Bubble.io and RapidAPI integration: Step-by-Step Guide 2024

Step-by-step Guide on How to Integrate Bubble.io with RapidAPI

Step 1: Accessing RapidAPI’s Endpoints

Before you can integrate RapidAPI into your Bubble app, you need to know which endpoint you’ll be using. Every API on RapidAPI comes with a list of endpoints which are essentially the options and functionalities the API provides.

To access the desired API, navigate to RapidAPI.com. After you've logged in, look for the APIs listed or use the search bar to find a specific requirement. Once you’ve found the API you want to use, click on it and it will take you to the API's main page where the endpoints will be listed.

Choose the endpoint you wish to integrate and make a note of the endpoint URL for later use.

Step 2: Retrieving Endpoint Information

In the RapidAPI endpoint documentation, you need to retrieve the following information:

• GET or POST – Which type of operation is needed. It could be a GET (retrieve data) or a POST (send data).
• URL – The full URL of the endpoint.
• Headers – Any required headers. The headers contain things like your RapidAPI API Key and other administrative information.
• Body – Any required parameters that need to be sent in the body of the request (typically only for POST requests).

Take note of these information as they’ll be used in the next steps.

Step 3: Configure Bubble To Use Your RapidAPI Endpoint

Navigate to your Bubble app and on the Bubble editor, locate the Plugins tab. Click on the Plugins tab and then click "+ Add Plugins". In the search bar of the "Add Plugins" window, type in "API Connector" and click on "Install" in the resulting API Connector card.

After installing the API Connector plugin, go back to the main editor and click on the API option within the Plugins tab. Here, you’ll set up a new API to use your RapidAPI endpoint.

To add a new API, click "Add another API". Here, include the following information for the different fields:

• API Name: A name of your choice to identify the API
• Authentication: Choose "None" or "Self-handled" according to your API's specific needs.

When ready, click on "Add another API call". In the new API call, input your RapidApi endpoint details. These are:

• API Call Name: Choose a descriptive name.
• Get or Post: Retrieved from endpoint information.
• API URL: The URL of your endpoint.
• Add parameters and key-value pairs as per the requirements of your endpoint.

Step 4: Insert Headers

After setting up the parameters, set up the header values. You will typically see a “Content-Type” and an “Authorization” field. In these fields, enter the corresponding content and authorization values you obtained in Step 2. Content-Type is often an application or JSON file. In the Authorization field, paste your RapidAPI key.

Step 5: Initialize Call and Set Up Response Values

After filling all required fields, click "Initialize Call". Bubble will make a request to the API, and if everything is set up correctly, you will see a successful response.

Bubble will then ask you to set up the response values. These are the values that the API is returning to you. Bubble does this by making a test call to your API endpoint and then showing you the different data items it has received. You can choose which values you need and typecast them to a specific data type. This ensures that Bubble understands and appropriately handles the values it receives from the API.

Step 6: Make Use of Your API Data in Bubble

After initializing, your API setup is complete! Now you can use this data in your Bubble.io app – within workflows, visual elements, and anywhere else you use dynamic data!

Every time you make a call to your API, Bubble will return the set of values you established when you set up your response values.