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Yes, developers can automate API calls by integrating the Shovels API into their applications.

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Getting Started

The API can be integrated using any programming language that supports HTTP requests. Common choices include:
  • Python
  • JavaScript/Node.js
  • Java
  • Go
  • Ruby
  • PHP

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Example: Python Integration

import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
BASE_URL = "https://api.shovels.ai/v2"

headers = {
    "X-API-Key": API_KEY
}

# Search for permits
response = requests.get(
    f"{BASE_URL}/permits/search",
    headers=headers,
    params={
        "geo_id": "CA",
        "permit_from": "2024-01-01",
        "size": 100
    }
)

data = response.json()
print(f"Found {len(data['items'])} permits")

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Code Snippets in Documentation

Our API documentation provides code snippets in multiple languages for each endpoint, making it easy to generate integration code for your preferred language.

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Best Practices for Automation

  1. Handle rate limits - Implement backoff when approaching limits
  2. Use pagination - Process large result sets in batches
  3. Cache results - Store data locally to minimize API calls
  4. Error handling - Handle both errors and empty results gracefully
  5. Respect the API - Avoid frivolous or unnecessary requests
Check your API usage in Profile Settings to monitor your credit consumption.