Chapter 7: API - Developer Interfaces

Brilliant! You've connected your tools and built integrated workflows. Now let's unlock unlimited possibilities with Taskade's API—giving you programmatic access to build custom applications, advanced integrations, and automated systems that extend Taskade infinitely.

What Problem Does the API Solve?

Pre-built integrations have limitations:

• Generic functionality that doesn't match your specific needs

• Missing features that your business requires

• Proprietary systems that can't connect to anything else

• Manual processes that should be automated but aren't available

The API solves this by giving you complete programmatic access—build exactly what you need, connect anything to anything, and create custom solutions that perfectly fit your business.

What is the Taskade API? (Programmatic Superpowers)

The Taskade API is a complete RESTful interface that exposes all Taskade functionality programmatically. It transforms Taskade from a productivity tool into a development platform where you can build custom applications, integrations, and automated workflows.

The API enables:

• 🔧 Custom Applications: Build apps tailored to your business

• 🔗 Advanced Integrations: Connect systems that don't have native integrations

• ⚡ Enterprise Automation: Large-scale automated workflows

• 📊 Live Dashboards: Real-time business intelligence

• 🤖 AI-Enhanced Development: Programmatic access to AI features

• 📱 Mobile Applications: Custom mobile experiences

How the API Works (RESTful Architecture)

The API follows REST principles with predictable patterns:

HTTP Methods

GET    /projects       # Retrieve projects
POST   /projects       # Create new project
PUT    /projects/123   # Update project 123
DELETE /projects/123   # Delete project 123

Resource Structure

/workspaces     # Workspace management
/projects       # Project operations
/tasks          # Task manipulation
/users          # User management
/webhooks       # Real-time notifications
/automations    # Workflow automation

Request/Response Format

// Request
{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "/projects",
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
  },
  "body": {
    "name": "New Project",
    "description": "API-created project"
  }
}

// Response
{
  "id": "project_123",
  "name": "New Project",
  "description": "API-created project",
  "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "workspace_id": "workspace_456"
}

Getting Started with the API (Step-by-Step)

Let's make your first API call:

1

Get Your API Key

Go to Settings → Developer → API Keys → Generate New Key

2

Make a Test Call

Use curl to retrieve your projects:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
     https://api.taskade.com/v1/projects

3

Parse the Response

You'll get a JSON array of your projects with full details

4

Create Something New

Try creating a task:

curl -X POST https://api.taskade.com/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "API Test Task", "project_id": "your_project_id"}'

Congratulations! You're now a Taskade API developer!

Core API Resources and Operations

Workspaces API

Manage your organizational structure:

// Get all workspaces
const workspaces = await api.get('/workspaces');

// Create a new workspace
const newWorkspace = await api.post('/workspaces', {
  name: 'API Development Workspace',
  description: 'For custom API integrations'
});

// Update workspace settings
await api.put(`/workspaces/${workspaceId}`, {
  settings: { theme: 'dark', notifications: true }
});

Projects API

Handle project lifecycle:

// List projects with filtering
const projects = await api.get('/projects', {
  params: { workspace_id: 'ws_123', type: 'board' }
});

// Create project from template
const project = await api.post('/projects', {
  name: 'Customer Onboarding',
  template_id: 'template_456',
  workspace_id: 'ws_123'
});

// Update project metadata
await api.patch(`/projects/${projectId}`, {
  description: 'Updated project description',
  due_date: '2024-02-01'
});

Tasks API

Manipulate work items programmatically:

// Get tasks with advanced filtering
const tasks = await api.get('/tasks', {
  params: {
    project_id: 'proj_123',
    assignee: 'user_456',
    status: 'pending',
    due_before: '2024-01-31'
  }
});

// Bulk create tasks
const newTasks = await api.post('/tasks/bulk', {
  tasks: [
    { name: 'Design mockups', assignee: 'user_123' },
    { name: 'Write documentation', assignee: 'user_456' },
    { name: 'Code review', assignee: 'user_789' }
  ]
});

// Update task with custom fields
await api.put(`/tasks/${taskId}`, {
  name: 'Updated task name',
  priority: 'high',
  custom_fields: {
    estimated_hours: 8,
    difficulty: 'medium'
  }
});

Advanced API Techniques

Webhooks for Real-Time Integration

Get instant notifications of changes:

