All About the Feathr API

The Feathr API empowers your team to build custom solutions around Feathr. It lets you connect Feathr to your CRM, website, and the other tools you already use. Supporter lists, signups, and engagement data move between your systems automatically, without CSV uploads or copying records manually. Your team spends less time on spreadsheets, and your campaigns are built on current contact data.

The Feathr API is currently in beta. This article explains what the API can do, how to decide if it's right for your organization, how to keep your data secure, and how to get your developer started. If you're the person writing the code, you can go straight to the Feathr API documentation.

Table of Contents

• What can the Feathr API do?
• Workflows your team could streamline
• Is the Feathr API right for us?
  • Who needs to be involved
  • What it takes to get started
  • What "beta" means
  • Before you commit
• How to get access
• Security and data access
  • How API keys and permissions work
  • Best practices
• Briefing your developer or agency
  • Before your developer starts
  • Permissions to choose from
  • Where to find the technical documentation
• Common Questions

What can the Feathr API do?

API stands for application programming interface. It's a way for two pieces of software to share data directly. With the Feathr API, a system your organization already uses can send information to Feathr, pull information out of Feathr, or both.

During the beta, the Feathr API can work with:

• People: Look up, create, and update people, and add or remove tags.
• Activity: Send website and form activity from other systems into Feathr, including page views, link clicks, form views, form submissions, and custom activity. You can also read every type of activity Feathr tracks, like ad views and clicks, email sends, opens, and clicks, donations, conversions, and CRM sync events. In the API, activity records are called breadcrumbs.
• Tags and custom fields: Create, view, edit, and delete the tags and custom fields you use to organize people.
• Webhooks: Get notified automatically whenever a person is created or updated in Feathr.
• Campaigns, Projects, and Flights: View basic details like names, types, statuses, and dates. These are view-only in the API.

Workflows your team could streamline

Here are a few ways nonprofits and associations can use the API:

• Turn CRM lists into audiences. Sync donor, lapsed, monthly, event, and board lists from your CRM to Feathr as tags and custom fields. Use those tags and custom fields to build Groups for your campaigns, and they stay current as your lists change.
• Keep lists in sync. RSVPs, gala guests, and board lists are created and updated in Feathr automatically whenever they change in your other systems.
• Send form signups straight to Feathr. Signups from your website or other tools arrive in Feathr as form submissions, with details like interests, ZIP code, and language saved to the person's record.
• Bring engagement back to your CRM. Pull email, ad, form, and donation activity from Feathr and add it to each supporter's CRM record.
• Know when a supporter joins. Your other systems get an alert as soon as a person is created or updated in Feathr.
• Own your reporting. Feed campaign details and engagement activity into the dashboard or portals your team already uses.

Is the Feathr API right for us?

The Feathr API is a good fit if your organization wants contact data to move between Feathr and your other systems programmatically, and you have someone who can build and maintain the connection. Use this section to decide whether to move forward before anyone starts building.

Who needs to be involved

• Your developers build the connections between Feathr and your CRM, website forms, and dashboards, using your own IDs, tags, and custom fields. This can be in-house staff or an agency partner.
• Your marketing and fundraising teams put the data to work, running campaigns on current supporter data without exports or re-uploads.
• Your account admins stay in control. They decide what each connection can access and can shut off access anytime.

What it takes to get started

The effort depends on what you want to connect. For example, sending form signups into Feathr is a smaller project than keeping your CRM and Feathr in sync both ways. Before your discovery call with Feathr, it helps to know:

• Which system you want to connect, like your CRM, AMS, or website
• What data should move, and in which direction: into Feathr, out of Feathr, or both
• What you want to accomplish, like building Groups from CRM lists or adding Feathr activity to supporter records
• Who will build the integration, whether that's in-house developer or an agency partner
• Who will manage API keys in your Feathr account

A Feathr API specialist can help you confirm the API is a fit and talk through the scope of your project on the discovery call.

What "beta" means

The Feathr API is in beta. This means it's live and you can build on it today, while we're still adding to it and refining it based on how customers use it.

