When middleware is too slow, call it directly
A documented REST API for contacts, segments, events and transactional send, plus webhooks for delivery and engagement events. SMTP too, if you would rather not change your send code at all.
Typical setup: 30 minutes · No developer required · Connecting a store never raises your bill
Bluey exposes a REST API for managing contacts, segments, custom fields and events, a transactional send endpoint, an SMTP relay, and outbound webhooks for delivery, bounce, open, click and unsubscribe events. Transactional plans start at $4 a month for 15,000 emails and include 2 event webhooks and 5 API keys on Essentials; Pro adds 5 webhooks, unlimited keys, subuser management and a 7-day searchable activity feed. Use the API rather than Zapier when volume is above a few thousand events a month, when latency matters (abandoned cart, password reset), or when you need transformations middleware cannot express.
What actually syncs
The specifics, so you can tell before you connect anything whether the flows you want are possible.
| Data | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Two-way | Create, read, update and delete, with upsert on email address so repeated calls are safe. Custom fields and tags included. |
| Events | Into Bluey | Post arbitrary product events with properties. These become automation triggers and segment conditions — the mechanism behind behavioural targeting. |
| Transactional send | Into Bluey | Send a templated or raw message to one recipient. Available on every transactional tier, including the $4 entry plan. |
| Segments | Two-way | Create segments and add or remove members programmatically. |
| Delivery & engagement webhooks | Out of Bluey | Delivered, bounced, opened, clicked, unsubscribed and complained. Consume these to keep your own database in step with reality. |
| Suppression list | Two-way | Read and write suppressions, so an unsubscribe in your product is honoured in Bluey and the other way round. |
What you can build once it is connected
Setting it up — about 30 minutes
- 1Generate an API key in your Bluey account settings — 5 keys on Essentials, unlimited on Pro
- 2Authenticate with a bearer token; every endpoint uses the same scheme
- 3Authenticate your sending domain with SPF and DKIM before your first production send
- 4Register webhook endpoints for the events you care about, starting with bounce and unsubscribe
- 5Verify webhook signatures so you are not acting on forged payloads
- 6Test against a small volume, confirm the activity feed shows what you expect, then ramp
What this integration does not do
Worth knowing before you build a plan around it.
- Rate limits apply per key. High-burst workloads should batch rather than sending one request per contact.
- Searchable activity retention is 3 days on Essentials and 7 on Pro. If you need long history, store webhook events in your own database as they arrive.
- Webhook count is capped by plan — 2 on Essentials, 5 on Pro. Fan out from a single endpoint if you need more consumers.
- There is no GraphQL API and no official SDK for every language; the REST surface is plain HTTP and JSON.
the Bluey API integration FAQ
Do I need the API, or is Zapier enough?
Zapier is fine for low volume and for connections a non-developer maintains. Use the API when you are above a few thousand events a month, when latency matters — abandoned cart and password resets both do — or when Zapier's per-task cost would exceed the small amount of code involved.
Can I use SMTP instead of the REST API?
Yes. Bluey exposes an SMTP relay on every transactional tier, so migrating from another provider is often just a host, a username and a password. The REST API gives you templates, per-message metadata and richer event data, but SMTP is the fastest path off an existing provider.
What webhook events are available?
Delivered, bounced, opened, clicked, unsubscribed and complained. Bounce and unsubscribe are the two you should consume from day one — they are how you keep your own database aligned with what is actually happening to your mail.
How much does API access cost?
Transactional Essentials starts at $4 a month for 15,000 emails with 2 webhooks and 5 API keys; $14.95 covers 100,000. Pro starts at $29.95 with 5 webhooks, unlimited keys, subuser management and a 7-day activity feed. Contact and segment endpoints are available on marketing plans too.
Is there a sandbox?
The 7-day trial gives full API access, which is the practical way to test an integration end to end. Unlike some providers there is no separate sandbox review gating your first production send — you can go live as soon as your domain is authenticated.
Keep exploring
Connect the Bluey API and ship your first flow this week.
Seven days of full access, no credit card. Connect the integration, turn on one flow, and watch what it recovers before you decide.