To help define how the cp api is currently being utilized, we're asking people how they are using the api. Whether you have built a small tool for yourself, a large resource for the community or something in between... we want to hear about it. If you are a site owner that has used an api tool to better your success... you too, let us know.

There are two apis:

1. product catalog api - this the search query based feed/s. It includes the advanced search, productid and storeid queries.

2. the content api - this includes the store and image management based queries, e.g. design and product.

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Tell us how you use any of the apis.

Reply to this thread,
please include any or all of the following:

1. where you are using the api - e.g. url

2. how you are using the api - e.g. public use tool, personal tool, affiliate marketing, site builds,- are you affiliating or self promoting? etc.

3. which api/s you are using - e.g. advanced search query, design, etc.

4. if you've created a tool, please include a description of what your tool does, who may use it, is it free or fee based, etc.

5. include any success stats as far as how the api has helped you succeed. -- have your sales increased, is your productivity higher, is your traffic greater, etc.

-- please make sure to list each use (site, tool, etc) as a new reply.



This thread is for listing the tools and uses built on the cp api/s only. discussions and conversations on any of the listings should be posted as a new thread.

please post bugs/issues you are having to a new thread as well.




Thanks!

Cafewish Categories Script

Example: http://www.cafepress.com/cafewish/2492125

1. where you are using the api - e.g. url

Within CafePress premium shops that are opted in to the marketplace.
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2. how you are using the api - e.g. public use tool, personal tool, affiliate marketing, site builds,- are you affiliating or self promoting? etc.

Started out as a personal tool that I further developed into a tool for the community. It is probably a site builder, or re-builder.
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3. which api/s you are using - e.g. advanced search query, design, etc.

Uses the Catalog API StoreLookup

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4. if you've created a tool, please include a description of what your tool does, who may use it, is it free or fee based, etc.

The script reorganizes products into categories, plus some additional tools that have spun off of it, such as the ability to see which products are in each section and which products are missing from each section at a glance.

There is a free version for up to 1000 products, good for a shop with about 10 designs on most all products. There are varying levels of paid accounts depending on number of products and account features.

The tool is for shopkeepers who are in the marketplace.

There are approx. 80 total active accounts, most of which are the free version.

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5. include any success stats as far as how the api has helped you succeed. -- have your sales increased, is your productivity higher, is your traffic greater, etc.[/quote]

I just said 80 active accounts, and that is low due to a self-imposed 2-month hiatus on new accounts.

My productivity on my site is higher, because I only have to add products now instead of having to add the new products and then arrange them where I want them. It saves around 3 clicks per product when adding. It also shows me where I'm missing products, so that I can easily find those 20 sections I forgot to add dark tees to.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Teesed,

CafeWish WishAds
(Basically a replacement for TopicAds)

1. where you are using the api - e.g. url

Shops, blogs, my own domain, etc.
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2. how you are using the api - e.g. public use tool, personal tool, affiliate marketing, site builds,- are you affiliating or self promoting? etc.

All of the above: public use tool, personal tool, affiliate marketing, site builds, affiliating and self-promoting.
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3. which api/s you are using - e.g. advanced search query, design, etc.

Using the Catalog API AdvancedSearch.
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4. if you've created a tool, please include a description of what your tool does, who may use it, is it free or fee based, etc.

Available to shopkeepers to promote their own products if they have a unique tag and to affiliates based on keyword searches.

It is "percentageware". For affiliate use, I replace 1/10% of the affiliate pids with my own affiliate pid. Shopkeeper non-affiliate use is free.

Ads can show as anything up to a 6x8 grid, so they can be used as a 1x1 blogad, a horizontal or vertical row of designs or a full page of designs. Users can customize whether to show the design, a specific product or a random product and can customize whether to target to the marketplace section, marketplace product, shop section or shop product, and can choose a transparent overlay or a "buy now" button showing on the design.
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5. include any success stats as far as how the api has helped you succeed. -- have your sales increased, is your productivity higher, is your traffic greater, etc.

I don't know how exactly how many people are using it, since there is no "signup" required, but I have about 35 emails from people who have let me know they are using it so they can get updates, notices, etc.

121,917 ads shown in the last month, and it's only been just over a month since it launched. "An ad" is one display of any number of selected designs. A 1x1, a 1x4, and a 4x5 grid all count as one impression in my reporting.

Impressions are growing at a steady rate. I don't know how to report on the success on the user side. My CTR is .57% and my CR is .14%. I "think" that means the user numbers are 5.13% and 1.26% (having 9 opportunities for every 1 of mine)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Teesed,

1. where you are using the api - e.g. url

Teesed.com
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2. how you are using the api - e.g. public use tool, personal tool, affiliate marketing, site builds,- are you affiliating or self promoting? etc.

Personal affiliate site builder.
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3. which api/s you are using - e.g. advanced search query, design, etc.

Catalog API, AdvancedSearch
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4. if you've created a tool, please include a description of what your tool does, who may use it, is it free or fee based, etc.

