Best Practices

Follow these best practices to get the most out of ContactList and ensure optimal performance, security, and efficiency.

Forms

• Keep forms short and focused
• Only ask for essential information
• Use conditional logic to show relevant fields
• Test forms before making them active
• Set up email notifications for submissions
• Use clear labels and helpful placeholders

Form Design Tips

• Use multi-step forms for longer forms to improve completion rates
• Implement progress indicators so users know how much is left
• Use file upload fields sparingly and set appropriate size limits
• Test form validation rules thoroughly before going live
• Make sure your forms are mobile-responsive

Email Marketing

• Segment your audience for relevant content
• Personalize emails with variables
• Test subject lines with A/B testing
• Clean your lists regularly (remove bounces)
• Monitor engagement metrics
• Don't over-email your subscribers
• Include clear unsubscribe options (automatic)

Email Campaign Best Practices

• Use the visual email builder to create responsive designs
• Test emails across different email clients before sending
• Use A/B testing to optimize subject lines, content, and send times
• Monitor open rates, click rates, and bounce rates
• Resend campaigns to non-openers or non-clickers when appropriate
• Use automation workflows for welcome series and re-engagement

Segmentation Best Practices

• Create segments based on subscriber behavior and engagement
• Use tags and groups to organize subscribers effectively
• Leverage dynamic segments that update automatically
• Test segment sizes before sending large campaigns

Data Collections

• Plan your schema before creating collections
• Use validation rules to ensure data quality
• Secure your API keys (never share publicly)
• Create backups before major changes
• Monitor API usage
• Use webhooks for real-time updates

Schema Design

• Design your collection schema with future needs in mind
• Use appropriate field types for each data point
• Set validation rules to catch errors early
• Document your schema for team members
• Use relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many) when appropriate

Data Management

• Regularly review and clean your data
• Use data versioning to track changes
• Create scheduled backups for important collections
• Monitor data growth and plan for scaling

Automation

• Start with simple workflows
• Test triggers before activating
• Add delays between emails in sequences
• Monitor workflow performance
• Don't create too many competing workflows

Workflow Design

• Map out your workflow logic before building it
• Use conditional branching for different subscriber paths
• Set appropriate wait times between steps
• Test workflows with a small group before full deployment
• Monitor workflow metrics and adjust as needed

API Usage

Rate Limiting

Be mindful of rate limits. The API allows 1000 requests per hour. To avoid hitting limits:

• Cache responses when appropriate
• Use pagination for large datasets
• Batch requests when possible
• Monitor your rate limit headers

Error Handling

Always implement proper error handling:

try {
  const response = await fetch('/api/contacts');
  if (!response.ok) {
    throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status}`);
  }
  const data = await response.json();
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Failed to fetch contacts:', error);
  // Handle error appropriately
}

Use Webhooks

Instead of polling, use webhooks to receive real-time updates when contacts change. This is more efficient and reduces API calls.

Security

API Key Management

• Store API keys securely (environment variables, secret managers)
• Never commit keys to version control
• Use different keys for different environments
• Rotate keys regularly
• Revoke unused or compromised keys

Data Privacy

Respect data privacy and GDPR requirements:

• Only collect data you need
• Get proper consent for data collection
• Provide ways for users to access and delete their data
• Encrypt sensitive data in transit and at rest

GDPR Compliance

• Honor data deletion requests (right to deletion/erasure)
• Provide data export requests (right to portability)
• Implement data retention policies
• Use automatic data anonymization when appropriate

Performance

Pagination

When fetching large lists, always use pagination:

GET /contacts?page=1&limit=50

Caching

Cache API responses when data doesn't change frequently. Use appropriate cache headers and expiration times.

Database Queries

When using external database integration:

• Leverage query caching for frequently accessed data
• Monitor query performance
• Use rate limiting to prevent database overload
• Optimize queries for better performance

Workspace Management

• Use separate workspaces for different projects or clients
• Organize team members with appropriate roles (owner, admin, member)
• Configure workspace-level settings for defaults
• Regularly review workspace usage and limits

Integration Tips

• Test integrations in a development environment first
• Implement proper logging and monitoring
• Use webhooks for real-time updates
• Handle API version changes gracefully
• Document your integration setup

Remember: Good practices today save time and prevent issues tomorrow. Take the time to set things up correctly from the start.

Getting Help

If you need assistance or have questions about best practices, don't hesitate to contact our support team or check out our Examples for reference implementations.