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Data Collections Guide

Data Collections (also called API Collections or Data Lake) allow you to store and manage data via REST API with flexible schemas. This guide covers everything you need to know about creating and managing collections.

What are Data Collections?

Data Collections are flexible data storage systems that let you define custom schemas for your data. You can submit and retrieve data via REST API endpoints, making it perfect for integrations and custom applications.

Setting Up API Collections

  • Navigate to Data Lake → "New Collection"
  • Define your collection schema (add fields)
  • Set field types and validation rules
  • Save the collection
  • Go to "API Keys" tab and create an API key
  • Use the API endpoint to submit data:
    POST https://api.contactlist.io/api/v1/submit
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "collectionId": "your_collection_id",
  "data": { "field1": "value1" }
}

Collection Features

  • Flexible Schema Design: Define custom data structures for your needs
  • REST API Access: Submit and retrieve data via REST API endpoints
  • API Key Management: Secure workspace-level and collection-level API keys
  • Data Validation: Set validation rules for data quality
  • File Attachments: Store files with data entries
  • Data Relationships: Link data entries across collections (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many)
  • Webhooks: Get notified when data changes
  • Data Versioning: Track all changes with version history
  • Data Backups: Manual and scheduled backups
  • GDPR Compliance: Data deletion requests, export requests, and retention policies

Schema Design

Design your collection schema based on your data needs. You can add fields of different types and set validation rules.

Field Types

  • Text: String values
  • Number: Numeric values
  • Boolean: True/false values
  • Date: Date values
  • Email: Email addresses
  • URL: Website URLs
  • File: File attachments
  • JSON: Structured JSON data

Validation Rules

  • Required: Field must be provided
  • Min/Max Length: String length constraints
  • Min/Max Value: Number range constraints
  • Pattern: Regex pattern matching
  • Custom Validation: Custom validation logic

API Key Management

ContactList supports both workspace-level and collection-level API keys:

  • Workspace-Level Keys: Access to all collections in a workspace
  • Collection-Level Keys: Access to a specific collection only (more secure)

Creating API Keys

  • Navigate to your collection
  • Go to the "API Keys" tab
  • Click "Create API Key"
  • Give it a descriptive name
  • Copy the key immediately (you won't see it again)
  • Store it securely

Submitting Data

Submit data to your collection using the REST API:

API Endpoint

POST https://api.contactlist.io/api/v1/submit
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "collectionId": "collection_id_here",
  "data": {
    "field1": "value1",
    "field2": "value2"
  }
}

Response

{
  "success": true,
  "dataId": "data_entry_id",
  "message": "Data submitted successfully"
}

Data Relationships

Link data entries across collections using relationships:

  • One-to-One: One entry links to one other entry
  • One-to-Many: One entry links to multiple other entries
  • Many-to-Many: Multiple entries link to multiple other entries

Webhooks

Get notified when data changes by setting up webhooks:

  • Navigate to Settings → Webhooks
  • Click "Add Webhook"
  • Enter your webhook URL
  • Select events (create, update, delete)
  • Save configuration

Data Versioning

Track all changes to your data with version history:

  • See who made changes and when
  • View previous versions of data entries
  • Restore previous versions if needed
  • Audit trail for compliance

Data Backups

Protect your data with backups:

  • Manual Backups: Create backups on demand
  • Scheduled Backups: Automatically backup on a schedule
  • Backup Storage: Backups stored securely
  • Restore: Restore from backups when needed

GDPR Compliance

ContactList provides GDPR compliance features:

  • Data Deletion Requests: Right to deletion/erasure
  • Data Export Requests: Right to portability
  • Data Retention Policies: Automatic data retention management
  • Data Anonymization: Automatic data anonymization

Best Practices

  • 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
  • Document your schema for team members
  • Use relationships when appropriate

Next Steps

Now that you understand data collections, check out: