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How to Use the API Connect Step in Campaign Touchpoints (Send Prospect Data to Any Service)

Add an API Connect step to a campaign sequence to send each prospect's data to any external service — with a URL, HTTP method, custom headers, and a JSON payload that supports prospect variables.

Written by Katie Supporté

Summary: The API Connect step lets a campaign call any external HTTP API when a prospect reaches that point in the sequence — sending the prospect's details to your own systems, an enrichment service, an internal webhook, or any other tool, without leaving the campaign builder.

Who this is for: Anyone who wants their campaign to notify or update an outside system mid-sequence — for example, logging prospects to an internal endpoint, triggering a service when a prospect hits a certain step, or posting data to a tool Alta doesn't integrate with natively.

Before you start

  • API Connect is enabled per account. If you don't see API Connect in the add-step menu, it isn't turned on for your workspace — reach out to us and we'll enable it.

  • You'll need the endpoint's URL and any authentication headers (for example an Authorization header) from the service you're calling.

  • The endpoint must be publicly reachable. Requests to private or internal hosts (like localhost or internal IPs) are blocked for security.

Add the step to your sequence

  1. Open your campaign and go to Touchpoints.

  2. Click the + (add step) button where you want the call to happen.

  3. Under Actions, choose API Connect.

Configure the request

The step editor is titled API Connect — "Connect/communicate your data with/to other services" and has four sections:

  1. URL — paste the full endpoint, e.g. https://example.com/api/endpoint.

  2. Method — pick GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, or PATCH.

  3. Headers — click Add Header and enter a name and value per row (e.g. Content-Type / application/json). This is where auth headers go, such as Authorization / Bearer YOUR_TOKEN.

  4. Body (Payload) — click Add Property to build the JSON payload. Each row has a Name, Value, and Type. Types available: string, number, boolean, array, and object. Choosing object opens a nested editor so you can build structured JSON; boolean switches the value to a True/False picker; array values are entered comma-separated.

Personalize the payload with prospect variables

For string and array body values, click the variables button next to the value field to insert prospect fields (name, email, company, and so on). When the step runs, Alta fills these in with the actual prospect's data — so every request carries that prospect's details.

What happens when the step runs

  • When a prospect reaches the step, Alta renders the payload with their data and sends the request.

  • The response status code and body are recorded on the prospect's timeline. Open the prospect's slide-over and expand the API Connect entry to see the URL, Status Code, and Response Body.

  • The sequence then continues to the next step as usual.

Tips and common pitfalls

  • Variables work only in body values. The URL and header fields are sent exactly as typed — you can't insert prospect variables there.

  • Blank rows are dropped. A property with an empty name or an empty value won't be included in the payload, so double-check required fields your endpoint expects.

  • Private hosts are blocked. If your request fails instantly, confirm the URL points to a publicly reachable host — internal addresses are rejected.

  • The response isn't reusable in later steps. It's logged on the timeline for visibility, but it doesn't feed into later message prompts or conditions. If you need to act on an API response, use an Alta Flow instead.

  • Treat API keys with care. Header values are stored as part of the campaign configuration — use scoped tokens where possible and rotate them if teammates with campaign access change.

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