Other Integrations and API Access

Propel offers a comprehensive integration ecosystem that extends beyond email parsing and native integrations. This guide covers API access, webhooks, custom integrations, and an overview of all available integration types to help you connect Propel with your existing tools and workflows.

Overview

Propel supports multiple integration types to fit different needs:

• Email Providers: Connect Gmail or Microsoft 365 for email and calendar access
• Lead Sources: Automatic email parsing from Zillow, Apartments.com, Realtor.com, and 10+ other platforms
• Data Sources: Import property listings from Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or via API
• Calendar Services: Connect Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar for automatic booking
• API Access: Programmatic integration for custom workflows and automation
• Webhooks: Receive real-time notifications about events in Propel

Works for All Use Cases:

• Property Management: Connect rental listing sources, import property data, automate lead responses
• Real Estate: Integrate with buyer/seller lead sources, sync listing data, automate showing scheduling
• Short-Term Rentals: Connect booking platforms, sync availability calendars, automate guest communications
• Commercial Real Estate: Integrate with commercial platforms, sync complex property data, route leads by territory

Integration Categories

Email Providers

Connect your email account to enable Propel's core functionality:

• Gmail - Email Provider Setup: Connect Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive through a single OAuth connection
• Microsoft 365 - Email Provider Setup: Connect Microsoft 365/Outlook, Outlook Calendar, and OneDrive/SharePoint

These integrations provide:

• Email access for reading and sending messages
• Calendar access for automatic tour and showing booking
• Cloud storage access for importing property listings

Lead Sources

Propel automatically parses emails from major real estate and rental platforms:

Rental Platforms:

• Zillow - Email Parsing Integration
• Apartments.com - Email Parsing Integration
• Homes.com - Email Parsing Integration
• Rent.com - Email Parsing Integration
• Craigslist - Email Parsing Integration
• Facebook Marketplace - Email Parsing Integration
• StreetEasy - Email Parsing Integration (NYC-specific)
• Domu - Email Parsing Integration (Chicago-specific)

Real Estate Platforms:

• Realtor.com - Email Parsing Integration
• Trulia - Email Parsing Integration

All lead source integrations work through email parsing - Propel monitors your inbox for lead notifications and automatically extracts prospect and property information, then responds with personalized messages.

Data Sources

Import and sync property listings from multiple sources:

• Data Sources (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox): Connect cloud storage to automatically import property listings from spreadsheets
• API Integration: Programmatically import and sync property data using Propel's API
• Manual Upload: Upload CSV or Excel files directly through the Propel interface

Data sources support:

• Automatic extraction of property information from spreadsheets
• Field mapping to match your data structure
• Auto-sync to keep listings up to date
• Support for multiple worksheets and custom fields

Calendar Services

Connect your calendar for automatic tour and showing booking:

• Calendar Integration: Connect Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar to enable automatic booking based on your availability

Calendar integration provides:

• Real-time availability checking
• Automatic tour and showing scheduling
• Calendar event creation and management
• Conflict detection and handling

API Access

Propel provides a REST API for programmatic access to your data and functionality. The API enables you to:

• Import and sync property listings programmatically
• Retrieve engagement and contact data
• Create custom integrations with your existing tools
• Automate workflows beyond Propel's built-in features
• Build custom dashboards and reporting

API Authentication

Propel uses API keys for authentication. To get started:

1. Navigate to Settings > API in your Propel account
2. Generate a new API key
3. Store your API key securely (it won't be shown again)
4. Include the API key in the Authorization header of your requests

Example API Request:

curl -X GET https://api.propelhq.io/api/v1/listings \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"

Available API Endpoints

Data Sources:

• POST /api/v1/data-sources - Create a new data source
• POST /api/v1/data-sources/{id}/sync - Sync data from a data source
• GET /api/v1/data-sources/{id}/preview - Preview data before importing
• GET /api/v1/data-sources/{id}/worksheets - List available worksheets

Listings:

• GET /api/v1/listings - Retrieve property listings
• POST /api/v1/listings - Create a new listing
• PATCH /api/v1/listings/{id} - Update a listing
• DELETE /api/v1/listings/{id} - Delete a listing

Engagements:

• GET /api/v1/engagements - Retrieve engagements
• GET /api/v1/engagements/{id} - Get engagement details
• POST /api/v1/engagements/{id}/follow-up - Trigger a manual follow-up

Contacts:

• GET /api/v1/contacts - Retrieve contacts
• GET /api/v1/contacts/{id} - Get contact details
• POST /api/v1/contacts - Create a new contact

API Rate Limits

Propel API has rate limits to ensure fair usage:

• Standard Plan: 100 requests per minute
• Professional Plan: 500 requests per minute
• Enterprise Plan: Custom rate limits

Rate limit headers are included in API responses:

• X-RateLimit-Limit: Maximum requests allowed
• X-RateLimit-Remaining: Remaining requests in the current window
• X-RateLimit-Reset: Time when the rate limit resets

API Documentation

For complete API documentation, including request/response formats, error codes, and examples, see the Propel API Documentation (when available) or contact support at partners@propelhq.io.

