How to avoid exceeding API call limit, because of (one off) bulk email

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I wish to send a very large amount of emails a couple of times a year (over 50,000 receivers), take for instance a product introduction.

Unfortunately this results in a massive amount of api calls, which usually exceeds the daily limit of calls. This will than result in shutting down of our current flows.

Is there a cost efficient solution to fix this? Like neglect some of the API calls on certain emails, or something different. I don't want a subscription to a bulk emailing program.

Thanks for your help!

Ronald

[SanfordWhiteman]

A massive amount of Marketo API calls, or CRM API calls? What exactly are you doing to consume API calls as result of the send (which, by the way, isn't really a "very large" amount)?

[Anonymous]

We're using webscript that send data over webservice (API calls, it's called admin). It helps tracking and triggering several flows. We can't work without.

So when many visitors click and interact, this can result in a large amount of API calls. Our daily limit is 50,000. Normally we stay well within this limit. But when sending bulk mails, we exceed this.. Even cutting it up in 5 pieces doesn't cut it.

[SanfordWhiteman]

We can't work without.

Well, I don't know what it actually does. (Specifics would help, since I don't know of any successful Marketo workflow that requires one externally generated API call per individual email).

I can say you should rethink your architecture since it was not built for the real world of Marketo... again, 50,000 is not a very large send, it's merely large.

If you explain what your app does in detail -- avoiding the XY problem of assuming it's the only way to do what you want -- we can help you rethink your architecture. If you insist on sticking with what you've got, no one here can make 50,001 calls be less than 50,000!

[Valerie_Whitin2]

We have a very similar issue, although we are hitting those limits at least once or twice a week, every time we send a large email blast (~70k). We are currently using NetSuite as our CRM system so every time we send an email or make mass updates to leads in Marketo we will hit our API limits for the day. It sometimes can take 2-3 days to clean out the back log of leads waiting to sync to NS or other technologies we have synced with Marketo.

The only solution we have found that works for now is breaking up our large email sends over two days and aim for Saturday and Sunday sends as well. This prevents the API limits from blocking our inbound leads from getting to our sales team on working days. I would be curious if you are able to come up with any other solutions as this is something we are constantly struggling with as well, and Saturday sends are definitely not ideal for us. 

[SanfordWhiteman]

NetSuite uses inbound Marketo API calls?  Sheesh. Didn't know it was that primitive as opposed to SFDC sync. You can of course pay for more API calls from Marketo, but it'll cost ya...

[Valerie_Whitin2]

Yeah...it is rough. NetSuite is a very "special" and "fun" tool to integrate with Marketo.

And yes, we have explored purchasing extra APIs but unfortunately likely won't be able to swing that in the budget until next year some time (hopefully!).

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Valerie,

As for Ronald above, I do not understand why sending emails would consume API calls. Can you explain a little more your process here ?

-Greg

[Anonymous]

Our main amount of api calls are used by the Munchkin code. So every time a lead visits our website, it sends his behaviour over to Marketo.

[SanfordWhiteman]

Also pls move the thread to Products as that's where it should be located. ("Central" being for general mktg topics and not Marketo product support.)