// Register webhook for task updates
const webhook = await api.post('/webhooks', {
  url: 'https://your-app.com/webhook/task-updated',
  events: ['task.created', 'task.updated', 'task.completed'],
  secret: 'your_webhook_secret'
});

// Handle webhook in your application
app.post('/webhook/task-updated', (req, res) => {
  const signature = req.headers['x-taskade-signature'];
  const payload = req.body;

  // Verify webhook signature
  if (verifySignature(signature, payload, webhook.secret)) {
    // Process the task update
    handleTaskUpdate(payload);
    res.status(200).send('OK');
  } else {
    res.status(401).send('Invalid signature');
  }
});

Batch Operations for Efficiency

Handle multiple operations atomically:

// Bulk update multiple tasks
const batchUpdate = await api.post('/batch', {
  operations: [
    {
      method: 'PUT',
      path: '/tasks/task_123',
      body: { status: 'completed' }
    },
    {
      method: 'POST',
      path: '/tasks',
      body: { name: 'Follow-up task', project_id: 'proj_456' }
    },
    {
      method: 'DELETE',
      path: '/tasks/task_789'
    }
  ]
});

Advanced Querying and Filtering

Extract exactly the data you need:

// Complex filtering with multiple criteria
const filteredTasks = await api.get('/tasks', {
  params: {
    project_id: 'proj_123',
    assignee: ['user_456', 'user_789'],
    due_date: { $gte: '2024-01-01', $lte: '2024-01-31' },
    priority: 'high',
    labels: { $in: ['urgent', 'client-work'] },
    sort: '-due_date',
    limit: 50,
    include: ['assignee', 'project']
  }
});

Building Custom Applications

Example: Customer Dashboard

Build a custom interface for customer data:

class CustomerDashboard {
  constructor(apiKey) {
    this.api = new TaskadeAPI(apiKey);
  }

  async getCustomerProjects(customerId) {
    return await this.api.get('/projects', {
      params: {
        'custom_fields.customer_id': customerId,
        include: ['tasks', 'members']
      }
    });
  }

  async updateCustomerStatus(projectId, status) {
    return await this.api.put(`/projects/${projectId}`, {
      custom_fields: { status },
      updated_at: new Date().toISOString()
    });
  }

  async createSupportTicket(customerId, issue) {
    const project = await this.api.post('/projects', {
      name: `Support: ${issue.title}`,
      type: 'list',
      custom_fields: {
        customer_id: customerId,
        priority: issue.priority,
        category: issue.category
      }
    });

    await this.api.post('/tasks', {
      name: issue.description,
      project_id: project.id,
      assignee: 'support_team_lead'
    });

    return project;
  }
}

Example: Automated Reporting System

Generate business reports automatically:

class ReportingSystem {
  constructor(apiKey) {
    this.api = new TaskadeAPI(apiKey);
    this.scheduleDailyReports();
  }

  async generateDailyReport() {
    const yesterday = new Date(Date.now() - 86400000).toISOString().split('T')[0];

    const completedTasks = await this.api.get('/tasks', {
      params: {
        completed_at: { $gte: yesterday },
        include: ['assignee', 'project']
      }
    });

    const report = {
      date: yesterday,
      total_completed: completedTasks.length,
      by_assignee: this.groupByAssignee(completedTasks),
      by_project: this.groupByProject(completedTasks),
      productivity_score: this.calculateProductivity(completedTasks)
    };

    await this.createReportProject(report);
    await this.sendReportEmail(report);
  }

  groupByAssignee(tasks) {
    return tasks.reduce((acc, task) => {
      const assignee = task.assignee?.name || 'Unassigned';
      acc[assignee] = (acc[assignee] || 0) + 1;
      return acc;
    }, {});
  }

  async createReportProject(report) {
    const project = await this.api.post('/projects', {
      name: `Daily Report - ${report.date}`,
      type: 'table'
    });

    // Add report data as tasks/table rows
    for (const [assignee, count] of Object.entries(report.by_assignee)) {
      await this.api.post('/tasks', {
        name: assignee,
        project_id: project.id,
        custom_fields: { tasks_completed: count }
      });
    }
  }
}

API Security and Best Practices

Authentication Security

Protect your API access:

// Use environment variables for API keys
const apiKey = process.env.TASKADE_API_KEY;

