Using a Rest API as a Dynamic Content Data Source

Setting up Rest API Dynamic Content

Create a Rest API datasource
Create a new piece of Dynamic Content and select your data source
Select your API HTTP Method (GET or POST)
Enter your API URL
- Matik inputs can be used in the query parameters of the API URL to customize the API call. Entering &:<Input_name> will replace text in the URL with input values.
(POST only) Enter your request body text.
- Matik inputs can be used to customize the API request body. Entering &:<Input_name> will replace text in the URL with input values.
Test. Click on Test API to retrieve a test result.

Formatting API Results

API calls typically return a JSON string.

To get a single value or table from these results additional formatting is needed. Matik utilizes the JQ filtering language to define columns needed from the return JSONs. Matik will only include data specified in the Format Results section of the dynamic content section.

To specific the data from your results json to be formatted and returned, enter a column name (user defined) in the Column Name section of Format Results. In the Result Source section enter the relevant JQ Command to extract that column. For example, if I want to extract the sunrise column from the JSON above, my Format Results would look like the following:

Click on the + Icon to add additional columns to your results table.

Formatting Multiple Row Results in an Array

Often times multiple rows of results will be returned in an array form. In JQ we can access each object as a row using the following notation: .results[].<key> Note that if only an array of jsons is returned we can access the elements with just .[].<key>

For example, if we want the "subject" column of this array:

{
    "results": [
        {
            "classid": 1,
            "level": "101",
            "subject": "French 1",
            "department": "Languages",
            "alt_subject": "Français 1",
            "_id": {
                "$oid": "60494d26917b337f4a9ca774"
            }
        },
        {
            "classid": 2,
            "level": "101",
            "subject": "Algebra 1",
            "department": "Mathematics",
            "_id": {
                "$oid": "60494e4a917b337f4a9ca775"
            }
        }

    ],
    "hasMore": true,
    "responseTime": 17
}

We can enter it in Matik as:

Which will return:

Subject
__________
French 1
Algebra 1

ChatGPT is very good at taking an example JSON returned from an API call and telling you the proper JQ command to extract the data you want:
"How do I extract a table from the following json using JQ: {json}

Example: Pulling Headshots from Slack

If your team's headshots aren't stored in your CRM and you don't want to maintain a folder of images, you can pull each person's Slack profile photo instead. Given an email address, this Dynamic Content returns that person's Slack profile photo URL, which Matik inserts as an image. For example, you can show the account owner's headshot on an intro slide.

1. Create a Slack app and copy its token

In Slack, create an app for your workspace at api.slack.com/apps. Your Slack admin may need to approve it.
Under OAuth & Permissions, add the bot token scopes users:read and users:read.email.
Install the app to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token (it starts with xoxb-).

2. Create a REST API data source for Slack

REST API Base URL: https://slack.com/api
Authentication: Access Via Auth Token, with the token from step 1. Check Token is a bearer token. If you don't see that checkbox, enter the token as Bearer xoxb-... instead.

3. Create the REST API Dynamic Content

HTTP Method: GET
API URL: /users.lookupByEmail?email={{account_owner_email}}. Replace {{account_owner_email}} with the Dynamic Content or input (for example &:owner_email) that returns the person's email address.

Format Results: one column, for example profile_picture_url, with this Result Source:

.user.profile.image_512 // .user.profile.image_192 // .user.profile.image_72 // .user.profile.image_48

Output type: Image

Slack returns the same photo in several sizes. In JQ, // means "if this is empty, use the next one," so Matik returns the largest size available.

Things to know

The email must match a Slack account. If Slack can't find a user with that email, the Dynamic Content returns no image. Add a fallback rule as described in Working with Images in Dynamic Content.
It returns a photo even if someone hasn't uploaded one. People without a custom photo get Slack's default avatar.

Using a Rest API as a Dynamic Content Data Source

Setting up Rest API Dynamic Content

Formatting API Results

Formatting Multiple Row Results in an Array

Example: Pulling Headshots from Slack

1. Create a Slack app and copy its token

2. Create a REST API data source for Slack

3. Create the REST API Dynamic Content

Things to know

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