Many business owners hear the term API integration and assume it is either very expensive, very complicated, or both. In most cases, neither is true. Connecting an ExpressionEngine site to an external system, whether that is a CRM, a payment processor, a booking platform, or a data feed, is a well-understood category of development work. Understanding the basics helps you commission it intelligently and assess what you are being quoted.
An API is a defined way for two software systems to share information. When your ExpressionEngine site submits a contact form and that information automatically appears in your CRM, an API integration is doing that work. When a payment is processed through Stripe and your site updates an order record, that is an API integration. When your site displays real-time availability from a booking system, that is also an API integration. The technology differs in each case but the concept is the same: two systems exchanging information in a structured, automatic way.
The complexity of an API integration depends on several factors: whether the third-party system has a well-documented, modern API; whether the data needs to flow in one direction or two; whether any transformation of data is required between the systems; and whether the integration needs to handle error states gracefully. Most common business integrations, covering CRM, payment, email, and booking, fall into the simpler end of this range.
ExpressionEngine provides good tools for handling form submissions, storing data, and triggering actions based on site events. It does not have built-in connectors to most third-party systems, so integrations are typically built as custom add-ons or PHP scripts that interact with both EE and the external API. For more complex integrations, the work may sit outside EE entirely, in a separate application layer that connects to both systems.
What does the third-party system's API documentation look like, and is it actively maintained? Does the integration need to update in real time or in batches? Who owns the integration code if the developer relationship changes? What happens if the external API changes, and what is the cost of updating the integration? These questions help you understand what you are buying and what the ongoing cost looks like.
If you are weighing up an API integration for your ExpressionEngine site, get in touch with Karl to talk through what it would involve.
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Expression 37 works with a small number of clients at any one time. These are some of them.
Karl founded Expression 37 in 2007 and has worked exclusively with ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS ever since. He does not take on work in other platforms and does not hand work to other developers. Expression 37 is deliberately small, because the kind of support that matters to clients with business-critical sites is specific to their site, not something that scales in the conventional sense. If you work with Expression 37, you work with Karl.
Find out how we workOur ExpressionEngine website had been running on an outdated version for some time and we knew it needed attention, but finding someone with the right expertise to handle it properly was a concern. Expression 37 assessed the site thoroughly, explained exactly what was involved, and carried out the upgrade with no disruption to our business. The site has been noticeably more reliable since, and having ongoing support in place means we know any issues will be dealt with quickly. Straightforward to work with and clearly know what they are doing.
James Dawber - Managing Director
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