Use vendors as wishlist's items

Overview

Enhancing the usability of a marketplace that focuses on services or job boards, the "Vendors as Favorites" feature allows users to mark certain vendors as favorites, providing a streamlined way to re-access and manage preferred service providers, profiles, or companies.

This feature leverages the Kreezalid Front API and requires users to be logged in to utilize it.

Endpoint Utilization and Details

Add a Vendor to the User's Wishlist

HTTP Method: POST

Endpoint: /front_api/v1/wishlists

Body Request:

```
{
"item_id": 123456,
"type": "vendor"
}
```

Endpoint documentation

Remove a Vendor from the User's Wishlist

HTTP Method: DELETE

Endpoint: /front_api/v1/wishlists/{item_id}?type=vendor

Endpoint documentation

Retrieve all Vendors from the User's Wishlist

HTTP Method: GET

Endpoint: /front_api/v1/wishlists?type=vendor

Endpoint documentation

Check if a Vendor is in the User's Wishlist

HTTP Method: GET

Endpoint: /front_api/v1/wishlists/{item_id}?type=vendor

Endpoint documentation

Considerations

Parameter: type

While employing the same endpoint for both listings and vendors, it is crucial to utilize the type parameter to denote the kind of item being manipulated:

- Value: Can be "listing" or "vendor".
- Default Behavior: If this parameter is omitted or contains an invalid value, the type will default to "listing".

- Mixing Types: The usage of both listing and vendor types is supported but cannot be amalgamated within a single API request.

Usage Tips

Clarity in API Calls

Ensure that API calls made by your application are explicitly defined with clear parameters, especially the type parameter, to mitigate the potential for incorrect data manipulation or retrieval due to the defaulting behavior.

Managing and Displaying Vendor Favorites

Developers might implement user interfaces that smoothly allow users to manage and view their favorited vendors. Ensuring that these UI elements provide intuitive interactions (such as adding, viewing, or removing favorites) will enhance user experience and encourage the usage of the feature.

User Authentication

Since users must be logged in to utilize the wishlist feature, developers should ensure seamless user experiences by aptly handling scenarios where non-authenticated or non-logged-in users attempt to utilize the feature. This might involve triggering login prompts or displaying informative messages.

Error Handling and User Feedback

Ensure your implementation includes adequate error handling. Should an API request fail or return an unexpected response, providing the user with appropriate feedback or alternatives is paramount. This not only maintains a smooth user experience but also assists in troubleshooting should issues arise.

Future Improvements and Iterations

- Wishlist Management Features: Explore and implement additional functionalities like sharing wishlists, notifying changes in favorite vendors (like updates, new offerings, etc.), or enabling sorting and filtering within the wishlist.
- Analytics and Data Utilization: Employ data on user’s favorited vendors to provide personalized recommendations, targeted marketing, or to gain insights into popular vendors and services within your platform.

Conclusion

The "Vendors as Favorites" feature enriches the user experience by providing a tailored approach to browsing and interacting with a service-oriented marketplace or job board. Developers should ensure a precise, secure, and user-friendly implementation by following the outlined endpoint usage, ensuring adequate error handling, and focusing on user experience in the UI/UX design and interaction flow.

Updated on: 06/10/2023