Development best practices

When developing integrations on Middle or any other platform, mistakes can have significant real-world consequences, including financial losses, legal action, and privacy breaches. This guide highlights common pitfalls in the context of the Middle platform and provides tips to mitigate them.

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Don't Hard-Code Credentials

Middle's API key feature and app connection authentication allow for sensitive credentials to be dynamically entered and configured at the app or app connection level. This prevents data leaks between customers and brands using the same app. In contrast, hard-coding credentials directly into an app’s code can inadvertently expose them, increasing the risk of unauthorized data access or transfer.

Double-Check Marketing Opt-Ins and Opt-Outs

Marketing preferences—such as email, SMS, telemarketing, and direct mail—are typically represented as boolean values (true/false). These booleans determine whether a contact has opted in or out of receiving specific types of communication. However, differences in how applications interpret these preferences can lead to confusion and costly errors:

Opt-In vs. Opt-Out Misinterpretations

If a boolean value is incorrectly flipped during integration, individuals who opted out may receive unwanted communications, violating spam laws. Conversely, contacts who opted in might stop receiving the messages they want, impacting engagement and business goals.

Key Actions

• Understand how both source and target applications represent and handle marketing preferences.

• Map preferences correctly during data transformations.

• Regularly validate integrations against the specifications of each platform.

Implement Peer-Review Processes

Even experienced developers can overlook critical details. A peer-review process helps catch bugs, enforce best practices, and ensure integrations behave as expected.

How Middle Supports Peer Review

• Middle provides user access levels within standard accounts and ENTERPRISE instances. Leverage these features to structure review workflows effectively.

• Encourage collaboration and validation before deploying changes to production.