BY Michelle Howie 20 December 2021
With our new docs experience, it's easier than ever to get started with Telstra APIs.
What’s all the fuss about?
We're on a mission to create a better developer experience. We appreciate that developers are building the world we live in, and so we've reworked our new API and IoT offerings to suit their unique needs. And we’ve started at the core: uplifting the docs experience.
We realise that devs get frustrated, or abandon APIs, if documentation is missing info or difficult to follow. It’s a big blocker when you have to reach out for help with simple things like decoding a cryptic error response code, or validating a use case. And what’s the point of a community maintaining brilliant SDKs and Postman Collections if they can’t easily be found?
Our new experience has a clearly articulated product overview that makes it easy to pick the perfect APIs to fit your use case. Plus, our API tutorials and reference documentation now have code examples in multiple languages to help you get to the first Hello World and beyond.
Telstra Messaging API docs
The Telstra Messaging API documentation is the first to be released in this new overview format. Read all about the benefits of our enterprise-grade API and take advantage of extended tutorials for must-have features such as how to automate two-way SMS conversations. Our refreshed API documentation is designed to be easy to use and follow, with detailed guidance on how to use the API over REST, as well as directly from code via our Software Development Kits (SDKs).
Improved error messaging
We’ve also learnt from our customers’ pain points and extended the error response instructions for all API endpoints. This has already helped developers power through late night coding sessions without having to wait for us (although the community forums are always there if needed). Our support team is also taking note of these common errors and putting in longer term fixes in the coming Messaging API V3 release.
Give us your feedback
Did you notice the new feedback elements on the portal? Over the coming months, we’re keen to work with you to learn how the documentation and other key experiences can be improved. Use the new star ratings, thumbs up/down and comments function to let us know what you find useful, and what we can do better. Your suggestions might be part of our next release. You can also reach out to us at any time by emailing telstradev@team.telstra.com
What else is new in 2021?
This year we:
• Updated SDKs for Node.js and Python
• Grew our dedicated onshore technical support team with a focus on developer specific needs
• Implemented a Code of Conduct to strengthen our community
• Added automatic approval for posts and comments on our forums so devs can help each other quicker, at any time
• Extended Messaging API Tutorials
• Released the IoT Connectivity Manager API to monitor your Internet of Things SIM
• Stopped selling the Arduino IoT developer kits and closed the IoT marketplace, to focus on our core APIs
• Worked to make the world a better place at various hackathons like GovHack (IoT Insights for Sustainable Regional Agribusiness), Call for Code (Zero Hunger) and Uni Hack
• Launched a Discord server for the AusIoT community to collaborate between monthly meet-ups
• Hosted AgTech, Cyber, ETSI IoT standards, Energy, Space, DevOps, Arduino and home projects themed AusIoT meetups in Adelaide, Brisbane and online! Catch the replays on our AusIoT YouTube
If you want to know more about Telstra's renewed focus on Developer Experience, check out our presentations with Q&A at the Telco Application Developer Asia Summit 2021 and API Days Australia 2021.
What have we got to look forward to?
• Clearer pricing pages
• Easier and more secure ways to find and manage API keys
• Smoother onboarding
• New APIs (Messaging v3, Connected Supply Chain and more! Have a request for Telstra's next public API? Let us know here)
• More detailed API usage logs
• Dashboard and reporting improvements, to help customers better understand and improve their use of our products
What are we missing? Post your suggestion in our public developer forums, or through the anomymous feedback widgets on our site and we'll look into it.
Happy coding!
William Fettke, Telstra API and Developer Experience Product Owner,
Vinodh Seshadri, Telstra's Developer Support Lead, and
Michelle Howie, Telstra's Developer Advocate