I'm using the API to display products based on a search, then linking to the product or pulling in the "green" store version for additional searching. I'm working on pulling as much of the information as I can from the API instead of scraping.
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5. include any success stats as far as how the api has helped you succeed. -- have your sales increased, is your productivity higher, is your traffic greater, etc.

CTR is 22.4%, CR is .79%. I've only been up with it about two weeks, and I'm still tweaking the interface, but my search engine results have been very good. I often come a few links under CafePress in searches, and on the first few pages if not the first for some good common searches. It keeps one more competitor off of the results screen. Traffic is growing. Once I like the interface, I'll do some more marketing on it and possibly release a version for public use. A lot of miniCPs in Google.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Teesed,

myNicheShop CafePost(beta)

1. where you are using the api - e.g. url
Building the application to work on self-hosted WordPress blogs.

2. how you are using the api - e.g. public use tool, personal tool, affiliate marketing, site builds,- are you affiliating or self promoting? etc.
Tool is currently in closed beta but will be public use affiliate marketing tool.

3. which api/s you are using - e.g. advanced search query, design, etc.
Primarily uses the product catalog API. It also uses the merchandise portion of the content API to pull availability and product types.

4. if you've created a tool, please include a description of what your tool does, who may use it, is it free or fee based, etc.
CafePost allows a affiliate who uses wordpress to search the CafePress catalog (CafePress full version, not the limited CJ version) for products to post into their self-hosted WordPress blog (free wordpress blogs hosted by wordpress cannot use because it is against their tos).. Once released, any affiliate would be able to use the tool. It will be fee based. Details of cost, whether flat fee for the software or click-sharing hasn't been determined yet.

5. include any success stats as far as how the api has helped you succeed. -- have your sales increased, is your productivity higher, is your traffic greater, etc.
The api is a productivity tool in this case. Instead of having to search the marketplace looking for designs and then copying and pasting into the wordpress post, a wordpress post in created directly from the search results within the operator's site. In addition, full details on the product are made available to use on the operator's site.

Several other apps are planned around the API but this is the only one in current development and testing so this is only one I'll list atm.

StarFish is the name of the tool.
You can find a description here: StarFish Documentation

StarFish started off as a tool to create Google uploads.
From there it turned into a major project, is in its final beta-tests and will be available to the public shortly.
StarFish is a Windows based tool with a local database (not HTML).

StarFish offers the following:

• Download of one or many shops, including section information, descriptions, products, details, prices, images, etc.
  
• Download of merchandise and custom categorisation by product type.
  
• Hereditary categorisation of sections and products.
  
• The above categories, at product type level, section and product level, will be merged into search engine upload files, according to Google and MSN latest requirements.
  
• StarFish provides an automated FTP upload to both, Google and MSN.
  
• The downloaded data can be used to create a shadow website of the CafePress page allowing for better indexing of text and images (compare www.cafepress.com/coolcups and www.coolcups.biz)
  
• The website generation happens at the push of a a button.
  
• Generated HTML pages along with the images and other elements will be uploaded via FTP automatically.
  
• StarFish features an image upload to CafePress, with category, and image folder (tags are still missing).
  
• The user can create and modify customised product templates.
  
• When one of these templates is paired with a local image folder, StarFish will create a virtual section.
  At the push of a button this section is then uploaded to CafePress and the products are ready for sale.
  

StarFish will be available for free to some people for testing (anyone out there interested?)
After that, it will go on sale, with a fully functional 30 days trial period.
The tool is meant for serious shopkeepers.

I am using one API and a number of content APIs. Currently in use are:

• merchandise.list.cp
  
• authentication.getUserToken.cp
  
• image.upload.cp
  
• image.listCategories.cp
  
• design.listfolders.cp
  
• design.makeFolder.cp
  
• design.find.cp
  
• product.find.cp
  
• product.save.cp
  
• product.listByStoreSection.cp
  
• store.list.cp
  
• store.listStoreSections.cp
  

Has StarFish increased our sales?
Well, obviously, the continuously updated presence in Google and MSN is positive.
For that it has already been helpful (thanks to the hereditary categorisation).
The Shadow website has definitely increased presence, which will increase further when all the images are indexed too.
Productivity has also increased. Once a template has been created, StarFish does the rest, with about 3 clicks for as many products as you want in a section.

Regards
tino

1.) So far, I am using it to gather the data about my own products to generate the pages of my shop.
http://www.MagentaStudios.com

In the future, I planned on extending my GraphicWorks utility using the API.
http://www.UtopiaDigitalMedia.com

My goal was to be able to let people click one button, and have the program crop, extend, or stretch a graphic so it can fit the full range of CP products, upload the graphics, create a section, and place the graphics on the products.

I am hesitant in doing that, because I don't want to build on shaky ground. GraphicWorks is a desktop application- so if the API fails to work, people will think it's my fault, and I would get flooded with angry emails.

So, I've decided to only use the API for my own personal projects for now, and not do anything for sale until the API goes out of Alpha.

