API Integration: Connect AIyou to Your Stack

REST API Overview

Standard REST API using HTTP requests. Send POST requests to chat with your AI, GET requests to retrieve data.

POST https://api.meetaiyou.com/v1/chat

Authentication (API Keys)

Use API keys for authentication. Generate keys in your dashboard and include them in request headers.

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Rate Limiting (Fair Usage)

Rate limits ensure fair usage. Standard plans: 1000 requests per hour. Premium plans: 10,000+ requests per hour. Contact us for custom limits.

Webhooks (Real-Time Events)

Receive real-time events via webhooks. Get notified when users chat, when conversations end, or when specific triggers occur.

POST https://your-server.com/webhook

Step 1: Generate API Key

Go to your AIyou dashboard → Settings → API Keys. Generate a new API key and copy it securely.

Step 2: Test Your Integration

Use our API testing tool or make a test request using curl, Postman, or your preferred tool. Verify you receive responses.

Step 3: Implement in Your System

Add API calls to your application using the code examples above. Handle responses and errors appropriately.

Step 4: Set Up Webhooks (Optional)

Configure webhook URLs in your dashboard to receive real-time events. Test webhook delivery to ensure it's working.

Use Case 1: Website Embed

Embed your AI directly on your website using our embed code. Visitors can chat with your AI without leaving your site. Works with any website builder or custom site.

Use Case 2: Slack Integration

Add your AI as a Slack bot. Team members can ask questions in Slack channels, and your AI responds instantly. Perfect for internal knowledge bases.

Use Case 3: Discord Bot

Deploy your AI as a Discord bot for your community. Members can ask questions in Discord, and your AI provides answers 24/7.

Use Case 4: Email Automation

Connect AIyou to your email platform. When subscribers email questions, your AI can respond automatically, or you can use AI responses to draft replies.

Use Case 5: CRM Integration

Integrate with your CRM to log conversations, update contact records, and trigger workflows based on AI interactions. Keep everything in sync.

Multi-Platform Integration

Connect your AI to multiple platforms simultaneously. For example, deploy your AI on your website, in Slack, and in Discord all at once. The API allows you to manage one AI clone across multiple touchpoints, ensuring consistent responses everywhere. All conversations sync across platforms, giving you a unified view of user interactions.

Custom Workflow Automation

Build custom workflows that trigger actions based on AI interactions. For example: when a user asks about pricing, the API can automatically create a lead in your CRM, send a follow-up email, and schedule a demo. Use webhooks to connect AI interactions to your existing automation tools (Zapier, Make, custom scripts).

Real-Time Data Synchronization

Keep your AI's knowledge base synchronized with your systems in real-time. When you update content in your CMS, the API can automatically update your AI's knowledge base. When new products are added to your database, your AI immediately knows about them. This keeps your AI always up-to-date without manual intervention.

Event-Driven Architectures

Build event-driven systems where AI interactions trigger other processes. For example: when a user completes a conversation, the API fires an event that updates analytics, sends notifications, or triggers marketing automation. This enables sophisticated, interconnected systems where your AI is a central component.

Common API Errors

• 401 Unauthorized: Invalid or missing API key. Check that your API key is correct and included in the Authorization header.
• 400 Bad Request: Invalid request format or missing required parameters. Check your request body matches the API documentation.
• 429 Too Many Requests: Rate limit exceeded. Wait before retrying or upgrade your plan for higher limits.
• 500 Internal Server Error: Server-side issue. Retry after a few seconds. If it persists, contact support.
• 503 Service Unavailable: Temporary service outage. Check our status page and retry later.

How to Debug Issues

Effective debugging steps:

1. Check error messages: API responses include detailed error messages explaining what went wrong
2. Verify request format: Use our API testing tool or Postman to verify your request matches the documentation
3. Test with curl: Use simple curl commands to isolate issues from your application code
4. Check logs: Review your application logs and our API logs (available in dashboard) to see full request/response details
5. Use API testing tools: Tools like Postman or Insomnia help test API calls independently of your application

Error Code Reference

Best Practices for Error Handling

• Always check HTTP status codes before processing responses
• Implement exponential backoff for retries (wait 1s, then 2s, then 4s before retrying)
• Log all errors with full request/response details for debugging
• Provide user-friendly error messages in your application
• Handle rate limits gracefully (queue requests or show user message)
• Set up monitoring and alerts for API errors

Understanding Rate Limits

Rate limits prevent abuse and ensure fair usage:

• Starter plan: 1,000 requests per hour
• Growth plan: 10,000 requests per hour
• Premium plan: 100,000+ requests per hour
• Enterprise: Custom limits based on needs

Rate limits reset every hour. If you exceed limits, you'll receive a 429 error. Check response headers for remaining requests and reset time.

