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Create a REST data source

Updated 19 October 2026 · For back office users

A Rest Data Source is for APIs that return plain JSON rather than OData. Underneath it, each REST Dataset describes one request and how to turn the response into records.

Before you start

You'll need the API's base URL from its documentation, and an API Auth Profile for it.

Steps

  1. Create the data source

    In the back office, open the menu on the Data Sources folder (or a sub-folder) and create a Rest Data Source.

  2. Enter the Base URL

    In Base URL, enter the part of the address that every request starts with, for example https://api.example.com/v1. Each REST dataset adds its own Resource Path to the end.

  3. Pick the API Auth Profile

    In API Auth Profile, pick the profile for this API. For a key sent in a custom header, such as x-api-key, use an ApiKey profile with that Header Name and no Header Scheme.

  4. Save, publish and test

    Save and publish, then select Test Connection.

More detail

Good to know

  • REST datasets only read data, using GET requests, and expect JSON responses.
  • The base URL must be reachable on the public internet.

What happens next

Create a REST Dataset underneath the data source and use its Preview tab to check that real data comes back.

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