You just need to check out the docs!
We’re excited to announce the launch of the GoSquared Tracking API and new developer docs.
Getting started and integrating GoSquared is now even easier. With the launch of People Analytics, we’ve opened up a wave of new integration options and it’s the perfect opportunity to redesign the docs and make getting set up easier.
Ease-of-use is at the heart of everything at GoSquared and I’m really proud that we’re extending that principle to our tracking docs.
Setting up tracking is the first thing that every new user has to do in GoSquared. All of the main tracking features are documented with rich examples in multiple languages in our docs overview. Whether it’s basic site tracking, events or identifying users, you can find each quick start doc from the docs homepage.
For the first time, we’ve put together an exhaustive reference guide for the GoSquared Tracking API. The full Tracking API reference documents comprehensively and in detail all the features of the Tracking API on a single page. Our new design documents examples of integrating GoSquared in JavaScript, Node.js, PHP and with HTTP.
Why docs matter
As a company, we’ve always worked closely with developers. We wanted to make the docs easier to use and easier to find. Integrating GoSquared, tracking events and identifying users are all essential steps when activating and we wanted to make life easier for developers.
With People Analytics, we’ve introduced a host of powerful new ways to integrate GoSquared more closely with your business and we want the docs to help developers use it. The tracker offers incredible flexibility in terms of the data you can associate with a user. We want it to be open and easy for developers to track what they want to. For the first time, we have a public, central point of reference for everything the GoSquared Tracking API can do. We can’t wait for you to make use of it!
Designing the new developer docs
In a recent article on this blog, we discussed the importance of making your support docs as good as they can be. The same thoughts should apply to developer docs. We’ve improved navigation and by putting the full tracking docs on a single page, they are significantly easier to navigate. We’ve minimised the need to click and you can search on the page for information and the persistent sidebar navigation helps keep your place.
We’ve introduced a lot of rich examples to the Tracking API docs. Examples are a key part of the new docs and you can view them in every supported language. You can never have enough examples.
We’ve documented everything in HTTP. When we don’t have a library for the language you’re using, you can build your own integration by accessing our HTTP API directly. This method offers incredible flexibility and it’s the first time we’ve offered HTTP endpoints in the Tracking API.
We want to show off GoSquared. Like support, developer docs are also important for marketing. New visitors checking out your service want to know what integration looks like and how well documented your APIs are. Your docs should reflect your values as a company. If you pride yourself on fanatical customer service, then the experience of browsing and finding information should reflect that. The new GoSquared docs fit with our mission as a company.
The docs site was developed in-house but we were heavily inspired by the popular Open source project Slate (you can find the code on GitHub). For anyone considering a docs redesign, Slate’s responsive template is an excellent starting point.
Helping humans
Active GoSquared customers are as likely to be technically skilled as less so. There’s a fine line between writing support docs that sound human while documenting APIs and libraries comprehensively. The best thing docs can do is get out the way and let your users get on with getting started, use features and evaluate the tools available.
Our job here is in no way finished. We want to introduce a series of tutorials with more step-by-step real-world examples. We’re also welcoming contributions, improvements or contentious questions so please contact us with any suggestions. Soon, we’ll update the reporting API docs too so watch this space!
