Crafting a Conversational Ads Manager: Building a Natural Language Interface for Spotify's API with Claude Plugins

Overview

Imagine managing your Spotify ad campaigns by simply typing requests like "Pause my 'Summer Hits' campaign" or "Show me the impressions for last week". This guide walks you through creating a natural language interface that translates everyday language into Spotify Ads API calls—all without writing a single line of compiled code. By leveraging Claude Code Plugins, you'll turn an OpenAPI specification and Markdown documentation into a conversational tool that understands your intent and executes actions. Whether you're a developer tired of manual API calls or a marketer seeking a more intuitive workflow, this tutorial provides everything you need to build your own AI-powered ads manager.

Crafting a Conversational Ads Manager: Building a Natural Language Interface for Spotify's API with Claude Plugins — Source: engineering.atspotify.com

Prerequisites

What You'll Need

Claude Code – Anthropic's AI coding assistant with plugin support. Ensure you have the latest version installed (v1.2+).
Spotify Ads API Access – An active Spotify Ads account and API credentials (Client ID, Client Secret, Ad Account ID). Register at Spotify Developer.
OpenAPI Specification – The official Spotify Ads API OpenAPI spec file (YAML or JSON). Download from the developer portal.
Markdown Documentation – Your own or the official Markdown docs for the API endpoints you plan to use (e.g., campaigns, adsets, analytics).
Basic Familiarity – Comfort with JSON, API concepts, and using a command line interface.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Set Up Claude Code and Clone the Example Repository

First, ensure Claude Code is installed. If not, run:

brew install claude-code  # macOS
# or via pip
pip install claude-code

Next, clone the starter repository that contains the plugin scaffold:

git clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code-plugins-starter
cd claude-code-plugins-starter

2. Create a New Plugin for the Spotify Ads API

Inside the starter repo, create a new plugin directory:

mkdir -p plugins/spotify-ads
cd plugins/spotify-ads

Initialize a plugin.json file:

{
  "name": "spotify-ads-manager",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Natural language interface for Spotify Ads API",
  "main": "index.js",
  "capabilities": ["conversational"]
}

3. Integrate the OpenAPI Spec

Copy your OpenAPI spec file into the plugin folder:

cp /path/to/spotify-ads-openapi.yaml .

Claude Code Plugins can parse OpenAPI specs automatically. To enable this, add a reference in plugin.json:

"openapi": "./spotify-ads-openapi.yaml"

Now Claude will understand every endpoint, parameter, and response structure.

4. Add Markdown Documentation for Natural Language Understanding

Create a docs/ folder and write Markdown files that describe common tasks in plain English. For example, docs/campaign-management.md:

# Campaign Management

Users can pause, resume, or view campaigns.

- "Pause my campaign" -> PATCH /campaigns/{id} with status 'PAUSED'
- "Show me active campaigns" -> GET /campaigns?status=ACTIVE
- "Increase budget by 20%" -> PATCH /campaigns/{id} with adjusted budget

Link this in plugin.json:

"documentation": "./docs"

5. Write the Plugin Logic (index.js)

Create index.js that maps natural language intents to API calls using the OpenAPI spec. Here's a simplified example:

const axios = require('axios');

module.exports = {
  async handle(prompt, context) {
    // Use Claude's built-in intent detection (simplified)
    const intent = await context.classifyIntent(prompt, [
      'pause_campaign',
      'get_metrics',
      'list_campaigns'
    ]);

    if (intent === 'pause_campaign') {
      const campaignId = await context.extractEntity(prompt, 'campaign_id');
      const response = await axios.patch(
        `https://api.spotify.com/v1/ads/campaigns/${campaignId}`,
        { status: 'PAUSED' },
        { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${context.apiToken}` } }
      );
      return `Campaign ${campaignId} has been paused.`;
    }

    // ... other intents
  }
};

6. Test the Plugin Locally

Run Claude Code with your plugin:

claude-code --plugin ./plugins/spotify-ads

Then try commands like:

"List all my campaigns"
"Pause the campaign named 'Summer Hits'"
"Show impressions for last 7 days"

7. Handle Authentication

Create an auth.js file for OAuth2 token management:

const getToken = async (clientId, clientSecret) => {
  // Exchange credentials for a short-lived token
  // Store and refresh as needed
};

Reference this in plugin.json under "authentication".

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Misaligned Entity Extraction

Users often phrase requests ambiguously (e.g., "pause that campaign"). Ensure your entity extraction logic uses context—Claude can ask clarifying questions if confidence is low.

Mistake 2: Ignoring OpenAPI Version Differences

The Spotify Ads API may update its spec. Always use the latest spec file. Check for deprecated endpoints.

Mistake 3: Hardcoding API Tokens

Never store tokens in plugin files. Use environment variables or a secure vault. The plugin should prompt for credentials at first use.

Mistake 4: Overcomplicating Intent Detection

Let Claude handle intent classification via its natural language understanding. Writing custom regex rules is fragile and hard to maintain.

Summary

You've just built a functional natural language interface to the Spotify Ads API using Claude Code Plugins—no compiled code required. By providing an OpenAPI spec and Markdown documentation, you transformed a traditional API into a conversational tool that marketers and developers alike can use. The plugin interprets user intent, authenticates securely, and executes the appropriate API calls. With minimal upkeep, this interface can be extended to support more endpoints, batch operations, and even multi-step workflows. Start experimenting with your own plug-ins today!

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