// Implement proper error handling
try {
  const response = await api.get('/projects');
  // Process response
} catch (error) {
  if (error.status === 401) {
    // Handle authentication error
    refreshToken();
  } else if (error.status === 429) {
    // Handle rate limiting
    await delay(error.retryAfter);
    retryRequest();
  }
}

Rate Limiting and Optimization

Work within API limits efficiently:

class RateLimitedAPI {
  constructor(apiKey) {
    this.api = new TaskadeAPI(apiKey);
    this.requests = [];
    this.rateLimit = 100; // requests per minute
  }

  async request(method, path, options = {}) {
    // Implement token bucket algorithm
    const now = Date.now();
    this.requests = this.requests.filter(time => now - time < 60000);

    if (this.requests.length >= this.rateLimit) {
      const waitTime = 60000 - (now - this.requests[0]);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, waitTime));
    }

    this.requests.push(now);
    return await this.api.request(method, path, options);
  }
}

Error Handling and Resilience

Build robust API integrations:

class ResilientAPI {
  async requestWithRetry(method, path, options = {}, maxRetries = 3) {
    let lastError;

    for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
      try {
        return await this.api.request(method, path, options);
      } catch (error) {
        lastError = error;

        if (error.status >= 400 && error.status < 500) {
          // Client error, don't retry
          throw error;
        }

        if (attempt < maxRetries) {
          // Exponential backoff
          const delay = Math.pow(2, attempt) * 1000;
          await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
        }
      }
    }

    throw lastError;
  }
}

SDKs and Development Tools

Official SDKs

Pre-built libraries for popular languages:

// JavaScript/TypeScript SDK
import { TaskadeAPI } from '@taskade/sdk';

const api = new TaskadeAPI({
  apiKey: 'your_api_key',
  baseURL: 'https://api.taskade.com/v1'
});

// Python SDK
from taskade import TaskadeAPI

api = TaskadeAPI(api_key='your_api_key')

# Go SDK
import "github.com/taskade/go-sdk/taskade"

api := taskade.NewAPI("your_api_key")

Development Tools

Accelerate your development:

• API Explorer: Interactive web interface for testing endpoints

• Code Generators: Generate SDK code from API specifications

• Webhook Testing Tools: Local webhook development servers

• Monitoring Dashboards: Track API usage and performance

How it Works Under the Hood

Technically, the API is:

• RESTful Architecture: Standard HTTP methods and status codes

• JSON API Specification: Consistent data formats and error handling

• OAuth 2.0 Support: Secure user authentication flows

• Webhook System: Real-time event notifications

• Rate Limiting: Fair usage policies with burst handling

• Caching Layer: Performance optimization for frequently accessed data

• Audit Logging: Complete activity tracking for security

But you don't need to understand the tech—powerful applications just work!

API Use Cases and Examples

Custom Mobile Applications

Build native mobile experiences:

• Field service apps for technicians

• Customer feedback mobile apps

• Inventory management for warehouse staff

• Executive dashboards for leadership

Enterprise Integration Hubs

Connect legacy systems:

• ERP system integration

• HR platform synchronization

• Financial system connections

• Manufacturing execution systems

AI-Powered Applications

Leverage Taskade's AI capabilities:

• Intelligent task routing systems

• Automated content generation workflows

• Smart customer support assistants

• Predictive analytics dashboards

IoT and Hardware Integration

Connect physical devices:

• Sensor data collection and monitoring

• Equipment maintenance scheduling

• Facility management systems

• Smart building automation

Your API-Enabled Ecosystem Becomes Limitless

Programmatic access unlocks infinite possibilities:

• Custom UIs: Build interfaces perfectly suited to your workflows

• Advanced Automation: Create complex multi-system workflows

• Real-time Dashboards: Live business intelligence and monitoring

• Mobile Innovation: Native apps that extend Taskade's reach

• AI Integration: Combine Taskade's AI with your custom logic

Exceptional work! You now have complete programmatic control over Taskade. The API transforms Taskade from a productivity tool into a development platform where you can build anything your business needs.

Ready for the final chapter? In Chapter 8: Mobile & Desktop, we'll ensure your living workspace works perfectly everywhere!

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What's the custom application your business has always needed? With the API, you can now build it. The possibilities are literally endless—start small, dream big!

← Back to Chapter 6: Integrations | Next: Mobile & Desktop →