Add a custom quote for a subscriber

This tutorial demonstrates how to add a custom quote for a subscriber using the Quoteable Service API. This process lets subscribers include their own personalized quotes in their quote rotation.

Important notes

• Adding a custom quote involves setting the customQuote field to true and providing the quote text in the customQuoteText field.
• In this mock API, custom quotes are added directly to the quote record. Add review or moderation in your own application if you need it.
• Adding a custom quote doesn’t affect the subscriber’s other quote preferences or delivery settings.

Prerequisites

Before you start this tutorial:

• Make sure you have access to the Quoteable Service API.
• Make sure you have a tool such as Postman or cURL installed to make API requests.
• Know the id of the subscriber for whom you want to add a custom quote.

Add a custom quote for a subscriber

To add a custom quote for a subscriber, send a PATCH request to the /quotes/{id} endpoint with customQuote set to true and customQuoteText containing the quote.

For endpoint details, see Update a quote.

Follow these steps:

1. Open your API testing tool, such as Postman.
2. Create a new request with the following details:
   • METHOD: PATCH
   • URL: http://localhost:3000/quotes/{id} (replace {id} with the quote ID you want to update)
   • Headers:
     • Content-Type: application/json
   • Request:

curl --request PATCH "http://localhost:3000/quotes/{id}" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "customQuote": true,
    "customQuoteText": "Your custom quote goes here."
  }'

Send the request.

A successful request returns a 200 OK status code with the updated quote object in the response body.

Example

Request:

curl --request PATCH "http://localhost:3000/quotes/3" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "customQuote": true,
    "customQuoteText": "Be the change you wish to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi"
  }'

Response body:

{
  "subscriberId": 1,
  "id": 3,
  "healthQuoteText": "Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account. - Anne Wilson Schaef",
  "loveQuoteText": "",
  "helpPplQuoteText": "At the end, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished. It's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back. - Denzel Washington",
  "customQuote": true,
  "customQuoteText": "Be the change you wish to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi",
  "shareQuote": true,
  "shareQuoteContact": "pepper.pots@stark.com"
}

Error handling

If you encounter errors, here are some common issues and their solutions:

• 404 Not Found: Check that you’re using the correct quote ID.
• 400 Bad Request: Make sure your JSON is correctly formatted and includes both customQuote and customQuoteText fields.

What’s next?

Now that you’ve learned how to add a custom quote for a subscriber, you can:

• Implement a feature in your application for users to submit their own quotes.
• Create a moderation system for reviewing and approving custom quotes before they’re added to the rotation.
• Develop a feature to display a subscriber’s custom quote alongside quotes from the standard categories.
• Consider adding functionality to edit or delete custom quotes.