Technology partners, workflow, and partner endpoints overview.

Some partner endpoints may become available in future V3 API releases.

Partners that integrate with Constant Contact (CTCT) are able to broaden their platform solutions and application offerings by providing their client accounts with CTCT campaign marketing tools and features, such as contact synchronization, segmentation, campaign and contact engagement tracking and reporting.

However, only authorized technology partners have the required partner credentials to use the V3 API to access both standard account endpoints and technology partner endpoints. Our technology partner endpoints allow you to create and manage CTCT client accounts under your partner account.

Technology partner integrations can be as simple as including an action button on your application that links your clients to their CTCT accounts.

Technology Partner Workflow

The following lists and describes the basic steps in the technology partner workflow.

Step 1: Signup to Become a CTCT Technology Partner

To become a technology partner, complete and submit the partner request signup form.

After reviewing your partner request, a member of the Partner Management Team (PMT) will contact you to help you plan your integration. Depending on the complexity of your partner integration, this process may take several weeks.

Step 2: Signup for a V3 API Developer Partner Account

As a technology partner, you are entitled to a free partner account.

To manage your partner application integrations in the CTCT V3 API developer portal, use your existing V3 API developer account or signup for a new account.

To learn more about partner and developer accounts, see Signup for a V3 API Developer Account.

Step 3: Get Your App API key and Partner Credentials

Although you can begin using your new or existing developer account to get access to standard developer account endpoints, you cannot access partner endpoints until the PMT approves your technology partner account, the V3 API Support Team creates or converts your existing account to a technology partner account, registers your app (API key) and you receive your partner credentials.

Each technology partner is assigned a unique partner_client_id and a unique partner_secret (password). The combination of the two make up your partner credentials. You use your partner credentials to authenticate your technology partner user account with CTCT.

For more details, see Technology Partner Registration.

Step 4: Partner Account Authentication and Authorization

To securely authenticate your technology partner account with CTCT, your app must send an authorization request in the form of a URL using the OAuth2 authentication protocol. The OAuth2 authentication flow differs depending on which endpoints (standard or partner) you choose to access.

To get access to developer account endpoints requires that you provide your API key using either the OAuth2 server or client authentication flow. In exchange, you receive a bearer access token authorizing your account to make API calls to developer account endpoints.

To get access to partner endpoints requires that you authenticate your partner credentials using the Partner OAuth2 Implicit authentication flow. In exchange, you receive a JSON web token (JWT) to use, in addition to your API key, which authorizes you to make API calls to partner endpoints.

For more details, see Partner Authentication and Authorization.

Step 5: Create and Manage Client Accounts

To create and manage CTCT client accounts under your partner account, use the partner methods and endpoints listed in the Partner Methods and Endpoints section that follows.

Partner Methods and Endpoints

To make authorized V3 API requests to partner endpoints, include the JWT, API key, and content type (application/x-www-form-urlencoded) in the Authorization request headers.

Example Partner Endpoint API Request

<?php
    
$token = 'JWT_TOKEN'
$api_key = 'API_KEY'
$url = 'https://api.cc.email/v3/partner/accounts'
    
$curl = curl_init();
    
curl_setopt_array($curl, array(
  CURLOPT_URL => $url,
  CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
  CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
  CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
  CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
  CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
  CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET",
  CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array(
    "authorization: Bearer $token",
    "x-api-key: $api_key"
  ),
));
    
$response = curl_exec($curl);
$error = curl_error($curl);
   
curl_close($curl);
    
if ($error) {
  echo "cURL Error #:" . $error;
} else {
  echo $response;
} 

GET /partner/accounts

Use GET /partner/accounts to get a list of all your client accounts.

Related topics:

POST /partner/accounts

Use POST /partner/accounts to create a new client account under your partner account.

Related topics:

GET /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/plan

Use the GET /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/plan endpoint to get billing details for a single client account.

Related topics:

PUT /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/plan

Use PUT /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/plan to update the billing plan for a specified client account.

Related topics:

PUT /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/status/cancel

Use PUT /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/status/cancel to cancel the billing plan for a specified client account.

Related topics:

POST /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/account_operations/sync

Use the POST /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/account_operations/sync endpoint to send a V3 API request on behalf of a managed client account under your partnership.

Related topics:

POST /partner/accounts/{encoded_account_id}/users/sso

Use this endpoint to create a new user under a partner client account that has the Single Sign On (SSO) for all users feature is enabled.

Related topics:

Technology Partner Terminology

The following terms and definitions apply to technical partners:

  • Client accounts: CTCT accounts created and managed under a technology partner account.

  • JSON Web Token (JWT): Open standard (RFC 6749) used between different parties to define a compact and self-contained way for securely transmitting information as a JSON object. This information is digitally signed and can be verified and trusted.

  • Partner credentials: Each technology partner is assigned a unique partner ID and secret (password). The combination of the two make up your partner credentials. Partner credentials are required to authenticate using the OAuth2 Implicit Flow.

  • Partner endpoints: Endpoints that allow authorized technology partner accounts to create and manage CTCT client accounts under their partner account.

  • Partner integrations: The partner software that links CTCT client accounts to technology partner solutions and applications.

  • Partner Management Team: The CTCT Partner Management Team (PMT) that approves and assists in the setup of each technology partner account. The PMT also helps technology partners plan and manage their V3 API integration.

  • Technology Partner: An authorized partner account given special permissions to access the V3 API partner endpoints used to create and manage CTCT client accounts under their technology partner account.

  • Service Provider (SP): Constant Contact, providing access to the users Constant Contact account.

  • Identity Provider (IdP): The Constant Contact Partner, who is responsible for user authentication and authorization.

  • Identity Provider Initiated SSO: also known as Unsolicited Web SSO, the Federation process is initiated by the IdP, sending an unsolicited SAML Response to the SP.

  • Service Provider Initiated SSO: the SP generates an AuthnRequest that is sent to the IDP as the first step in the Federation process, and the IDP then responds with a SAML Response.