Stream API
The Stream API lets you send real-time behavioral and transactional data about the users of your application to Sitecore Personalize. Using the Stream API involves integrating your application with Sitecore Personalize.
We recommend that you integrate using the Sitecore Engage SDK.
Overview
Sitecore Personalize provides a suite of API services that makes data management easier, faster, and more efficient. The Stream API captures fast-flowing, high-velocity event data at the same time that it is generated on your organization's website. When you integrate your application using the Engage SDK, the Engage SDK uses the Stream API behind the scenes to facilitate the capturing of events. The Stream API can also be deployed in conjunction with your organization's data layer.
The Stream API consists of two APIs. If you integrate your application using direct HTTP requests, you make requests to both of the following APIs:
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Browser API - the Browser Interface enables you to extend functionality within a web browser or other HTTP client. You can use the Browser Interface to manage cookies in the browser that help identify guests and facilitate personalization.
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Event API - the Event Interface enables event processing. For example, you can use the Event API to send events in at speed from mobile applications or your website.
The Stream API has the following characteristics:
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Supports synchronous calls
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Sends write-only data
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Processes structured data
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Captures online events
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Facilitates Online Data Capture (ODC)
When to use the Stream API
The Stream API provides a light-touch integration that facilitates the immediate realization of Sitecore Personalize functionality. The Stream API is used for the following purposes:
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Online data capture - you can integrate the Stream API with your data layer to capture guest activity as guests navigate your online booking flow. Sitecore Personalize can also integrate with your website, mobile app, and call center.
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Behavioral information - the Event API captures a guest's behavioral data that can immediately be used in real-time personalization. These are events, for example, the pages the guest visits, the searches the guest performs, purchased products, and products added to the cart but not purchased.
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Website personalization - your organization's web-based application can pass guest, behavioral, and transactional data to Sitecore Personalize to use in real-time decisioning and experience execution.
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Optimizes decisioning - the Stream API captures behavioral and transactional data to ensure that decisioning has the most up-to-date guest, order, and search data for use in personalization and experiments.