REST API Datasource - Complete Guide

🔌 Connect REST APIs

HTTP Methods · Authentication · Headers · Query Params · Request Body

📋 Table of Contents

Overview

Jet Admin's REST API connector enables you to integrate with any RESTful web service:

✅ All HTTP Methods - GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH
✅ Multiple Auth Types - None, Basic, Bearer, OAuth2
✅ Custom Headers - Add any HTTP header
✅ Query Parameters - Dynamic URL parameters
✅ Request Body - JSON, XML, or plain text
✅ SSL/TLS - Secure HTTPS connections
✅ Timeout Control - Configurable request timeouts

Use Cases:

Payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal)
Communication services (Twilio, SendGrid)
CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot)
Custom internal APIs
Third-party data services

General Configuration

Required Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Options	Description
Base URL	String	✅ Yes	-	Valid URL	Root URL of the REST API
Method	String	✅ Yes	GET	GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH	HTTP method for requests

Optional Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Validation	Description
Timeout	Integer	❌ No	30	Min: 1	Request timeout in seconds
Content Type	String	❌ No	application/json	application/json, application/xml, text/plain	Default Content-Type header

Base URL

Purpose: The root endpoint of the REST API.

Format: https://domain.com or https://domain.com/api/v1

Examples:

✅ https://api.stripe.com/v1
✅ https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01
✅ https://api.example.com
✅ https://hooks.slack.com/services
❌ api.example.com (missing protocol)
❌ http:// (use https for production)

Best Practices:

Always use HTTPS in production
Include version path if API is versioned
Don't include trailing slash (unless required)
Keep environment-specific URLs separate

HTTP Method

Purpose: The HTTP verb for API requests.

Available Methods:

Method	Use Case	Has Body	Idempotent
GET	Retrieve resources	❌ No	✅ Yes
POST	Create resources	✅ Yes	❌ No
PUT	Update/replace resources	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
PATCH	Partial update	✅ Yes	❌ No
DELETE	Delete resources	❌ No	✅ Yes

When to Use Each:

GET - Fetch data without side effects

GET /users/123
GET /orders?status=pending

POST - Create new resources

POST /users
POST /orders

PUT - Replace entire resource

PUT /users/123

PATCH - Partial update

PATCH /users/123

DELETE - Remove resources

DELETE /users/123

Timeout

Purpose: Maximum time to wait for API response.

Type: Integer (seconds)

Default: 30 seconds

Recommended Values:

Fast APIs: 10 seconds
Standard APIs: 30 seconds
Slow external APIs: 60 seconds
File uploads: 120 seconds

When to Adjust:

Increase for slow external services
Increase for large file transfers
Decrease for real-time applications

Content Type

Purpose: Default Content-Type header for requests.

Options:

application/json (Default)
application/xml
text/plain

Override Per Request: You can override this in the Headers section for specific requests.

Authentication

Jet Admin supports 4 authentication types for REST APIs:

1. No Authentication (none)

Use Case: Public APIs that don't require authentication

Configuration:

{
  "authType": "none"
}

Examples:

Public data APIs
Webhooks (incoming)
Open government data

2. Basic Authentication (basic)

Use Case: APIs using HTTP Basic Auth

Fields:

Field	Type	Required	Description
Username	String	✅ Yes	API username or key
Password	String	✅ Yes	API password or secret

Configuration:

{
  "authType": "basic",
  "username": "api_key_here",
  "password": "api_secret_here"
}

How It Works:

Credentials are base64 encoded
Sent in Authorization: Basic <encoded> header
Automatically handled by Jet Admin

Examples:

SendGrid:

{
  "authType": "basic",
  "username": "apikey",
  "password": "SG.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
}

Custom API:

{
  "authType": "basic",
  "username": "myuser",
  "password": "mypassword"
}

3. Bearer Token (bearer)

Use Case: APIs using token-based authentication

Fields:

Field	Type	Required	Description
Bearer Token	String	✅ Yes	JWT, API token, or access token

Configuration:

{
  "authType": "bearer",
  "bearerToken": "your-token-here"
}

How It Works:

Token sent in Authorization: Bearer <token> header
Automatically handled by Jet Admin

Examples:

Stripe:

{
  "authType": "bearer",
  "bearerToken": "sk_test_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
}

GitHub API:

{
  "authType": "bearer",
  "bearerToken": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
}

Custom JWT:

{
  "authType": "bearer",
  "bearerToken": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."
}

4. OAuth2 (oauth2)

Use Case: APIs requiring OAuth2 authentication flow

Fields:

Field	Type	Required	Description
Client ID	String	✅ Yes	OAuth2 client identifier
Client Secret	String	✅ Yes	OAuth2 client secret
Token URL	String	✅ Yes	OAuth2 token endpoint URL

Configuration:

{
  "authType": "oauth2",
  "oauth2": {
    "clientId": "your-client-id",
    "clientSecret": "your-client-secret",
    "tokenUrl": "https://auth.example.com/oauth/token"
  }
}

How It Works:

Jet Admin requests access token from token URL
Token is cached for subsequent requests
Token automatically refreshed when expired
Access token sent in Authorization: Bearer <token> header

Examples:

Google APIs:

{
  "authType": "oauth2",
  "oauth2": {
    "clientId": "123456789-abcdefg.apps.googleusercontent.com",
    "clientSecret": "GOCSPX-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "tokenUrl": "https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token"
  }
}

Microsoft Graph:

{
  "authType": "oauth2",
  "oauth2": {
    "clientId": "your-app-id",
    "clientSecret": "your-app-secret",
    "tokenUrl": "https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/token"
  }
}

Custom OAuth2:

{
  "authType": "oauth2",
  "oauth2": {
    "clientId": "client-123",
    "clientSecret": "secret-456",
    "tokenUrl": "https://api.example.com/oauth/token"
  }
}

Headers Configuration

Purpose

Add custom HTTP headers to all requests made to the REST API.

Header Structure

Field	Type	Required	Description
Key	String	✅ Yes	Header name
Value	String	✅ Yes	Header value

Common Headers

Header	Value	Use Case
`Accept`	`application/json`	Specify response format
`Content-Type`	`application/json`	Specify request format
`X-API-Key`	`your-api-key`	Custom API key header
`X-Request-ID`	`unique-id`	Request tracking
`User-Agent`	`JetAdmin/1.0`	Custom user agent

Adding Headers

Example 1: Custom API Key

{
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "X-API-Key",
      "value": "your-api-key-here"
    }
  ]
}

Example 2: Multiple Headers

{
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "Accept",
      "value": "application/json"
    },
    {
      "key": "X-API-Key",
      "value": "secret-key"
    },
    {
      "key": "X-Request-ID",
      "value": "req-123456"
    }
  ]
}

Example 3: Override Content-Type

{
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "Content-Type",
      "value": "application/xml"
    }
  ]
}

Dynamic Headers with Variables

Use Jet Admin variables in header values:

X-User-ID: {{ctx.input.userId}}
X-Tenant-ID: {{ctx.tenant.id}}
Authorization: Bearer {{ctx.auth.token}}

Query Parameters

Purpose

Add URL query parameters to API requests.

Parameter Structure

Field	Type	Required	Description
Key	String	✅ Yes	Parameter name
Value	String	✅ Yes	Parameter value

Adding Query Parameters

Example 1: Simple Parameters

{
  "queryParams": [
    {
      "key": "status",
      "value": "active"
    },
    {
      "key": "limit",
      "value": "100"
    }
  ]
}

Result:

GET /users?status=active&limit=100

Example 2: Array Parameters

{
  "queryParams": [
    {
      "key": "ids",
      "value": "1,2,3"
    }
  ]
}

Result:

GET /users?ids=1,2,3

Example 3: Dynamic Parameters

{
  "queryParams": [
    {
      "key": "userId",
      "value": "{{ctx.input.userId}}"
    },
    {
      "key": "date",
      "value": "{{ctx.input.date}}"
    }
  ]
}

Common Query Parameters

Parameter	Example	Use Case
`limit`	`?limit=100`	Pagination - max results
`offset`	`?offset=20`	Pagination - skip results
`page`	`?page=2`	Page number
`sort`	`?sort=created_at`	Sort field
`order`	`?order=desc`	Sort direction
`filter`	`?filter=status:active`	Filter criteria
`search`	`?search=john`	Search query
`fields`	`?fields=id,name,email`	Field selection

Request Body

Purpose

Send data in the request body for POST, PUT, and PATCH requests.