• Want to use the API? Contact Feathr's Customer Success team to request access. We'll set up a short call to understand what you're hoping to build and make sure the API is a good fit.
• We'd love your feedback. Share ideas or suggestions with Feathr's Customer Success team.

Because the API is still in beta, there are some things to keep in mind:

• Endpoints, fields, and limits may change.
• You may run into limitations we haven't found yet.

We can't predict all of these yet, and that's the purpose of a beta. Trying it with real customers helps us learn what works best and where it needs to improve. If the API itself doesn't behave the way the Feathr API documentation describes, contact Feathr's Support team and we'll escalate the issue.

Turning on API access doesn't change anything in your account by itself. Data you create or update through the API is real account data, so it shows up in Feathr the same way data entered in the app does.

Before you commit

Taking on the API is a commitment, so we want to be upfront about what it involves before you decide.

• You'll need your own developer. Feathr doesn't build or maintain custom API integrations for customers. You will need a developer or agency partner who can take full ownership of the integration. If you don't have someone who can tackle this, you can discuss options with the Customer Success team to learn about potential solutions.
• Your integration is your team's responsibility. A Feathr API specialist will offer guidance during your discovery call and early setup. After that, how your integration is built, how it works, and how it's maintained are up to your team. Plan to monitor it over time and keep it up to date as your needs change.
• Your integration only does what it's built to do. Test it carefully before you rely on it. A change in one of your systems can update many Feathr records. For example, if your integration removes tags in Feathr whenever they're removed in your CRM, removing a tag from many CRM records could change any Groups that use that tag. 
• API changes may sync to your CRM. If you have a CRM integration set up with Feathr, records you write through the API may sync to your CRM. This depends on your sync settings: if your integration syncs a field, API changes to that field will sync too. Check your integration's sync settings before you start writing data through the API.
• Your developer is your first point of contact. If something isn't working with your integration, reach out to your developer first. The Feathr Support team can't fix the integrations you build, but if the API itself isn't working as documented, please let us know by reaching out Feathr's Support team.
• You don't need the API if your current setup works. If you're happy with how Feathr connects to your other tools today, whether that's through Zapier, iMIS, Raiser's Edge NXT, or conversion pixels, there's no need to change anything.

We share this so you can make the best decision for your organization. Before you get started, talk it through with everyone who would be involved.

How to get access

During the beta, API access is turned on for accounts that were invited to the beta.

• If your account was invited, your team met with Feathr's API specialist, and your team is confident the API is right for you, then you can skip ahead to Step 3.
• If your account wasn't invited, or you're not sure the API is the right fit, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Contact the Customer Success team to request API access.

Step 2: Meet with a Feathr API specialist for a discovery call. The call is a chance to confirm the API can do what you need. If it's a good fit and API access isn't already on, the specialist turns it on during the call. They can also help you create your first API key and test it together.

Tip: Invite your developer or agency partner to the discovery call. They can ask technical questions and leave the call with a working API key.

Step 3: Build your integration. Your developer uses the Feathr API documentation as their guide.

Once API access is on, account admins can create and manage API keys from Account Settings > Integrations > API keys.

When you create an API key, you'll choose its permissions and can set an expiration date.

Note: A new API key is shown only once. Copy it and store it somewhere secure before you leave the page.

Security and data access

API keys let other software access your Feathr data, so treat them like passwords. Here's how API keys protect your account and what you can do to keep your data secure.

How API keys and permissions work

Each integration connects to Feathr with an API key. As an admin, you will create an API key and choose its permissions, which control exactly what that key can do. For example, a key can be allowed to view people but not edit them. Every key is shown only once when it's created and can be revoked instantly.

