smartlead-api

Smartlead API endpoint reference and patterns. Use for any Smartlead campaign, lead, email account, analytics, or inbox operation. Covers auth, rate limiting, and all commonly used endpoints.

Works with

Claude CodeCursorCodex CLIGitHub CopilotGemini CLI
---
name: smartlead-api
description: Smartlead API endpoint reference and patterns. Use for any Smartlead campaign, lead, email account, analytics, or inbox operation. Covers auth, rate limiting, and all commonly used endpoints.
license: MIT
---

# Smartlead API Reference

## Authentication

All requests use query parameter auth: `?api_key={SMARTLEAD_API_KEY}`

Environment variable: `$SMARTLEAD_API_KEY`

Base URL: `https://server.smartlead.ai/api/v1`

## Rate Limiting

- **Standard plan:** 2,000 req/min (33 req/sec)
- **Higher plans:** 3,000 req/min (50 req/sec)
- Retry on 429 and 5xx with exponential backoff
- For bulk operations, use `p-limit` or `PQueue` with 8-15 concurrency

## CLI Quick Reference

The `smartlead` CLI (`@smartlead/cli`) wraps all API endpoints. Use it for quick lookups:

```bash
# Campaigns
smartlead campaigns list
smartlead campaigns get <id>
smartlead campaigns create --name "Campaign Name"

# Leads
smartlead leads list --campaign-id <id>
smartlead leads add --campaign-id <id> --file leads.csv

# Email accounts
smartlead email-accounts list
smartlead email-accounts get <id>

# Analytics
smartlead analytics campaign <id>
smartlead analytics overall

# Master inbox
smartlead inbox replies
```

## API Endpoints

### Campaigns

```
GET  /campaigns/{id}                    — Fetch campaign by ID
POST /campaigns/create                  — Create new campaign
POST /campaigns/{id}/status             — Update status (START, PAUSED, STOP)
     Body: { "status": "START" }
```

### Campaign Email Accounts

```
GET    /campaigns/{id}/email-accounts   — List accounts assigned to campaign
POST   /campaigns/{id}/email-accounts   — Add accounts to campaign
       Body: { "email_account_ids": [1, 2, 3] }
DELETE /campaigns/{id}/email-accounts   — Remove accounts from campaign
```

### Campaign Sequences

```
GET  /campaigns/{id}/sequences          — Fetch sequences
POST /campaigns/{id}/sequences          — Save/update sequences
     Body: { "sequences": [{ "seq_number": 1, "seq_delay_details": { "delay_in_days": 0 }, "subject": "...", "email_body": "..." }] }
```

**A/B/C Variants** — use `seq_variants` array inside each sequence:
```json
{
  "sequences": [{
    "seq_number": 1,
    "seq_delay_details": { "delay_in_days": 0 },
    "seq_variants": [
      { "variant_label": "A", "subject": "Subject A", "email_body": "<div>Body A</div>" },
      { "variant_label": "B", "subject": "Subject B", "email_body": "<div>Body B</div>" },
      { "variant_label": "C", "subject": "Subject C", "email_body": "<div>Body C</div>" }
    ]
  }]
}
```
Note: Do NOT include `distribution` field — SmartLead splits evenly automatically.

**Email body order:** content → PS unsub line → `%signature%` (signature always last)

### Campaign Settings & Schedule

```
POST /campaigns/{id}/settings           — Update settings
     Body: { "track_settings": [...], "stop_lead_settings": "..." }

POST /campaigns/{id}/schedule           — Update schedule
     Body: { "timezone": "US/Eastern", "days_of_the_week": [1,2,3,4,5], "start_hour": "08:00", "end_hour": "17:00", "min_time_btw_emails": 8, "max_new_leads_per_day": 30 }
```

### Leads

```
GET  /leads/?api_key={key}&email={email}
     — Lookup lead by email address

POST /campaigns/{id}/leads
     — Add leads to campaign (batch up to 100)
     Body: { "lead_list": [{ "email": "...", "first_name": "...", "last_name": "...", "company_name": "...", "custom_fields": { "field1": "value1" } }] }
```

### Analytics

```
GET /analytics/day-wise-overall-stats
    ?api_key={key}&start_date=YYYY-MM-DD&end_date=YYYY-MM-DD
    — Day-by-day metrics (sent, opened, clicked, replied, bounced)

GET /analytics/day-wise-positive-reply-stats
    ?api_key={key}&start_date=YYYY-MM-DD&end_date=YYYY-MM-DD
    — Day-by-day positive reply counts

GET /analytics/overall-stats-v2
    ?api_key={key}&start_date=YYYY-MM-DD&end_date=YYYY-MM-DD
    — Overall campaign metrics for date range

GET /analytics/campaign/list
    ?api_key={key}
    — List all campaigns with summary stats

GET /campaigns/{id}/analytics
    ?api_key={key}
    — Analytics for specific campaign

GET /campaigns/{id}/analytics-by-date
    ?api_key={key}&start_date=YYYY-MM-DD&end_date=YYYY-MM-DD
    — Campaign analytics for specific date range (sent_count, reply_count)
```

### Email Accounts (Global)

```
GET  /email-accounts
     ?api_key={key}&offset=0&limit=100
     — List all email accounts (paginated)

GET  /email-accounts/{id}
     ?api_key={key}
     — Get specific email account

POST /email-accounts/save
     — Create/update email account (SMTP details, warmup, etc.)
```

### Master Inbox

```
POST /master-inbox/inbox-replies
     Body: { "api_key": "...", "offset": 0, "limit": 50, "message_type": "RECEIVED" }
     — Fetch inbox replies with filtering and pagination
```

## Sub-Client / Custom API Key Pattern

- **Normal sub-clients:** Pass `?api_key={MAIN_KEY}&client_id={CLIENT_ID}` on all requests
- **Custom API key clients:** Use the client's own API key directly, no `client_id` param

## TypeScript Pattern

```typescript
const SMARTLEAD_API = "https://server.smartlead.ai/api/v1";
const API_KEY = process.env.SMARTLEAD_API_KEY;

// GET example
const res = await fetch(`${SMARTLEAD_API}/campaigns/${campaignId}?api_key=${API_KEY}`);
const campaign = await res.json();

// POST example (add leads)
const res = await fetch(`${SMARTLEAD_API}/campaigns/${campaignId}/leads?api_key=${API_KEY}`, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({ lead_list: leads.slice(0, 100) }),
});
```

## Performance tip: cache the email-accounts list

If you hit `/email-accounts` more than a few times per script, paginate once at the start and keep the result in memory. Smartlead's pagination returns 100 per page — for accounts with thousands of inboxes, a full walk takes 30+ seconds.

For persistent caching across scripts, write the list to a local JSON file and refresh on a timer (e.g. every hour). The `/smartlead-inbox-manager` skill has scripts that implement this pattern.

---

## What to do next

This is a reference skill — no direct next step. Used by all skills that interact with Smartlead (`/smartlead-inbox-manager`, `/smartlead-campaign-upload-public`, `/email-deliverability-audit`, `/positive-reply-scoring`, `/deliverability-incident-response`, etc.).

Return to the skill that sent you here.

## Related skills

- Every skill that touches Smartlead uses this reference.

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