Eliminating API Errors with Froomle Integration

Integrating Froomle into your applications can occasionally lead to encountering API errors. However, several methods can aid in identifying, debugging, and ultimately resolving these issues, ensuring a smooth Froomle integration. The methods discussed below will equip you with the tools and insights you need:

Browser-Based Integration Debugging

For web-based applications, browser developer tools can be invaluable:

  • Detailed network request logs, including Froomle API calls, are available in the console.

  • Any API failures will be logged with specific error messages, pointing towards potential issues like incorrect request formatting or misuse of Froomle API endpoints.

Debugging Non-Browser Applications

Applications outside the browser environment require meticulous error handling:

  • It’s essential to manage exceptions when the Froomle API doesn’t return a 200 status code.

  • Always log error responses for inspection.

Our Kotlin integration example provides a code snippet illustrating this:

if (httpResponse.statusCode() >= 300) {
	throw Exception("Unexpected ${httpResponse.statusCode()}:${httpResponse.body()}")
}

Identifying your user_id and device_id

Understanding your user_id and device_id is crucial for effective debugging. This section outlines how to identify these IDs if they’re not readily accessible through your system.

  1. Temporarily write all detail_pageview events to a log.

  2. Visit an article with minimal traffic, such as an old article or non-public article.

  3. Filter the log on

    1. the time window in which you visited the article and

    2. the item_id of the article.

  4. If only one event remains, it should display your user_id and device_id.

  5. If more than one event remains, you can repeat the same procedure until the intersection of all user_id and device_id only contains one pair of user_id and device_id, which then is the pair you are looking for.

Debugging Inconsistent API Call Behavior

Encountering inconsistency in API call responses can be challenging. This section outlines steps to identify under what conditions an API call like click_on_recommendation might fail.

  1. Log Event Outcomes: As detailed in Debugging Non-Browser Applications, log the HTTP response status code for every click_on_recommendation event to determine if it fails or succeeds.

  2. Catalog Diverse Conditions: Identify various conditions under which you can test the API calls. These may include:

    • Different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)

    • Web versus app interface

    • Operating systems (iOS vs. Android)

    • Different pages or sections of your application

    • Time elapsed since the start of page load

    • Page elements loaded at click time

    • Subscribers vs Non-subscribers

    • Other relevant variables (e.g., network conditions, user settings) Note: These are examples; consider other relevant conditions specific to your application.

  3. Manual Event Simulation: With a known user_id or device_id, manually trigger click_on_recommendation events across the identified conditions. Monitor the logs for the HTTP response status code in real time, filtering for events associated with the specific user_id or device_id. Observe and record whether each event succeeds or fails.

Remember to systematically vary one condition at a time for clear results and maintain comprehensive logs for thorough analysis.

Harnessing the Froomle Portal for Debugging

The Froomle portal presents a comprehensive snapshot of API errors from all integrations. Although this is advantageous, distinguishing errors from diverse integrations might be intricate. To enhance accuracy, it’s recommended to merge this approach with other debugging techniques.

Error Timestamps: Every API error is accompanied by a UTC timestamp. By strategically testing your applications at different times, you can correlate these timestamps to specific application instances.

With these insights and tactics at your disposal, you’re well-prepared to diagnose and rectify any API challenges during your Froomle integration.