Create a make.com automation with the Joomla API

Details: Written by: Anja de Crom; Category: June; Published: 20 June 2024; Hits: 34

Maybe you’re using one already, maybe you’ve heard of them: no-code automation tools like Zapier, make.com and IFTTT. These tools are a way to automate tasks without using any code: define a trigger and an action and you're good to go. Wouldn’t it be übercool if you could have that for your Joomla website - oh wait, you can: Ane Miren Alvarez created a Joomla automation for make.com. Find out all about this!

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Ane Miren Alvarez and I’m doing an internship in Acv Multimedia. I studied Web Development and know how to program in Java, Javascript, Php and Laravel. I’ve tried both frontend and backend development, being able to work both with app functionalities and design. This is my first work experience, but I’ve already done some projects in Java and Laravel. Apart from programming, I have also worked with databases and operating system management. I’ve been working with Joomla for a year, during my internship.

What is make.com? Did you know it before you started on this project?

Make.com is a visual automation platform that allows users to connect and automate their favorite apps and services without writing any code. It is a powerful tool that can be used to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and create new and innovative solutions.
This was my first experience with Make, but it was quite easy to use, as it has a very intuitive interface, a strong documentation and a huge community.

Why did you decide to create an automation app?

We saw that there were other CMS platforms like Wordpress and Drupal in Make and after finding out that we could develop our own Joomla app inside make, we decided to do some research about the Joomla API. The research was successful, so after some tests, the app was ready to develop.

How hard was it?

Working in make was not hard at all, but it involved some more tedious tasks such as researching, tests and planning.

Could you explain to us how it works?

First we would need to enter our Joomla Token from our super user and our web url, then we will be able to access different actions, such as creating, deleting, getting, listing and updating articles, categories and menus; and some triggers, like watching new and updated articles. It uses the Joomla API to access different resources, and, if needed, there’s the possibility to make an arbitrary api call to do an specific action that is not included.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

I had some difficulties when searching for documentation about the Joomla API, but found a lot of help from the Joomla community having a lot of resources about it.

Can we use this for our own projects? Where do we find it?

Yes, this app is published and can be used globally, it can be selected as a module when creating a scenario. It can be found in https://www.make.com/en/integrations.

Any plans for creating connections for other tools as well?

I’m not planning to make connections for other tools, at least for the near future, but if the opportunity arises I wouldn’t say no, as the experience I had with make was good and I would be able to work easily.

About the author

Before I got my current job as Coordinator Communications & Digital, I ran my own company for 25 years. The first 15 years I was a writer / editor / journalist / writing coach.

In 2009 I started working with Joomla, not knowing anything about webdesign. I joined a JUG in 2012, two months later I was co-organizer :) (and stayed co-organizer for about five years).

I loved working with Joomla so much that I started projects, just to be able to create a website for them. That's when I thought: hey, maybe it's time for a career switch. In 2014 I decided to go pro with Joomla and switch to webdesign instead of writing.

Volunteer work

I already mentioned the JUG. After that I did a number of other things over the years:

Writer: I wrote articles about Joomla in a Dutch webdesigner magazine.
Speaker at JUGs and JoomlaDays.
Member of the Dutch JoomlaDagen team for three years.
Member of the team that organized all three editions of Joostock (a Joomlacamp/unconference event).
Editor of the Dutch Joomla web agency brochure, a brochure webdesigners can use to convince their potential clients that Joomla is the right choice for them.

In 2020 I've started contributing to the Joomla Community Magazine, first as an author, and since 2022 I'm Team Leader of the wonderful Joomla Community Magazine Team.

Why I contribute to Joomla

To many people Joomla is just a tool. But if you look a little closer, you'll notice it's much more than that. It's a living system, raised and nourished by a community of volunteers dedicating their time to make it the best CMS ever. Without volunteers, Joomla wouldn't exist. It's not 'just a product'. Everyone who uses Joomla, can do so because someone, somewhere, contributed to it. I want to give back to the community that keeps Joomla alive.

And, probably needless to say: I love being part of that community.

Contributing to Joomla by volunteering brought me so much: valuable experience, more knowledge and a better understanding of Joomla and its community, and the opportunity to work together with a crowd of lovely people all over the world.

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Some articles published on the Joomla Community Magazine represent the personal opinion or experience of the Author on the specific topic and might not be aligned to the official position of the Joomla Project