canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/sympa.community/sympa-community

# Sympa Community Sympa API

Sympa is an open-source mailing list management (MLM) software. The primary API interface is SOAP/HTTP (WSDL-based). This spec models the SOAP operations as REST-like endpoints for discoverability. In practice, these are SOAP actions sent via POST to the SOAP endpoint URL. Sympa 6.2+ also has a limited REST API for some operations. The API exposes 13 endpoints secured with apiKey authentication.

## For AI agents

Programmatically soap endpoint, get wsdl service description. Covers 13 operations with apiKey authentication.

## Scope

Does not handle payments, crm, or developer tools - use for communications only.

## Capabilities

- SOAP endpoint
- Get WSDL service description
- Authenticate user (SOAP)
- List available mailing lists (SOAP)
- Subscribe to a list (SOAP)

## Use cases

### Communications Operations

Use the Sympa API to perform communications operations programmatically. The API provides 13 endpoints covering core functionality including soap endpoint, get wsdl service description, authenticate user (soap).

Example prompt: Call POST /sympasoap to soap endpoint

### Automated Authentication Management

Automate authentication operations by combining multiple Sympa API endpoints. Agents can get wsdl service description and then authenticate user (soap) in a single workflow.

Example prompt: Call GET `/sympa/wsdl` to get wsdl service description, then verify the result

### AI Agent Integration via Jentic

AI agents discover and call Sympa API endpoints through Jentic without managing credentials directly. An agent searches for the required operation by intent, receives the matching endpoint schema, and executes the call with Jentic-managed authentication. This eliminates the need to read API documentation or handle apiKey tokens manually.

Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'soap endpoint', load the operation schema, and execute with Jentic-managed credentials

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POST | `/sympasoap` | SOAP endpoint |
| GET | `/sympa/wsdl` | Get WSDL service description |
| POST | `/sympasoap/login` | Authenticate user (SOAP) |
| POST | `/sympasoap/lists` | List available mailing lists (SOAP) |
| POST | `/sympasoap/info` | Get list information (SOAP) |
| POST | `/sympasoap/review` | List members of a list (SOAP) |
| POST | `/sympasoap/subscribe` | Subscribe to a list (SOAP) |
| POST | `/sympasoap/signoff` | Unsubscribe from a list (SOAP) |

## Key resources

- **Authentication** — Operations related to Authentication
- **Discovery** — Operations related to Discovery
- **Lists** — Operations related to Lists
- **Members** — Operations related to Members
- **Membership** — Operations related to Membership

## AI readiness

This API is usable in Jentic One now. Its AI-readiness score against Jentic's framework shows where it stands today and where improvements would make it even easier for agents to use.

- **Score:** 62 / 100
- **Maturity:** AI-Aware
- **Dimensions:**
  - Foundational Compliance: 100 / 100
  - Developer Experience & Jentic Compatibility: 62 / 100
  - AI-Readiness & Agent Experience: 41 / 100
  - Agent Usability: 94 / 100
  - Security: 50 / 100
  - AI Discoverability: 75 / 100
- **View full report:** https://jentic.com/apis/sympa.community/sympa-community/scorecard
- **How the score is calculated:** https://docs.jentic.com/reference/api-readiness-framework/overview/
- **More about the dimensions:** https://docs.jentic.com/reference/api-readiness-framework/specification/#dimensional-model-overview

### Score it yourself

Every API in the directory is allowlisted, so you can re-score it with no key required.

- **Score your own API:** https://jentic.com/scorecard.md
- **Scoring CLI agent skill:** https://github.com/jentic/jentic-api-scorecard/blob/main/skills/jentic-api-scorecard/SKILL.md

```sh
npx @jentic/api-scorecard-cli score <openapi-url>
```

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring the Sympa API by hand means logging in for a session cookie, posting SOAP envelopes to /sympasoap against your own server URL, and parsing the WSDL yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import Sympa from the API Directory, store the credential once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** Sympa carries the list name and target in the SOAP request body rather than the URL path, so scope the agent to the operations it needs, such as listing lists or reviewing subscribers. You choose that allowed set, so an operation you do not add, like subscribe or signoff, stays out of reach.
- **Credential handling:** Your Sympa credential is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'list mailing lists' or 'review list subscribers', and Jentic returns the matching Sympa operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Twilio** — Alternative communications API
- **Sendgrid** — Alternative communications API
- **Pusher** — Complementary communications API

## FAQ

### What authentication does the Sympa API use?

The Sympa API uses an API key passed in the `sympa_session` cookie. Through Jentic, these credentials are stored encrypted in your Jentic One instance and injected at execution time, so raw secrets never enter the agent context.

### Can I soap endpoint with the Sympa API?

Yes. Use the POST /sympasoap endpoint. The API returns structured JSON responses that agents can parse and act on directly.

### What are the rate limits for the Sympa API?

Rate limits are not specified in the OpenAPI spec. Check the vendor documentation for current limits. Through Jentic, rate limiting is handled automatically with retry logic built into the execution layer.

### How do I soap endpoint through Jentic?

Install the Jentic SDK with pip install jentic, authenticate through Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer, then search for 'soap endpoint'. Jentic returns the matching Sympa API operation with its input schema. Load the schema and execute the call - credentials are injected automatically.

### How many endpoints does the Sympa API have?

The Sympa API exposes 13 endpoints covering authentication, discovery, lists operations.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Sympa API?

Yes. Jentic One is self-hosted by you, so your own rules decide which Sympa operations and credentials the agent may use. Because Sympa carries the list name and target in the SOAP request body rather than the URL path, you scope the agent to only the operations it needs, such as listing available lists or reviewing a list's subscribers. Any operation you do not add, like subscribe or signoff, stays out of the agent's reach.