At this rate, that may be about 20012.

2.) For now, only personal tools/Site builder.

3.) All of them.

5.) Can't say- My shop was always custom-coded, it was just using page scraping before, so it's not a difference a consumer would notice.

I am planning on putting scraping code back in, just in case.

>Where you are using the api - e.g. url>

http://www.instant-cafe.com/feeder

>Which apis you are using - e.g. advanced
search query, design, etc.<

All Catalog APIs
Merchandise API in Content API

>If you've created a tool, please include a description of what your tool does, who may use it, is it free or fee based, etc.<

Instant Cafe

Instant Cafe Feeder is primarily used to create feeds for services such as Google Products. However with the unique ability to design your own feed, users of Instant Cafe can utilise it in other creative ways.

Instant Cafe Feeder is free - I am working on a fee based version that will allow the ability to create HTML websites as announced about at CP Connect. That is currently being beta tested right now.

>Include any success stats as far as how the api has helped you succeed. -- have your sales increased, is your productivity higher, is your traffic greater, etc.<

Instant Cafe is used to aid promotion and enables the user to quickly and easily promote right off the bat. The return is high. The APIs have made this application possible and have made myself and a whole lot of others successful too. Instant Cafe does boast a large user base.

Sales up: Yes
Traffic up: Yes
Productivity up: Yes

>Where you are using the api - e.g. url>

http://www.searchcp.com

>Which apis you are using - e.g. advanced
search query, design, etc.<

All Catalog APIs

>If you've created a tool, please include a description of what your tool does, who may use it, is it free or fee based, etc.<

SearchCP

SearchCP gives the shop keeper the ecommerce tools they need to succeed. SearchCP provides a search engine for CafePress shop keepers. Specifically designed to enable shop keepers with large stores to build better ecommerce websites that are more useable and drive more sales.

SearchCP also features RSS for both new designs and hot designs.

SearchCP also features daily emails digests of search terms used on their shops.


>Include any success stats as far as how the api has helped you succeed. -- have your sales increased, is your productivity higher, is your traffic greater, etc.<

SearchCP has enabled me to build some great CafePress shops and it has become one of the few tools I rely on, personally, to build what I deem great CafePress shops. A large CafePress shop is a nightmare to manage without a search engine. SearchCP provides me with quick and easy landing pages for SEM and content. It's a core tool I can't live without and it's only possible with the API.

Sales up: Yes
Traffic up: Yes
Productivity up: Yes

quote:

P.S. I also use the APIs for a million+one other things that aren't available to the public, these include shop building tools, accounts reporting tools, and other stuff.

1.HTML Page Builder - for CJ:
http://www.blogacow.com/CPCreateAPage/home-cj.php

2. Public Tool

3. Advanced query product catalog

4. Allows an affiliate to search for products and designs based on keyword/tag. The results also offer commission junction affiliate linked html code which can then be cut and pasted into webpages, blogs, newsletters, etc.

5. This is a productivity tool, allowing for batch processing of link building. As far as traffic building and sales stats go, I am unsure in regard to community success -- but have received a number of comments saying it has helped the affiliate greatly.

1.HTML Page Builder - for shopkeepers:
http://www.blogacow.com/CPCreateAPage/home.php

2. Public Tool

3. Advanced query product catalog

4. Same tool as the CJ version, however this version allows shopkeepers to build non affiliate linked code for their own self promotion and marketing purposes. -- Allowsa search for products and designs based on keyword/tag. The results also included linked html code which can then be cut and pasted into webpages, blogs, newsletters, etc.

5. This is a productivity tool, allowing for batch processing of link building. As far as traffic building and sales stats go, I am unsure in regard to community success -- but have received a number of comments saying it has helped the affiliate greatly.

1.RSS Display:
http://www.blogacow.com/CPBuildRss/

2. Public Tool

3. Advanced query product catalog

4. Build an rss feed based on keyword/tag

5. This is a tool to help with product/design promotion. Allows websites to display rss data to aid updated site content.

1.JGoode Designs:
http://www.jgoodedesigns.com

2. Shopping Website

3. Advanced query product catalog

4. My own website displaying products and designs based on tags.

5. The api allows me to display current product data without having to constantly update web pages. This has helped free up my time to design more and promote more. Yes, this has increased sales and traffic as the content is constantly updated.

1.JGoode Penguins:
http://www.jgoodepenguins.com

2. Shopping Website

3. Advanced query product catalog

4. My own website displaying products and designs based on tags.

5. The api allows me to display current product data without having to constantly update web pages. This has helped free up my time to design more and promote more. Yes, this has increased sales and traffic as the content is constantly updated.

-- i also offer visitors views of "most popular" and "new arrivals" based on the api results.

I also have a number of affiliate sites based on the same type of site build. Relying on the advanced search query api to display current, popular and new product results based on keywords/tags.

-- in addition I have a number of non public tools I utilize for a variety of tasks from self promotion and marketing to design searches, etc.