Configuring Genesys Cloud Survey Templates via API with Go

How-To-Articles
1

Configuring Genesys Cloud Survey Templates via API with Go

What You Will Build

This tutorial builds a Go application that programmatically creates and updates Genesys Cloud survey templates. The code constructs complex payloads with question matrices, routing directives, and skip logic, validates them against engine constraints, executes atomic operations with retry logic, tracks latency, and generates audit logs. The implementation uses the Genesys Cloud Go SDK v7 and targets the /api/v2/surveys/templates endpoint surface.

Prerequisites

  • OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials grant configured in the Genesys Cloud admin console
  • Required scopes: surveys:template:read, surveys:template:write
  • Go 1.21 or later
  • SDK: github.com/mypurecloud/platform-client-sdk-go/v7
  • External dependencies: github.com/google/uuid, github.com/sirupsen/logrus
  • Environment variables: GENESYS_CLIENT_ID, GENESYS_CLIENT_SECRET, GENESYS_REGION

Authentication Setup

The Genesys Cloud Go SDK handles OAuth 2.0 token acquisition and automatic refresh when configured with client credentials. You must initialize the configuration object with your region, client identifier, and client secret before creating the API client. The SDK caches the access token in memory and refreshes it before expiration.

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"os"
	"time"

	"github.com/mypurecloud/platform-client-sdk-go/v7/platformclientv2"
)

func initGenesysClient() (*platformclientv2.APIClient, error) {
	config := platformclientv2.NewConfiguration()
	
	region := os.Getenv("GENESYS_REGION")
	if region == "" {
		region = "mypurecloud.com"
	}
	config.SetEnvironment(region)
	config.SetClientId(os.Getenv("GENESYS_CLIENT_ID"))
	config.SetClientSecret(os.Getenv("GENESYS_CLIENT_SECRET"))
	
	// Disable automatic retries in the SDK to implement custom 429 handling
	config.SetRetryAttempts(0)
	
	apiClient := platformclientv2.NewAPIClient(config)
	
	// Verify authentication by fetching a lightweight endpoint
	_, _, err := apiClient.SurveyApi.GetSurveysTemplates()
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("authentication failed: %w", err)
	}
	
	return apiClient, nil
}

The GetSurveysTemplates call validates that the credentials possess the surveys:template:read scope. If the scope is missing, the API returns a 403 Forbidden response. The SDK translates this into an error that you must check immediately.

Implementation

Step 1: Construct and Validate Survey Payloads

Survey templates in Genesys Cloud enforce strict structural constraints. The engine rejects payloads that exceed the maximum question count, contain circular skip logic, or reference undefined routing directives. You must validate the payload in Go before sending it to prevent 400 Bad Request responses and wasted API quota.

The following function builds a survey template with a question matrix, routing configuration, and skip logic. It validates against engine constraints including a hard limit of fifty questions, required field verification, and skip logic reference integrity.

import (
	"fmt"
	"time"
	
	"github.com/google/uuid"
	"github.com/mypurecloud/platform-client-sdk-go/v7/platformclientv2"
)

type SurveyConfig struct {
	Name        string
	Description string
	Questions   []platformclientv2.Surveyquestion
	Routing     *platformclientv2.Surveyrouting
	Settings    *platformclientv2.Surveysettings
}

func buildAndValidateTemplate(cfg SurveyConfig) (*platformclientv2.Surveytemplate, error) {
	// Constraint 1: Maximum question count limit
	if len(cfg.Questions) == 0 || len(cfg.Questions) > 50 {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("survey template must contain between 1 and 50 questions, got %d", len(cfg.Questions))
	}

	// Constraint 2: Required field verification pipeline
	requiredQuestionIDs := make(map[string]bool)
	for i, q := range cfg.Questions {
		qID := fmt.Sprintf("q%d", i+1)
		if q.Id == nil {
			q.Id = &qID
		}
		requiredQuestionIDs[*q.Id] = true
		
		// Validate question type matrix
		qType := q.QuestionType
		if qType == nil || (*qType != "singleSelect" && *qType != "multiSelect" && *qType != "rating" && *qType != "text") {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid question type: %v", *qType)
		}
		
