to understand how frequently you can make API calls without running into issues.

For additional resources and more details, refer to the official ActiveCampaign documentation. ```