When to Use

Method	Body Required	Typical Use
POST	✅ Usually	Create resource
PUT	✅ Yes	Replace resource
PATCH	✅ Yes	Update resource
GET	❌ No	Retrieve data
DELETE	❌ No	Delete resource

Body Format

Type: String (JSON, XML, or plain text)

Default Content-Type: application/json

JSON Body Examples

Example 1: Create User

{
  "body": "{\"name\":\"John Doe\",\"email\":\"john@example.com\",\"role\":\"user\"}"
}

Formatted:

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "role": "user"
}

Example 2: Update Order

{
  "body": "{\"status\":\"shipped\",\"trackingNumber\":\"1Z999AA10123456784\"}"
}

Example 3: Complex Nested Object

{
  "body": "{\"user\":{\"name\":\"John\",\"address\":{\"city\":\"NYC\",\"zip\":\"10001\"}},\"sendEmail\":true}"
}

Using Variables in Body

Example 1: Input Parameters

{
  "body": "{\"userId\":\"{{ctx.input.userId}}\",\"action\":\"{{ctx.input.action}}\"}"
}

Example 2: Previous Node Output

{
  "body": "{\"orderId\":\"{{ctx.fetchOrder.result.id}}\",\"status\":\"processed\"}"
}

Example 3: Mixed Variables

{
  "body": "{\"tenantId\":\"{{ctx.tenant.id}}\",\"createdBy\":\"{{ctx.user.email}}\",\"data\":{{ctx.transform.result}}}"
}

XML Body Example

{
  "contentType": "application/xml",
  "body": "<user><name>John Doe</name><email>john@example.com</email></user>"
}

Plain Text Example

{
  "contentType": "text/plain",
  "body": "Simple text message"
}

Advanced Options

Follow Redirects

Purpose: Automatically follow HTTP 3xx redirects.

Type: Boolean

Default: true

When to Disable:

Security requirements
Debugging redirect issues
When redirect handling is custom

Configuration:

{
  "followRedirects": false
}

SSL Verification

Purpose: Verify SSL certificates for HTTPS connections.

Type: Boolean

Default: true

When to Disable:

Development with self-signed certificates
Testing environments
Internal APIs without proper SSL

⚠️ Warning: Disabling SSL verification reduces security. Only use in development!

Configuration:

{
  "sslVerify": false
}

Testing Connection

How to Test

Configure REST API datasource
Set method to GET (for testing)
Add any required authentication
Click "Test Connection"
Review response

Test Results

✅ Success

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ✓ Connection Successful!               │
│                                         │
│  URL: https://api.example.com/health    │
│  Method: GET                            │
│  Status: 200 OK                         │
│  Response Time: 125ms                   │
│                                         │
│  Response:                              │
│  {"status": "healthy", "version": "1.0"}│
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

❌ Failure

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ✗ Connection Failed                    │
│                                         │
│  URL: https://api.example.com/users     │
│  Method: GET                            │
│  Status: 401 Unauthorized               │
│                                         │
│  Error: Invalid API key                 │
│                                         │
│  Troubleshooting:                       │
│  • Verify authentication credentials    │
│  • Check API key is valid               │
│  • Ensure API endpoint is correct       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Common Test Errors

Error	Status	Cause	Solution
`400 Bad Request`	400	Invalid request format	Check body, headers, parameters
`401 Unauthorized`	401	Authentication failed	Verify API key/token
`403 Forbidden`	403	Insufficient permissions	Check API permissions
`404 Not Found`	404	Invalid URL	Verify base URL and endpoint
`429 Too Many Requests`	429	Rate limit exceeded	Wait and retry, check rate limits
`500 Internal Server Error`	500	API server error	Contact API provider
`502 Bad Gateway`	502	API gateway error	Retry later
`503 Service Unavailable`	503	API down	Check API status page

Examples

Example 1: Stripe API (Bearer Token)

{
  "baseUrl": "https://api.stripe.com/v1",
  "method": "GET",
  "timeout": 30,
  "authType": "bearer",
  "bearerToken": "sk_test_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "Stripe-Version",
      "value": "2022-11-15"
    }
  ],
  "queryParams": [
    {
      "key": "limit",
      "value": "10"
    }
  ],
  "contentType": "application/json",
  "followRedirects": true,
  "sslVerify": true
}

Usage in Query:

GET /charges?limit=10

Example 2: Twilio API (Basic Auth)

{
  "baseUrl": "https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01",
  "method": "POST",
  "timeout": 30,
  "authType": "basic",
  "username": "ACxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "password": "your_auth_token",
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "Content-Type",
      "value": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
    }
  ],
  "body": "To=%2B1234567890&From=%2B0987654321&Body=Hello from Jet Admin!",
  "contentType": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded",
  "followRedirects": true,
  "sslVerify": true
}

Usage:

POST /Accounts/ACxxxx/Messages.json
Body: To=+1234567890&From=+0987654321&Body=Hello from Jet Admin!