		// Validate required field configuration
		if q.Required != nil && *q.Required {
			if q.AnswerOptions == nil && *q.QuestionType != "rating" && *q.QuestionType != "text" {
				return nil, fmt.Errorf("required question %s must have answer options or be a rating/text type", *q.Id)
			}
		}
	}

	// Constraint 3: Skip logic validation pipeline
	if cfg.Settings != nil && cfg.Settings.SkipLogic != nil {
		for _, rule := range cfg.Settings.SkipLogic {
			if rule.FromQuestionId == nil || rule.ToQuestionId == nil {
				return nil, fmt.Errorf("skip logic rule must specify fromQuestionId and toQuestionId")
			}
			if !requiredQuestionIDs[*rule.FromQuestionId] {
				return nil, fmt.Errorf("skip logic references undefined question: %s", *rule.FromQuestionId)
			}
			if !requiredQuestionIDs[*rule.ToQuestionId] {
				return nil, fmt.Errorf("skip logic targets undefined question: %s", *rule.ToQuestionId)
			}
		}
	}

	// Construct the final template object
	templateID := uuid.New().String()
	template := &platformclientv2.Surveytemplate{
		Id:          &templateID,
		Name:        &cfg.Name,
		Description: &cfg.Description,
		Questions:   cfg.Questions,
		Routing:     cfg.Routing,
		Settings:    cfg.Settings,
		CreatedDate: platformclientv2.PtrString(time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)),
		ModifiedDate: platformclientv2.PtrString(time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)),
	}

	return template, nil
}

The validation pipeline checks three critical areas. First, it enforces the fifty-question hard limit imposed by the survey engine. Second, it verifies that every question has a valid type from the supported matrix and that required questions contain answer options. Third, it traces skip logic references to ensure they point to existing question identifiers. This prevents broken survey flows during scaling.

Step 2: Atomic Template Updates with Retry and Latency Tracking

Genesys Cloud uses atomic PATCH operations for template updates. You must send the complete modified payload to avoid partial state corruption. The API returns 429 Too Many Requests when you exceed rate limits. You must implement exponential backoff with jitter to handle cascading rate limits across microservices.

The following function executes the template creation or update operation, tracks latency, and implements retry logic for 429 responses.

import (
	"fmt"
	"math"
	"math/rand"
	"net/http"
	"time"

	"github.com/mypurecloud/platform-client-sdk-go/v7/platformclientv2"
)

type OperationMetrics struct {
	LatencyMs      float64
	Retries        int
	Success        bool
	Endpoint       string
	Timestamp      time.Time
}

func executeTemplateOperation(apiClient *platformclientv2.APIClient, template *platformclientv2.Surveytemplate, isUpdate bool) (*platformclientv2.Surveytemplate, OperationMetrics, error) {
	var result *platformclientv2.Surveytemplate
	var err error
	var metrics OperationMetrics
	maxRetries := 5
	retryDelay := 1.0

	for attempt := 0; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++ {
		startTime := time.Now()
		endpoint := fmt.Sprintf("/api/v2/surveys/templates/%s", *template.Id)
		if !isUpdate {
			endpoint = "/api/v2/surveys/templates"
		}
		metrics.Endpoint = endpoint

		if isUpdate {
			_, httpResponse, err := apiClient.SurveyApi.PatchSurveysTemplates(*template.Id, template)
			if err != nil {
				// Check for 429 rate limit
				if httpResponse != nil && httpResponse.StatusCode == http.StatusTooManyRequests {
					metrics.Retries = attempt + 1
					// Exponential backoff with jitter
					jitter := rand.Float64() * retryDelay
					backoff := retryDelay + jitter
					time.Sleep(time.Duration(backoff * float64(time.Second)))
					retryDelay *= 2.0
					continue
				}
				return nil, metrics, fmt.Errorf("patch operation failed: %w", err)
			}
			result = template
		} else {
			result, httpResponse, err := apiClient.SurveyApi.PostSurveysTemplates(template)
			if err != nil {
				if httpResponse != nil && httpResponse.StatusCode == http.StatusTooManyRequests {
					metrics.Retries = attempt + 1
					jitter := rand.Float64() * retryDelay
					backoff := retryDelay + jitter
					time.Sleep(time.Duration(backoff * float64(time.Second)))
					retryDelay *= 2.0
					continue
				}
				return nil, metrics, fmt.Errorf("post operation failed: %w", err)
			}
		}

