Friendly APIs to alert, notify, and update your customers

A communications API connects software (like an app or marketing automation software) with messaging services, so it can send texts, emails, voice calls, or WhatsApp messages automatically. Instead of building those systems from scratch, developers use an API or Application Programming Interface, to plug into networks that handle the delivery. Some platforms, like Dotdigital, also use AI to personalize when and how messages are sent for better results.

One example is the Dotdigital Communications API, which lets businesses send personalized emails, SMS, and WhatsApp messages automatically from their own systems. For example, an online store can use an API to automatically send a text message with delivery updates to a customer as soon as their order ships without anyone having to do it manually.

At its core, an API (Application Programming Interface) is what allows different pieces of software to share data and work together. For businesses, general benefits include:

• Automating everyday tasks to save time and reduce manual errors
• Speeding up development by connecting to tools that already do the heavy lifting
• Keeping systems in sync with live data instead of outdated exports or spreadsheets
• Giving teams the flexibility to build custom workflows that match how they actually work
• Helping different apps ‘talk’ to each other without clunky workarounds

Marketing-specific benefits

When it comes to marketing, APIs unlock more than just convenience, they power personalized, and timely communication. A communications API, for example, can:

• Automatically send an SMS, email, or WhatsApp message when someone places an order or abandons their cart
• Keep contact lists and preferences up to date across your CRM, email platform, and reporting tools
• Help ensure your messaging feels consistent, whether someone’s receiving a text or an email
• Make it easier to personalize campaigns using real-time behaviour or purchase data
• Break down silos between marketing, sales, and support by giving everyone access to the same up-to-date information

You can use the Dotdigital Communications API to send a wide range of messages across multiple channels, including:

• Email: Transactional messages like order confirmations, password resets, and triggered personalized product recommendation emails powered by behavioral data and AI
• SMS: Real-time alerts such as delivery updates, appointment reminders, or flash sales
• WhatsApp: Automated, rich media conversations using WhatsApp marketing for support, promotions, or notifications
• Push notifications: In-app alerts (if integrated) triggered by user behaviour or transactional events
• Triggered campaigns: Messages based on customer actions like purchases, sign-ups, or abandoned carts, powered by marketing automation
• Multichannel journeys: Orchestrated customer journeys across email, SMS, and WhatsApp using real-time data and behavioral insights

With the API, these messages can be sent instantly, scheduled in advance, or triggered by data from your CRM, ecommerce store, or website, keeping your brand relevant, responsive, and personal.

A Communications API adds value to almost any industry that needs to send real-time, automated messages to customers. Today, customers expect timely, personalized communication—like order confirmations or welcome messages—and a Communications API makes that easy to deliver at scale. Here’s how some industries use it to improve engagement and efficiency:

• Ecommerce and retail: Send order confirmations, shipping updates, and personalized product recommendations across email, SMS, and WhatsApp. Automate loyalty messages, flash sales, and back-in-stock alerts across channels
• Travel and hospitality: Deliver booking confirmations, booking abandonment messages, itinerary changes, and real-time flight or check-in updates
• Financial services: Send secure account alerts, fraud warnings, or policy updates instantly
• Education: Notify students or parents about timetables, closures, or important deadlines
• Not-for-profit: Keep supporters engaged with donation receipts, fundraising appeals, and event invites across multiple touchpoints
• Sports & entertainment: Send ticket confirmations, show or matchday reminders, live updates, and personalized fan messages, including promotions for merchandise and exclusive offers before, during, and after events
• B2B SaaS and technology: Onboard users with automated welcome flows, usage alerts, or renewal nudges

By integrating a Communications API like Dotdigital’s, these industries can send the right message at the right time.