Using the Web API plugin
The Web API plugin queries any REST API that returns JSON and visualizes the response in a tile. Reach for it when there is no dedicated plugin for the system you want on a dashboard, or when a dedicated plugin does not expose the endpoint you need.
What you can configure
- Method and endpoint: GET and POST requests against any endpoint path.
- Query parameters and headers: Including the values an API needs for authentication that the data source itself does not carry.
- Payloads: A request body for POST endpoints.
- Paging: For endpoints that return the full dataset across several responses.
- Response transformation: Reshape the JSON before it reaches the columns, so a nested response can still drive a chart.
Before you start
A Web API data source has to be configured by an administrator first. The tile recipe covers building the tile, not creating the connection. See adding a data source for that.
You also need the full endpoint path, and whether the request needs query parameters, headers, a payload or paging. If you are not sure, the tile editor can show you the request it sent and the raw response it got back, which is usually the quickest way to work it out.
In this section
- How to configure a Web API tile: Building an HTTP request tile step by step, with worked GET and POST examples.