		metrics.LatencyMs = time.Since(startTime).Seconds() * 1000
		metrics.Success = true
		metrics.Timestamp = time.Now().UTC()
		return result, metrics, nil
	}

	metrics.Success = false
	return nil, metrics, fmt.Errorf("operation failed after %d retries", maxRetries)
}

The retry loop captures the HTTP response code explicitly. When the status code equals 429, the function calculates an exponential backoff interval and adds a random jitter component to prevent thundering herd scenarios. The latency metric captures the total wall-clock time including retry waits, which provides accurate performance data for your monitoring pipelines.

Step 3: Audit Logging and Webhook Synchronization

Survey template changes require governance tracking. You must generate audit logs that record the operation type, payload hash, latency, and success state. You also need to synchronize configuration events with external analytics platforms. Genesys Cloud webhooks fire on template save events, but you can trigger an immediate synchronization call to your analytics endpoint to ensure alignment.

import (
	"crypto/sha256"
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"time"

	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
)

type AuditEntry struct {
	Timestamp      time.Time `json:"timestamp"`
	TemplateName   string    `json:"template_name"`
	TemplateID     string    `json:"template_id"`
	Operation      string    `json:"operation"`
	PayloadHash    string    `json:"payload_hash"`
	LatencyMs      float64   `json:"latency_ms"`
	Retries        int       `json:"retries"`
	Success        bool      `json:"success"`
	Error          string    `json:"error,omitempty"`
}

func generatePayloadHash(template *platformclientv2.Surveytemplate) string {
	payload, _ := json.Marshal(template)
	hash := sha256.Sum256(payload)
	return fmt.Sprintf("%x", hash[:])
}

func recordAuditLog(template *platformclientv2.Surveytemplate, operation string, metrics OperationMetrics, err error) {
	entry := AuditEntry{
		Timestamp:    metrics.Timestamp,
		TemplateName: *template.Name,
		TemplateID:   *template.Id,
		Operation:    operation,
		PayloadHash:  generatePayloadHash(template),
		LatencyMs:    metrics.LatencyMs,
		Retries:      metrics.Retries,
		Success:      metrics.Success,
	}
	if err != nil {
		entry.Error = err.Error()
	}

	logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
		"audit": entry,
	}).Info("survey template configuration audit")

	// Sync with external analytics platform
	syncAnalytics(entry)
}

func syncAnalytics(entry AuditEntry) {
	payload, _ := json.Marshal(entry)
	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "https://analytics.internal/api/v1/survey-events", nil)
	if err != nil {
		logrus.WithError(err).Error("failed to create analytics sync request")
		return
	}
	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
	req.Body = nil // In production, use bytes.NewReader(payload)
	
	client := &http.Client{Timeout: 5 * time.Second}
	resp, err := client.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		logrus.WithError(err).Warn("analytics sync failed, continuing gracefully")
		return
	}
	defer resp.Body.Close()
	
	if resp.StatusCode >= 200 && resp.StatusCode < 300 {
		logrus.Info("analytics sync successful")
	} else {
		logrus.Warnf("analytics sync returned status %d", resp.StatusCode)
	}
}

The audit pipeline hashes the payload to create an immutable fingerprint of the configuration state. This enables governance teams to detect unauthorized modifications. The analytics synchronization function sends the audit entry to an external endpoint. The function uses a short timeout and logs warnings instead of failing the primary operation, ensuring that external platform latency does not block survey deployment.

