External API Request

What is an external API request?

The External API Request function is used to send requests to external APIs. You'll use this anytime you want to interact with a third party service, such as a payment platform or email provider.

Understanding API Documentation

1

Start by evaluating the four key sections that almost every API documentation has.

The Getting Started guide is your entry point - it typically covers the basics of authentication, shows a simple example request, and helps you make your first API call successfully.

The Authentication section explains how to get your API keys and how to include them in your requests. This is crucial since you'll need this working before you can try anything else.

The API Reference details every possible endpoint and operation. Don't try to read this cover-to-cover. Instead, find the specific endpoint that matches what you're trying to do, then study its parameters, required headers, and example responses.

The Examples/Tutorials section often has complete code snippets showing common use cases. These are invaluable for seeing how different API calls work together to accomplish a task.

2

Finding the endpoint(s) you need

When you find the endpoint you need, focus on three things:

1. What URL you'll be calling

2. What parameters or data you need to send

3. What the response will look like

Most API documentation also includes cURL commands, which you can copy and paste right into Xano by clicking on the External API Request function panel. This is the optimal way to create external API request in Xano, as it ensures consistency with what the API requires and is much faster.

Tip

Most API documentation has a "try it out" or interactive portion that allows you to experiment with the API — it's the fastest way to understand how everything works.

Using External API Requests

1

Add an External API Request function

2

Fill in the request details

You can also copy cURL commands from API documentation, and paste them using . Xano will build the request for you.

Option	Description
url	The URL of the API you're calling, such as: https://api.service.com/send_message
method	The verb the API is designed to respond to, such as GET, POST, DELETE, etc...
params	Also known as "query parameters", these are options sent along with the request, such as searching and filtering options, or other data that the request needs to execute. You may also see this referred to as request body.
headers	Any headers you need to send with the request, such as authentication.
timeout	How long Xano should allow the request to take before considering it timed out (failed)
follow_location	Determines if you wish to automatically follow the redirects (if there are any) in the API call. An example of this would be an API that generates a file for you, then gives you a redirect to get that file.

Multipart Support

Xano has support for sending images through the external API request function. You can send a file resource - either as an input or variable - through the parameters section of the external API request as a key-value pair or as the entire parameter (depending on what the specific API requires).