SFMC Rest api to create/delete Data Extensions

Question

I have been using soap API's to create and delete data extensions.

In the marketing cloud documentation, I do see an API to insert rows in data extension, but I can't find a rest API to create a data extension.

https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.mc-apis.meta/mc-apis/postDataExtensionRowsetByKey.htm

Answer 1

The REST API does not currently have any endpoints to create or delete Data Extensions outside of the internal endpoints they use in the UI (Which we do not have authorization to use as end users). This includes all undocumented endpoints as well.

The Data Extension capabilities of the REST API is severely limited, so for these you would be relegated to using SOAP. What I have done in the past to get around this for integrations is built a Code Resource Cloud Page that will ingest a JSON payload and then utilize SSJS Core functions, WSProxy or other API functions to achieve the desired behavior. This will allow the 3rd party software/service to continue using 'REST' by hitting this endpoint, but will actually be doing the changes via SOAP or built-in functionality.

To that end though, to help protect your endpoint, I would recommend some sort of authorization or security method (I have a very simple example here) as it will be publically hosted URL. I also have a 'follow up' article about building an endpoint on my blog here that may help you in building out yours.

Official docs on SOAP API to create a DE
Official docs on SOAP API to delete a DE
Official Docs on WSProxy
My Article on WSProxy