Bookly Read Rest API

Here's a comprehensive tutorial on using the Bookly Read API:

Introduction

The Bookly Read API provides a way for developers to access and manipulate Bookly data programmatically. Whether you're building a mobile app, a web widget, or a custom booking system, the Bookly Read API can help you integrate Bookly's services into your project. With the API, you can retrieve information about bookings, services, providers, clients, and more.

This tutorial will guide you through the process of setting up and using the Bookly Read API. We'll cover the basics of working with the API, such as authentication, request construction, and error handling. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a solid understanding of how to use the Bookly Read API to fetch the data you need.

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, make sure you have:

1. A Bookly account set up with at least one Bookly installation.
2. A programming language of choice (e.g., Java, Python, JavaScript) and a way to test API requests (e.g., Postman, a web browser).
3. Familiarity with APIs and HTTP requests.

Step 1: Understanding the API Endpoints and Parameters

The Bookly Read API provides several endpoints for retrieving different types of data. Here are a few examples:

• GET /bookings: Retrieves a list of booking records.
• GET /bookings/{booking_id}: Retrieves a specific booking record by its ID.
• GET /services: Retrieves a list of service records.

Each endpoint accepts specific query parameters that allow you to filter or sort the retrieved data. For example:

• page: Indicates the page number of records to retrieve (default = 1).
• per_page: Specifies the number of records to display per page (default = 10).
• status: Filters bookings based on their status (e.g., "pending", "confirmed", " cancelled").

Take a look at the Bookly Read API documentation for a complete list of endpoints and parameters: Bookly Read API Documentation.

Step 2: Setting up API Authentication

To make API requests, you need to authenticate with Bookly. You can do this by generating an API key and including it in each request. Here's how:

1. Log in to your Bookly dashboard and navigate to Setting» API.
2. Click the Generate key button to generate an API key.
3. Copy the API key. You'll need it later.

In your API client, include the API key in the Authorization header using the Basic authentication scheme. Here's an example in HTTP headers:

Authorization: Basic <base64_encoded_api_key>

Replace <base64_encoded_api_key> with the actual API key, encoded in base64.

Step 3: Constructing API Requests

Now that you're authenticated, you can make API requests. Here are some examples:

• Retrieve a list of bookings (json format):

  GET https://example.com/bookly/api/v1/bookings?page=1&per_page=10 HTTP/1.1
  Authorization: Basic <base64_encoded_api_key>
  Content-Type: application/json

• Retrieve a specific booking record (json format):

  GET https://example.com/bookly/api/v1/bookings/1234 HTTP/1.1
  Authorization: Basic <base64_encoded_api_key>
  Content-Type: application/json

  Pay attention to the API base URL, which is https://example.com/bookly/api/v1/ (replace https://example.com with your actual Bookly base URL).

Step 4: Handling API Response and Errors

When the Bookly Read API responds to a request, it will provide a JSON object containing the requested data. If something goes wrong (e.g., invalid API key, missing parameters), the response will contain an error object with a meaningful error message.

Here's an example API response in JSON format:

{
    "bookings": [...],
    "meta": {
        "page": 1,
        "per_page": 10,
        "total_results": 20
    }
}

You can handle API responses in your code by parsing the JSON object and extracting the relevant data.

Bonus Tip: API Rate Limits

To prevent abuse of the API, Bookly implemented rate limits on API requests. Make sure to consult the Bookly Read API documentation for more information about API rate limits and how they affect your application.

Conclusion

That's it for this tutorial! You're now equipped with the basic knowledge of how to use the Bookly Read API to fetch data programmatically. Remember to check the documentation for more information on APIs, endpoints, and usage guidelines. Happy coding, and I hope you can integrate Bookly's functionality seamlessly into your project.

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