Skip to main content

API Collection

This section explains how to create, configure, and use an API Collection data source in DataDios. API Collection is a Postman-style API workbench that lets you organize, execute, and test REST API requests directly within the platform.

How API Collection Works​

Unlike database or file-based data sources, an API Collection is a container -- it does not connect to a single external system at creation time. Instead, you create the data source first, then add individual API requests (with their own endpoints, authentication, headers, and bodies) inside it afterward.

Because of this design:

  • The Test Connection button validates that the container can be initialized. It does not test any external API endpoint -- there are none configured yet at this stage.
  • A successful "Connected to API Collection" message confirms the data source is ready to hold collections and requests. It does not mean an external service was reached.

This is expected behavior and matches the workbench pattern: the actual API connectivity happens when you execute individual requests within the collection.

Steps to Create an API Collection Data Source​

Step 1: Access Creation Dialog​

  1. Navigate to Data Explorer from the left navigation menu.
  2. Click + Add connection in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Select Type and Details​

  1. In the Create data source dialog, under IDENTITY, enter a Name for the data source.
  2. Choose API Collection (under API HUB) as the Type.
  3. Under CONNECTION PARAMETERS, fill in the Description (optional).

No connection parameters (host, credentials, etc.) are required at this stage.

Step 3: Test and Save​

  1. Click Test Connection to validate the configuration.
  2. Once validation succeeds ("Connected to API Collection"), click Create.
  3. The new data source appears in the Sources list on the Data Management page.

Working with Collections and Requests​

After creating the data source, you can:

  • Add collections to organize related API requests into groups
  • Create folders within collections for further organization
  • Add API requests with individual endpoints, HTTP methods, headers, authentication, and request bodies
  • Execute requests to test and interact with external APIs
  • Import OpenAPI/Swagger specs to bulk-create requests from an existing API definition

Authentication is inherited up the tree (Postman-style) -- setting auth on a collection applies it to all requests within, unless overridden at the request level.

Best Practices​

  1. Organize by domain -- group related APIs into separate collections (e.g., "Payments", "Users", "Inventory")
  2. Use collection-level auth -- set authentication at the collection level to avoid repeating credentials on every request
  3. Add descriptions -- document each collection and request so team members understand their purpose
  4. Use the SSRF allowlist -- if calling internal services, coordinate with your administrator to add trusted hosts to the API_COLLECTION_ALLOW_HOSTS environment variable

For general data source management, see Data Sources.