How to Optimize API Calls

• Batch requests: Instead of multiple small requests, batch operations when possible
• Use webhooks: Instead of polling, use webhooks for real-time updates (reduces API calls)
• Cache responses: Cache API responses that don't change frequently (user info, settings)
• Request only needed data: Use query parameters to limit response size
• Implement request queuing: Queue requests during high-traffic periods to avoid rate limits

Caching Strategies

Implement caching to reduce API calls: (1) Cache user authentication tokens (refresh before expiry), (2) Cache AI responses for common questions (with appropriate TTL), (3) Cache knowledge base metadata (update on changes), (4) Use CDN caching for static API responses. Proper caching can reduce API calls by 50-80%.

Batch Processing Techniques

For bulk operations, use batch processing: (1) Group multiple operations into single API calls when supported, (2) Process operations in parallel (use async/await), (3) Implement retry logic with exponential backoff, (4) Monitor rate limit headers to pace requests. Batch processing is more efficient than individual requests.

Webhook Patterns

Use webhooks for real-time, event-driven integrations. When an event occurs (user chats, conversation ends), we send a POST request to your webhook URL. Your server processes the event and takes action. Best for: real-time notifications, event-driven workflows, keeping systems in sync. Requires: HTTPS endpoint, webhook signature verification for security.

Polling Patterns

Use polling when webhooks aren't possible. Your application periodically requests data from our API (e.g., every 5 minutes). Check for new conversations, updated data, or status changes. Best for: systems that can't receive webhooks, simple integrations, low-frequency updates. Trade-off: Less real-time, uses more API calls.

Event-Driven Patterns

Combine webhooks with message queues for complex workflows. Webhooks trigger events that go into a message queue (RabbitMQ, AWS SQS). Workers process events asynchronously, enabling scalable, fault-tolerant integrations. Best for: high-volume systems, complex workflows, microservices architectures. This pattern handles thousands of events per minute reliably.

When to Use Each

• Webhooks: Real-time needs, event-driven systems, when you can host HTTPS endpoints
• Polling: Simple integrations, systems behind firewalls, low-frequency updates acceptable
• Event-driven: High-volume systems, complex workflows, need for reliability and scalability
• Hybrid: Use webhooks for critical events, polling for status checks, event queues for processing

WordPress Detailed Setup

Method 1: Plugin (Easiest)

1. Install AIyou WordPress plugin from plugin directory
2. Activate plugin and enter your API key
3. Configure AI settings (which AI clone to use)
4. Add AI widget to pages/posts using shortcode or widget

Method 2: Embed Code

Copy embed code from AIyou dashboard, paste into WordPress HTML block or custom HTML widget. Works with any WordPress theme. No plugin needed.

Shopify Integration

Steps:

1. Go to Shopify admin → Online Store → Themes
2. Edit theme code → Add new section or snippet
3. Paste AIyou embed code into theme
4. Configure where AI appears (product pages, cart, etc.)
5. Test on your store

Alternatively, use Shopify App Store if we have an official app, or use API to build custom integration that syncs product data with your AI's knowledge base.

Salesforce Integration

Using Salesforce APIs:

1. Create connected app in Salesforce for API access
2. Get OAuth credentials (Client ID, Client Secret)
3. Use Salesforce REST API to sync data to AIyou knowledge base
4. Set up webhooks to sync conversations back to Salesforce
5. Create custom objects/fields to store AI interaction data

This creates a two-way sync: Salesforce data powers your AI, and AI conversations create leads/activities in Salesforce automatically.

Custom Platform Integration

For custom platforms, use our REST API: (1) Authenticate with API key, (2) Make POST requests to chat endpoint with user messages, (3) Process responses and display in your UI, (4) Set up webhooks for real-time updates, (5) Sync your data to AIyou knowledge base via API. Our API is platform-agnostic and works with any system that can make HTTP requests. Full documentation and code examples available.

How do I integrate this with my tools?

Use our REST API or pre-built integrations. For popular platforms like WordPress or Slack, we have one-click integrations. For custom integrations, use our API with code examples provided.

Does it work with [Platform X]?

We support many platforms out of the box. If your platform isn't listed, you can use our REST API to build a custom integration. Our API is platform-agnostic and works with any system that can make HTTP requests.

What's the technical setup?

For most integrations, setup is simple: generate an API key, copy-paste code, and you're done. For custom integrations, you'll need basic programming knowledge to make API calls. Full documentation and examples are provided.