How to document API workflows for external users in Bubble.io: Step-by-Step Guid

Go to the Workflow tab and navigate to Backend workflows. List every workflow that is checked as 'Expose as a public API workflow.' For each, note: the workflow name (which becomes the URL path: /api/1.1/wf/workflow-name), the HTTP method, all parameters with their types, and the expected return data. Organize endpoints by category (e.g., Users, Orders, Products) for logical grouping in your documentation.

Bubble API workflows support two authentication methods: API token (sent as a Bearer token in the Authorization header) and no authentication (for public endpoints). Find your API token in Settings → API → Generate a new API token. In your documentation, specify: the base URL (https://yourapp.bubbleapps.io/api/1.1/wf/), the authentication header format (Authorization: Bearer [token]), and which endpoints require authentication versus which are public. Include a curl example showing how to authenticate.

For each endpoint, document every parameter: name, data type (text, number, date, yes/no, or custom type), whether it is required or optional, a description of what it does, and example values. For parameters that accept specific values (like status), list all valid options. Format this as a table in your documentation. Include both request parameters (what the caller sends) and response fields (what the API returns).

For each endpoint, include at least one complete example showing the request and response. Show the full curl command (or equivalent HTTP request) with real-looking sample data. Show the full JSON response including the status and data fields. Include error response examples too — what does a 400 (bad request), 401 (unauthorized), or 404 (not found) response look like? This helps developers debug integration issues quickly.

1# Example request:
2curl -X POST https://yourapp.bubbleapps.io/api/1.1/wf/create-order \
3  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_token" \
4  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
5  -d '{"customer_email": "john@example.com", "product_id": "abc123", "quantity": 2}'
6
7# Example success response:
8{"status": "success", "response": {"order_id": "1234567890", "total": 49.98}}
9
10# Example error response:
11{"statusCode": 400, "body": {"status": "BAD_REQUEST", "message": "Missing required parameter: customer_email"}}

Create a 'docs' or 'api-docs' page in your Bubble app. Use a clean layout with a sidebar navigation listing all endpoint categories and a main content area showing the documentation. For each endpoint, create a section with: endpoint title, URL, method badge (GET/POST), description, parameter table (Repeating Group of static data or hardcoded), example request (in a styled code block using an HTML element with a <pre> tag), and example response. Add a search bar that filters endpoints by name. This page serves as a living documentation resource that stays close to the API itself.