Connecting to Salesforce Marketing Cloud: A Guide to REST and SOAP APIs
APIs are the building blocks you use to connect your system to Salesforce Marketing Cloud. We want you to have everything you need to design and implement your code, so to achieve this Marketing Cloud offers two robust APIs.
For professionals who are new to Salesforce Marketing Cloud, understanding the key terminology. used across the platform is essential before working with APIs and integrations. Concepts such as Data Extensions, Contact Builder, Journey Builder, Installed Packages, and OAuth authentication play an important role in building integrations and managing data.
1) Rest API: Rest APIs are used in the below mentioned apps/tools within Marketing Cloud.
- Contact Builder
- Content Builder
- Group Connect
- Journey Builder
- Mobile Connect
- Mobile Push
- Personalization Builder
1) Soap API: Soap APIs are used in the below mentioned apps/tools within Marketing Cloud.
- Automations
- Content Creation
- Subscribers and Lists
- Tracking
- Triggered Sends
- Other Email Activities
Server to Server Integration
A server-to-server integration performs tasks on behalf of the integration, without an end-user context, user interaction, or user interface.
Server-to-server integration can be achieved by following the below mentioned steps.
Step 1 - Request an access token using a Client ID and secret.
Step 2 - Marketing Cloud returns an access token.
Step 3 - Access your REST and SOAP API resources.
Secure Your Token
Salesforce is best when it comes to security and the Marketing Cloud REST and SOAP APIs are no exception. Marketing Cloud provides tenant-specific endpoints to help secure your API requests (more on this in a minute). Also, a user is required to use OAuth tokens to access these endpoints.
Now, to get those endpoints and tokens, a user needs to follow the below mentioned steps.
1) Both the REST and SOAP APIs require an API integration with Marketing Cloud using an Installed Package.
2) Once the installed package is created in Marketing Cloud, a user can request an access token using the Client ID and secret.
3) Any application that a user creates extracts that token and uses it to gain access to Marketing Cloud resources.
Many Salesforce Marketing Cloud applications that leverage REST APIs support cross-channel marketing capabilities. One such important application is Mobile Studio, which enables marketers to engage customers through SMS messaging, push notifications, and mobile messaging campaigns. REST APIs play a crucial role in integrating Mobile Studio with external systems and triggering mobile messaging campaigns programmatically.
In addition to API-based integrations, Salesforce Marketing Cloud also supports secure file-based integrations using SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol). Many organizations use Marketing Cloud SFTP to transfer large datasets between external systems and Marketing Cloud for import, export, and automation processes. These file transfers often work alongside APIs to create robust data integration workflows.
Some useful links:
Stay Secure with Access Tokens
Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides a comprehensive ecosystem of tools for customer engagement, marketing automation, data integration, and personalization. Features such as REST APIs, SOAP APIs, Mobile Studio, Automation Studio, and Contact Builder allow developers and marketers to create powerful marketing solutions and integrations. To explore more tutorials, guides, and best practices related to Salesforce Marketing Cloud, visit our Salesforce Marketing Cloud page.