Technical terms glossary

You will learn

The following glossary is an overview of basic technical terms to familiarize yourself with when first learning about Klaviyo's APIs. Looking for a glossary of Klaviyo-specific terms? Check out our Klaviyo glossary.

A

• API - Application Programming Interface. Allows a piece of software to talk to another and pass information between them.
• Authentication - Helps to keep your account secure by verifying your credentials when attempting to connect to the API.

C

• Client - The hardware or software that you, the end user, use to communicate with Klaviyo via API.

D

• DELETE - The HTTP Method that allows you to remove a resource from your Klaviyo account.

E

• Endpoint - The URL of the Klaviyo server where your resources can be accessed.

G

• GET - The HTTP Method that allows you to retrieve or read data from your Klaviyo account.

H

• HTTP - Standard web protocol for data exchanged between a client and a server.
• HTTP Methods - The verbs or actions used to constrain the type of API call you make.

J

• JSON - JavaScript Object Notation. A format for storing and exchanging data, including in API requests and responses.

L

• Language library - In computer programming, a collection of reusable code that helps programs perform common tasks, such as making API calls.
• Lists API - Klaviyo's API for managing lists.

P

• Parameters - Values supplied in an API request, such as a resource ID or a filter. Parameters can be required or optional, depending on the endpoint.
• PATCH - An HTTP method that allows you to update specific fields of an existing resource.
• POST - The HTTP Method that allows you to create or write a new resource to your Klaviyo account.
• Postman - Third-party software that can be used to make API calls.
• PUT - An HTTP method that creates or replaces a resource at a specified URL. Check the endpoint's documentation for the method it supports.

R

• REST - Representational State Transfer. Programming architecture that makes it easier for systems to communicate with each other.
• Response - The server's reply to an API request. It includes a status code and may include data or error details. Some successful responses have no body.

S

• Server - Computer hardware or software that manages resources and provides functionality to clients.

W

• Webhook - An automated HTTP request sent to another application in response to an event or action, such as a profile reaching a webhook action in a Klaviyo flow.