Example 3: Custom Internal API (API Key Header)

{
  "baseUrl": "https://api.internal.company.com/v2",
  "method": "GET",
  "timeout": 15,
  "authType": "none",
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "X-API-Key",
      "value": "your-api-key-here"
    },
    {
      "key": "X-Tenant-ID",
      "value": "{{ctx.tenant.id}}"
    }
  ],
  "queryParams": [
    {
      "key": "status",
      "value": "active"
    }
  ],
  "contentType": "application/json",
  "followRedirects": true,
  "sslVerify": true
}

Example 4: Slack Webhook (No Auth, POST)

{
  "baseUrl": "https://hooks.slack.com/services",
  "method": "POST",
  "timeout": 10,
  "authType": "none",
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "Content-Type",
      "value": "application/json"
    }
  ],
  "body": "{\"text\":\"New order received!\",\"channel\":\"#orders\",\"username\":\"Order Bot\"}",
  "contentType": "application/json",
  "followRedirects": true,
  "sslVerify": true
}

Example 5: Google Sheets API (OAuth2)

{
  "baseUrl": "https://sheets.googleapis.com/v4/spreadsheets",
  "method": "GET",
  "timeout": 30,
  "authType": "oauth2",
  "oauth2": {
    "clientId": "123456789-abcdefg.apps.googleusercontent.com",
    "clientSecret": "GOCSPX-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "tokenUrl": "https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token"
  },
  "headers": [],
  "queryParams": [
    {
      "key": "majorDimension",
      "value": "ROWS"
    }
  ],
  "contentType": "application/json",
  "followRedirects": true,
  "sslVerify": true
}

Example 6: GitHub API (Bearer Token with Variables)

{
  "baseUrl": "https://api.github.com",
  "method": "GET",
  "timeout": 30,
  "authType": "bearer",
  "bearerToken": "{{ctx.input.githubToken}}",
  "headers": [
    {
      "key": "Accept",
      "value": "application/vnd.github.v3+json"
    }
  ],
  "queryParams": [
    {
      "key": "per_page",
      "value": "100"
    }
  ],
  "contentType": "application/json",
  "followRedirects": true,
  "sslVerify": true
}

Usage:

GET /repos/Jet-labs/jet-admin/issues?per_page=100

Next Steps

PostgreSQL Datasource - Connect to PostgreSQL
Create Data Queries - Execute API calls
Workflow Integration - Use in workflows
Webhooks - Receive webhook data

Need Help?

Troubleshooting Guide · API Reference · Community Support

REST API Datasource - Complete Guide

🔌 Connect REST APIs​

📋 Table of Contents​

Overview​

General Configuration​

Required Fields​

Optional Fields​

Base URL​

HTTP Method​

Timeout​

Content Type​

Authentication​

1. No Authentication (none)​

2. Basic Authentication (basic)​

3. Bearer Token (bearer)​

4. OAuth2 (oauth2)​

Headers Configuration​

Purpose​

Header Structure​

Common Headers​

Adding Headers​

Dynamic Headers with Variables​

Query Parameters​

Purpose​

Parameter Structure​

Adding Query Parameters​

Common Query Parameters​

Request Body​

Purpose​

When to Use​

Body Format​

JSON Body Examples​

Using Variables in Body​

XML Body Example​

Plain Text Example​

Advanced Options​

Follow Redirects​

SSL Verification​

Testing Connection​

How to Test​

Test Results​

✅ Success​

❌ Failure​

Common Test Errors​

Examples​

Example 1: Stripe API (Bearer Token)​

Example 2: Twilio API (Basic Auth)​

Example 3: Custom Internal API (API Key Header)​

Example 4: Slack Webhook (No Auth, POST)​

Example 5: Google Sheets API (OAuth2)​

Example 6: GitHub API (Bearer Token with Variables)​

Next Steps​

Need Help?​

🔌 Connect REST APIs

📋 Table of Contents

Overview

General Configuration

Required Fields

Optional Fields

Base URL

HTTP Method

Timeout

Content Type

Authentication

1. No Authentication (none)

2. Basic Authentication (basic)

3. Bearer Token (bearer)

4. OAuth2 (oauth2)

Headers Configuration

Purpose

Header Structure

Common Headers

Adding Headers

Dynamic Headers with Variables

Query Parameters

Purpose

Parameter Structure

Adding Query Parameters

Common Query Parameters

Request Body

Purpose

When to Use

Body Format

JSON Body Examples

Using Variables in Body

XML Body Example

Plain Text Example

Advanced Options

Follow Redirects

SSL Verification

Testing Connection

How to Test

Test Results

✅ Success

❌ Failure

Common Test Errors

Examples

Example 1: Stripe API (Bearer Token)

Example 2: Twilio API (Basic Auth)

Example 3: Custom Internal API (API Key Header)

Example 4: Slack Webhook (No Auth, POST)

Example 5: Google Sheets API (OAuth2)

Example 6: GitHub API (Bearer Token with Variables)

Next Steps

Need Help?