Webhooks

Webhooks allow you to receive real-time notifications when events occur in Propel. This enables you to:

• Sync data to external systems immediately
• Trigger custom workflows in other tools
• Build real-time dashboards
• Integrate with automation platforms like Zapier, Make, or n8n

Supported Webhook Events

Propel can send webhooks for the following events:

Engagement Events:

• engagement.created - New engagement created
• engagement.updated - Engagement updated
• engagement.message.received - New inbound message received
• engagement.message.sent - Outbound message sent
• engagement.follow_up.scheduled - Follow-up scheduled
• engagement.follow_up.completed - Follow-up completed

Contact Events:

• contact.created - New contact created
• contact.updated - Contact information updated

Listing Events:

• listing.created - New listing added
• listing.updated - Listing information updated
• listing.deleted - Listing removed

Booking Events:

• booking.created - Tour or showing booked
• booking.cancelled - Booking cancelled
• booking.updated - Booking details changed

Setting Up Webhooks

1. Navigate to Settings > Webhooks in your Propel account
2. Click Add Webhook
3. Enter your webhook URL (must be HTTPS)
4. Select the events you want to receive
5. Optionally configure webhook signing for security
6. Test your webhook to verify it's working

Webhook Payload Format

Webhook payloads are sent as JSON with the following structure:

{
  "event": "engagement.created",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-20T12:00:00Z",
  "data": {
    "engagement_id": "uuid",
    "contact_id": "uuid",
    "contact_name": "John Doe",
    "contact_email": "john@example.com",
    "subject": "Inquiry about 123 Main St",
    "status": "active"
  }
}

Webhook Security

For production use, enable webhook signing:

1. Generate a webhook secret in Settings > Webhooks
2. Propel will sign each webhook payload with this secret
3. Verify the signature in your webhook handler to ensure authenticity

Example Signature Verification (Node.js):

const crypto = require('crypto');

function verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature, secret) {
  const hmac = crypto.createHmac('sha256', secret);
  const digest = hmac.update(JSON.stringify(payload)).digest('hex');
  return crypto.timingSafeEqual(Buffer.from(signature), Buffer.from(digest));
}

Webhook Retry Logic

If your webhook endpoint returns an error (4xx or 5xx status code), Propel will retry the webhook:

• Initial retry: After 1 minute
• Second retry: After 5 minutes
• Third retry: After 15 minutes
• Final retry: After 1 hour

After all retries are exhausted, the webhook is marked as failed and you'll receive a notification.

Custom Integrations

Beyond the built-in integrations, you can build custom integrations using Propel's API and webhooks. Common use cases include:

CRM Integration

Sync Propel data with your CRM system:

• Create contacts automatically when engagements are created
• Update CRM records when engagements are updated
• Sync booking information to your CRM calendar

Example Workflow:

1. Propel creates a new engagement
2. Webhook triggers your integration
3. Your integration creates a contact in your CRM
4. Ongoing sync keeps both systems in sync

Marketing Automation

Connect Propel with marketing platforms:

• Add contacts to email marketing campaigns
• Trigger nurture sequences based on engagement status
• Sync booking data for event marketing

Reporting and Analytics

Build custom dashboards and reports:

• Pull engagement data via API
• Calculate custom metrics
• Create visualizations in your preferred tool
• Schedule automated reports

Workflow Automation

Integrate with automation platforms:

• Zapier: Connect Propel to 5,000+ apps
• Make (formerly Integromat): Build complex automation workflows
• n8n: Self-hosted workflow automation
• Custom scripts: Use Propel API in your own automation scripts

Integration Best Practices

Security

• API Keys: Store API keys securely, never commit them to version control
• Webhook Signing: Always verify webhook signatures in production
• HTTPS Only: Use HTTPS for all webhook endpoints
• Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting in your webhook handlers
• Error Handling: Handle errors gracefully and log them for debugging

Performance

• Async Processing: Process webhooks asynchronously to avoid timeouts
• Batch Operations: Use batch endpoints when available to reduce API calls
• Caching: Cache data when appropriate to reduce API load
• Pagination: Use pagination for large data sets

Reliability

• Idempotency: Design your integrations to handle duplicate events
• Retry Logic: Implement retry logic for failed API calls
• Monitoring: Monitor your integrations for errors and performance issues
• Testing: Test integrations thoroughly before deploying to production

Getting Help

If you need assistance with integrations:

• API Documentation: See the Propel API Documentation for detailed endpoint information
• Support Email: partners@propelhq.io
• Integration Guides: Browse our complete integration documentation
• Getting Started: See Getting Started for initial setup

Related Documentation

• Gmail - Email Provider Setup
• Microsoft 365 - Email Provider Setup
• Calendar Integration
• Data Sources (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox)
• Setting Up Your First Mailbox
• Configuring Mailbox Settings