Best practices

• Each API key works with one Feathr account only. A key created in your account can't access any other Feathr account.
• Grant only the permissions an integration needs. For example, an integration that only reads activity doesn't need permission to edit people. If a key is ever exposed, limited permissions limit what it can do.
• Set an expiration date for keys that are only needed for a limited time, like a short-term project or an agency contract with an end date.
• Revoke keys right away when you no longer need them. If you work with an agency, revoke their key as soon as the contract ends.
• Use a separate API key for each integration. That way, you can revoke one integration's access without affecting the others.
• All API keys in an account share one usage limit. A busy integration can slow down your other integrations, so let your developer know about every integration using the API.

Briefing your developer or agency

Use this checklist to hand off your project to whoever is building the integration. You can forward this section to them directly using this link.

Before your developer starts

1. Confirm API access. If your account was invited to the beta, access is already on. If not, an account admin contacts the Customer Success team and meets with a Feathr API specialist. Your developer or agency doesn't need to do this step.
2. If you're having a discovery call, invite your developer or agency. They can ask technical questions, and the specialist can help them create and test the first API key on the call.
3. Agree on which permissions the integration needs. Use the list below.
4. Create an API key here (Account Settings > Integrations > API keys) with only those permissions. Set an expiration date if the work is for a limited time.
5. Share the API key securely. Avoid sending it in a regular email or chat message.
6. Tell your developer about any other integrations using the API, since all API keys in your account share one usage limit.
7. Decide who will revoke the key when the integration is retired or the engagement ends.

Permissions to choose from

Only grant the permissions the integration needs. The technical name for each permission is included for your developer.

Where to find the technical documentation

Your developer's main resource is the Feathr API documentation. It includes:

• An overview of how the API works
• A step-by-step guide to making a first request
• How API keys and permissions work
• How people, activity, campaigns, Projects, tags, and custom fields relate to each other
• A complete reference for every request the API accepts and the data it returns

Common Questions

Where can my developer find information about how the Feathr API works?

Please send the Feathr API documentation to your developer. View the Briefing your developer or agency section for details on what’s included in the documentation.

Do I need a developer to use the Feathr API?

Yes. The API connects systems through code, so you'll need a developer or agency partner to build the integration.

We don’t have a developer. What are our options?

If you don't have someone who can tackle this, you can discuss options with the Customer Success team to learn about potential solutions.

The Feathr API is built for teams that have a developer or agency partner, but it's not the only way to connect Feathr to your other tools. Many organizations connect Feathr to the apps they already use with Zapier, which you can set up without writing any code. Feathr also has built-in integrations with iMIS and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT. 

If you're not sure which option fits your team, Feathr’s Customer Success team is happy to help you figure it out.

We already use Zapier, iMIS, or Raiser's Edge NXT with Feathr. Do we need the API?

Not at all. If your current setup is working well for you, there's no need to change anything. The Feathr API is completely optional. The API is simply another option for teams that want to build something custom, so there's no reason to take on extra work if you're already happy with how things are running.

I don't see the option to create an API key. Why not?

Only admins can create API keys. If you're an admin and don't see the option here, under Settings > Integrations > API keys, contact the Customer Success team to request access.

Who can create API keys?

Account admins. API keys are issued to your Feathr account, not to an individual user.

How do we share an API key with our developer securely?

Treat your API key like a password, and avoid sending it in a regular email or chat message. Instead, use a secure sharing option, like a password manager's sharing feature. If you think a key was shared somewhere it shouldn't have been, revoke it right away and create a new one.

Something isn't working with our API integration. Who should we contact?

Start with your developer or agency partner. They built your integration and know how it's set up, so they're in the best position to find and fix the problem.

If your developer or agency partner has reviewed the problem and determined the API itself isn't behaving the way the Feathr API documentation describes, then contact Feathr's Support team and we'll escalate the issue.

Can Feathr build our integration for us?

No. Feathr doesn't build or maintain a customer’s custom integration. A Feathr API specialist can offer guidance during your discovery call and early setup, but your developer or agency partner is responsible for building and maintaining the integration over time.

How can I contact Feathr Customer Success?

Email customersuccess@feathr.co. 

How can I contact Feathr Support?

Email support@feathr.co. 

Note: The information in this article only applies to the Feathr API. This article is subject to change.