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Which Oracle Eloqua APIs Should I Use?

Lou Patrick
Lou Patrick Principal Product Manager, Eloqua APIs & App Developer FrameworkPortland, ORPosts: 174 Bronze Trophy
in Developer Tools

Original Blog Post Date: Jul 14, 2017 5:17:47 PM By: @Brigitte Li-Oracle

The Oracle Eloqua platform provides various RESTful APIs and framework for users and partners to extend the functionality of Eloqua.

Determine Your Integration Type

There are several key features that will help determine on a high level which integration point(s) to use.  It is common for integrations to include 2 of the 3, if not all of the APIs and Developer Framework:

  • Moving high volumes of data
    • Bulk API, as it is built for processing high volumes of data with asynchronous pattern
  • Frequency of data synchronization
  • Interacting with Eloqua assets
  • Building an extension in Eloqua
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The chart below helps identify the integration points by business requirements / use cases:

Integration Types
DataWorkflow AutomationDynamic ContentEmbedded UI
Primary FunctionalityTransferring entity and metadata between Eloqua and external platformPerforming external actions as part of Eloqua workflowDelivering email or landing page content based on contact / behavior dataEmbedding UI in Eloqua platform
Targeted Users

Customer IT

Marketing users

Customer IT

Marketing users

Marketing usersAny Eloqua users
UI RequirementsNo requirements from the Eloqua perspective, but may be screens in the external platform for configuration (credentials, field mappings, etc.)

Typically, a minimum of 2 screens should be built:

- Global configuration screen

- Instance configuration screen

Typically, a minimum of 2 screens should be built:

- Global configuration screen

- Instance configuration screen

A minimum of 1 screen should be built:

- Marketer UI (may be embedded in Eloqua)

Main Integration Points

Bulk API

Application API

(Optional) AppCloud Developer Framework Service:

  • Firehose

Bulk API with Sync Action

Application API

One or more AppCloud Developer Framework Services:

- Action

- Decision

- Feeder

Bulk API with Sync Action

Application API

AppCloud Developer Framework Service:

- Content

Bulk and/or Application API

AppCloud Developer Framework Service:

- Menu

General Resources

Here are some resources to help you get started developing for the Oracle Eloqua platform.

Type: Data

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Eloqua apps and integrations that fall into this category facilitate one-way or bi-directional server-to-server data flow between Eloqua and one or more external platforms. The data can include:

  • Contact / Account information
  • Custom Object records
  • Eloqua-tracked activities (export only)
  • Externally-tracked activities (import only)
  • Marketing assets

Users: Normally such apps are configured, and used by customer IT, marketing users, or partners as a managed service.  The day-to-day marketing users have little interaction with the integration itself although they can make use of the data.

UI requirements: There are no UI requirements to build the partner integration.  However it is expected that a UI is implemented (often on the partner’s platform) for maintaining field mappings, execution schedules, and other app configuration information.  The recommended frequency for data synchronization is as often as every 15 minutes due to API limits in various platforms.  The UI should also maintain logs so that customers and/or the partner can view ongoing issues and the statuses. Partners who wish to use data from the Firehose service (i.e. subscribing to asset-based events in real-time), the Oracle Eloqua AppCloud Developer Framework must be utilized.

Integration points: The Bulk API 2.0 is employed for bulk data transfer for contacts, accounts and custom objects, as well as data schema metadata (e.g. field names and data types for mapping purposes), whereas the Application API is used for transactional data transfer and accessing marketing assets.  Additional partner RESTful API endpoints need to be in place if the Firehose service is being implemented.

Resources:

Type: Workflow Automation

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Apps / integrations for Workflow Automation integrate services provided by an external system into an Eloqua campaign or program workflow.  Eloqua makes a call out to your application endpoint real-time, as the Eloqua workflow is activated or member records arrive at the Cloud step.  The outbound request can include contact data (for contact-based campaigns or programs) or custom object data (for custom object-based programs only).

Some of the typical use cases for each of the services include but not limited to:

  • Action – send SMS messages to contacts, register for a webinar, send contacts to downstream system

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  • Decision – check whether contacts attended external events, responded in a particular way in survey questions

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  • Feeder – feed new or updated contacts from an external system into welcome/nurture campaigns in Eloqua

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Users: If the services are available on the Campaign Canvas, the typical users are marketing users.  For those available on the Program Canvas, as these workflows are “set and forget” and automated in the background, they are typically used and configured by customer IT or advanced marketing users.

UI requirements: A minimum of 2 UIs need to be implemented.  The global configuration screen facilitates the linking of the Eloqua OAuth tokens with the account on the destination platform and any default/account-level field mappings or configurations.  The instance configuration screen maintains instance-level field mappings and criteria definition.

Integration points: The Oracle Eloqua AppCloud Developer Framework must be implemented in order to leverage the Action / Decision / Feeder services. The transfer of data and statuses to Eloqua requires the usage of Bulk API 2.0 with sync actions, and the Application API is used for data schema metadata (e.g. field names and data types for mapping purposes).

Resources:

Type: Dynamic Content

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For this category type, the apps/integrations integrate Eloqua with an external platform to source content in emails and landing pages.  When emails are being generated / landing pages rendered, Eloqua calls your application endpoint with the requested contact data.  The typical use cases of this service include embedding videos or sourcing latest and/or approved content from social channels, Content Management Systems (CMS), Digital Asset Management (DAM), etc.

Users: Typical users are marketing users, as they create asset templates and contents.

UI requirements: A minimum of 2 UIs need to be implemented.  The global configuration screen facilitates the linking of the Eloqua OAuth tokens with the account on the destination platform and any default/account-level field mappings or configurations.  The instance configuration screen maintains instance-level field mappings and criteria definition.

Integration points: The Bulk API 2.0 is employed for bulk data transfer of content into Eloqua assets (i.e. emails or landing pages); whereas the Application API is used for asset creation/modification/retrieval.

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Resources:

Type: Embedded UI

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Embedded UI apps/integrations seamlessly integrate external workflow within Eloqua via a menu dock or a new browser tab.  The menu dock floats on the right side of the screen in multiple locations in Eloqua.  When the Menu App is clicked, Eloqua calls out to the endpoint where your application is listening on, passing along information about the asset or area from which your app was launched.  The typical use cases of this service include campaign / asset-level status reporting, displaying centralized marketing calendars, file explorers to external systems, or shortcuts to other platforms.

Users: Any Eloqua users.

UI requirements: A minimum of 1 UI needs to be implemented.  The marketer UI screen facilitates the external workflow (e.g. login screen, configuration, form, etc.).

Integration points: The Bulk API 2.0 is employed for bulk data transfer of content into Eloqua assets (i.e. emails or landing pages); whereas the Application API is used for asset creation/modification/retrieval.

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Resources:

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