How to format an API call to Mailchimp

[XLbyname]

Hi All,

I am building something in Excel to draw in data from Mailchimp, but I'm learning about APIs from scratch.

Just to dip my toe in the water I am trying to make my first API call, a simple ping. I just want to do this from a browser and see the response "Everything's Chimpy!"

https://[SERVER-LOCATION].api.mailchimp.com/3.0/ping

If I pop that in a browser - replacing [SERVER-LOCATION] with us4 I get:

{"type":"Errors Documentation | Mailchimp Developer","title":"API Key Invalid","status":401,"detail":"Your request did not include an API key.","instance":"8cc77e58-464f-ce8c-b852-c3aeef6a1183"}

So let's say my API key is "ABC123-us4" how can I amend what I put in the browser so it returns a successful ping? Ideal answers in simple URL form as below avoiding [generic square bracketed things]. Just use the ABC123-us4 exactly as it is. No VBA code at this stage, just a single URL.

I went for this and it didn't work:

https://us4.api.mailchimp.com/3.0/ping&apikey=ABC123-us4

Thanks so much for your help.

Tom

 

[John_w]

The query string part of the URL starts with a question mark and parameters are separated by an ampersand. Therefore try:

https://us4.api.mailchimp.com/3.0/ping?apikey=ABC123-us4

 

[XLbyname]

The query string part of the URL starts with a question mark and parameters are separated by an ampersand. Therefore try:

https://us4.api.mailchimp.com/3.0/ping?apikey=ABC123-us4

Thanks very much. That's what I figured it would be but no dice. Either the API key is wrong or we're not quite there yet. But many thanks for your help.

Response:
{"type":"Errors Documentation | Mailchimp Developer","title":"API Key Invalid","status":401,"detail":"Your request did not include an API key.","instance":"a1a6ca68-4175-a4a4-0bad-4e7bc39f1946"}

 

[Dan_W]

The error message and documentation tells you what the problem is:

API Key Invalid The API key is either invalid or disabled; there will be more information in the “detail”.

If the API key is valid, have you checked to make sure that you've enabled it for authentication?

 

[XLbyname]

The error message and documentation tells you what the problem is:

If the API key is valid, have you checked to make sure that you've enabled it for authentication?

Ooooh. No - tell me more!

 

[Dan_W]

Ooooh. No - tell me more!

Im not sure what more there is to say. I've just quoted the error documentation you linked to in your post. Error number 401 (as per the error message). It links to a guide on authenticating via the marketing API, so...