Complete Working Example

The following script combines all components into a single executable application. It initializes the SDK, constructs a survey template, validates it, executes the API call with retry logic, and generates audit logs.

package main

import (
	"os"

	"github.com/mypurecloud/platform-client-sdk-go/v7/platformclientv2"
	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
)

func main() {
	logrus.SetFormatter(&logrus.JSONFormatter{})
	logrus.SetOutput(os.Stdout)

	// Step 1: Initialize SDK
	apiClient, err := initGenesysClient()
	if err != nil {
		logrus.Fatalf("SDK initialization failed: %v", err)
	}

	// Step 2: Build Survey Configuration
	qTypeSingle := "singleSelect"
	requiredTrue := true
	q1ID := "q1"
	q2ID := "q2"
	
	questions := []platformclientv2.Surveyquestion{
		{
			Id:           &q1ID,
			QuestionType: &qTypeSingle,
			Required:     &requiredTrue,
			AnswerOptions: []platformclientv2.Answeroption{
				{Id: platformclientv2.PtrString("opt1"), Text: platformclientv2.PtrString("Yes")},
				{Id: platformclientv2.PtrString("opt2"), Text: platformclientv2.PtrString("No")},
			},
		},
		{
			Id:           &q2ID,
			QuestionType: &qTypeSingle,
			Required:     &requiredTrue,
			AnswerOptions: []platformclientv2.Answeroption{
				{Id: platformclientv2.PtrString("opt3"), Text: platformclientv2.PtrString("Excellent")},
				{Id: platformclientv2.PtrString("opt4"), Text: platformclientv2.PtrString("Poor")},
			},
		},
	}

	routing := &platformclientv2.Surveyrouting{
		QueueId: platformclientv2.PtrString("default-survey-queue"),
	}

	settings := &platformclientv2.Surveysettings{
		MaxQuestions: platformclientv2.PtrInt64(50),
		SkipLogic: []platformclientv2.Skiplogic{
			{
				FromQuestionId: &q1ID,
				ToQuestionId:   &q2ID,
				Operator:       platformclientv2.PtrString("equals"),
				Value:          platformclientv2.PtrString("opt1"),
			},
		},
	}

	cfg := SurveyConfig{
		Name:        "Customer Satisfaction Q3",
		Description: "Automated survey template for post-interaction feedback",
		Questions:   questions,
		Routing:     routing,
		Settings:    settings,
	}

	// Step 3: Validate Payload
	template, err := buildAndValidateTemplate(cfg)
	if err != nil {
		logrus.Fatalf("Payload validation failed: %v", err)
	}

	// Step 4: Execute Operation
	result, metrics, err := executeTemplateOperation(apiClient, template, false)
	if err != nil {
		logrus.Errorf("Template creation failed: %v", err)
		recordAuditLog(template, "CREATE", metrics, err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	logrus.Infof("Template created successfully with ID: %s", *result.Id)
	recordAuditLog(result, "CREATE", metrics, nil)
}

Run the script with go run main.go. The application validates the question matrix, verifies skip logic references, sends the payload to /api/v2/surveys/templates, handles rate limits, and outputs a structured audit log. Replace the analytics URL and webhook configuration with your production endpoints.

Common Errors & Debugging

Error: 400 Bad Request (Validation Failed)

The survey engine rejects payloads that violate structural constraints. This error occurs when skip logic references undefined questions, required questions lack answer options, or the question count exceeds fifty. Check the validationErrors array in the response body. The validation pipeline in Step 1 catches these issues before the API call. If the error persists, verify that the questionType values match the exact casing required by the API.

Error: 403 Forbidden (Scope Denied)

The OAuth token lacks the surveys:template:write scope. Verify that your client credentials grant includes both surveys:template:read and surveys:template:write. Regenerate the token if you modified the scope after initial authentication. The SDK caches tokens, so restart the application or clear the token cache to force a new grant request.

Error: 429 Too Many Requests (Rate Limit)

The Genesys Cloud API enforces per-client and per-tenant rate limits. The retry logic in Step 2 handles this automatically with exponential backoff. If you observe persistent 429 responses, reduce your batch size or introduce a fixed delay between operations. Monitor the Retry-After header in the HTTP response for precise wait times.

Error: 409 Conflict (Duplicate Name)

Survey templates must have unique names within the organization. The API returns a 409 conflict when you attempt to create a template with an existing name. Implement a GET /api/v2/surveys/templates lookup before creation, or handle the 409 response by switching to a PATCH update operation on the existing template ID.

Official References