Support complex app behavior (filters, permissions, multi-step actions) with clear UI logic
What WeWeb supports natively
Category
Feature
What it does
Data source
REST API plugin
Adds a generic REST API data source so you can connect any HTTPS backend by configuring base URL, headers, and auth once.
Collections
REST-backed collections
Lets you create collections that fetch data from REST endpoints and expose the response as lists/objects for use in pages.
Methods
Full HTTP support
Supports common HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT/PATCH, DELETE, etc.) when configuring endpoints in collections or workflow actions.
Request config
URL, headers, query, body
Provides fields to configure endpoint URL, headers (e.g. Authorization), query parameters, and request body (JSON, form-data) visually, similar to Postman.
Workflow actions
“REST API Request” action
Exposes a workflow action to call any REST endpoint on events (button click, page load, form submit) and capture responses in variables.
Streaming
Stream response support
Offers a “Stream response” option on REST API Request actions that pushes streamed chunks into an array variable for incremental display.
Binding
Bind API data to UI
Allows binding collection items or action responses to repeaters, tables, charts, and other elements using WeWeb’s data-binding UI.
Filtering & pagination
Frontend and backend filtering
Lets you apply filters and pagination either in the API (preferred) or in the frontend collection.
Multiple backends
Many REST sources per project
Supports connecting multiple REST APIs (e.g. your main backend, a payments API, a search API) in the same WeWeb project.
Security
HTTPS-only and API-key patterns
Only accepts HTTPS endpoints and supports secure header-based auth.
Why use WeWeb with REST API
REST APIs are a common way to expose business logic and data.
WeWeb turns those endpoints into a production-ready frontend you can design, iterate, and deploy without locking your backend choices.
Perfect for:
Customer portals that fetch account data, invoices, and support history
Internal tools for operations (approve/reject flows, admin CRUD, audit views)
Dashboards that aggregate metrics from multiple services
Marketplace or booking frontends connected to an existing backend
AI-powered frontends that call custom endpoints for generation, scoring, or enrichment
And more…
Integrating REST API with WeWeb
Integrating REST API with WeWeb is straightforward:
In the WeWeb Editor, open Data and add a new REST API data source
Set the Base URL (for example, your API host)
Configure authentication and add default headers (Authorization, API key header, content type)
Create your first request
Bind data to your UI: connect lists, tables, forms, and detail pages to the request results
Add actions and workflows: trigger requests on page load, on submit, or on click
Plan for CORS early: browsers will block requests if your API doesn’t allow your app domain
Use consistent response shapes: stable field names reduce UI complexity and edge cases
Centralize shared headers: set defaults at the data source level when possible
Handle errors explicitly: show actionable messages and log details for debugging
Mind rate limits: avoid triggering requests on every keystroke
Prefer pagination for large datasets: keep performance predictable for tables and lists
FAQs
1. How do I connect a REST API to WeWeb?
Create a new REST API data source, set the base URL, and add any default headers or auth configuration you need (for example an Authorization header). You can then reference this configured API when creating collections or workflow actions, instead of re‑entering settings each time.
2. What’s the difference between a REST collection and a REST workflow action?
Collections are meant for data that should be available to the page (often via GET requests) and can reload automatically or with user interaction. Workflow actions are event‑driven calls (any HTTP method) you trigger on button clicks, form submissions, or page load, and they typically store the response in variables.
3. Which HTTP methods are supported for REST calls?
You can use standard methods like GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE when configuring endpoints for both collections and actions. This covers typical CRUD patterns such as fetching records, creating or updating them, and deleting items via your backend API.
4. How do I pass headers, query parameters, and body data?
Each REST configuration lets you define headers, query parameters, and request bodies (JSON or form‑data) in dedicated fields. Values can be static or bound to WeWeb variables so that things like auth tokens, filters, or payload fields are built dynamically.
5. How do I bind REST API responses to my UI?
Once a collection or action has a response, its data shows up in the binding UI, so you can connect it to repeaters, tables, charts, text, and other components. You can also use formulas to transform or join the REST data with other collections before rendering.
6. How should I handle pagination and filtering with REST APIs in WeWeb?
The recommended approach is to implement pagination and filtering in your backend API (via query parameters like page, limit, search, etc.). WeWeb then passes the relevant parameters from variables, avoiding heavy client‑side filtering on large datasets.
7. Are REST calls made from WeWeb secure and server‑side by default?
By default, REST calls from collections and many actions are executed client‑side in the browser, which means endpoints must be accessible over HTTPS from the user’s device.For private networks, IP allow‑listing, or sensitive operations, WeWeb’s docs advise placing a backend in front of your databases/services and exposing only the necessary REST endpoints.
