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Basic concepts ​

APIs ​

What are APIs? ​

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are like messengers that allow different applications to communicate and exchange information with each other. Think of them as a set of rules that facilitate communication between different systems, like a common language that computers understand.

In the context of Wized, APIs allow you to connect your Webflow project to external services, such as databases, payment gateways, email delivery platforms, and more. This gives you the ability to access functionality and data that is not directly available in Wized, extending the capabilities of your web application.

Why are APIs important? ​

APIs are fundamental to developing modern web applications, as they allow you to:

  • Save time and resources: Instead of developing all the functionalities from scratch, you can take advantage of the work of other developers and companies that offer ready-to-use APIs.
  • Enrich your app: APIs allow you to add advanced and custom features to your app, such as online payments, email notifications, interactive maps, social media integration, and more.
  • Access real-time data: You can obtain up-to-date information from external services, such as product prices, news, sports scores, or any other type of data relevant to your application.
  • Create automated workflows: You can set up actions that trigger automatically in response to specific events, such as sending a welcome email when a new user registers or updating data in an external database.

How do APIs work in Wized? ​

Wized allows you to interact with external APIs through API requests. These requests are like messages you send to the API, specifying what information you need or what action you want to perform. The API processes your request and responds to you with the requested data or with a confirmation or error message.

To set up an API request in Wized, you need to set up the following:

  • Endpoint: The specific web address of the service you want to access (for example, https://api.example.com/users ).
  • HTTP Method: The type of action you want to perform (GET to get information, POST to send data, etc.).
  • Headers (optional): Additional information about your request, such as the type of data you expect to receive or authentication credentials.
  • Body (optional): The data you want to send to the API, usually in JSON format.

How to read API documentation and use it in Wized? ​

Each API has its own documentation explaining how to interact with it. When reading the documentation, pay attention to:

  • Available Endpoints: Identify the different routes or endpoints that the API offers and what type of information you can obtain or send through each one.
  • Allowed HTTP Methods: Check which HTTP methods (GET, POST, etc.) you can use for each endpoint.
  • Parameters and Body: Determines which query parameters or data in the body you should include in your requests to obtain the desired results.
  • Required Headers: Some APIs require specific headers for authentication or to indicate the format of the data.
  • Response Structure: Understand how the API returns information, usually in JSON format, so you can process it correctly in Wized.