Lovable and Pixabay API integration: Step-by-Step Guide 2025

 

Creating the Pixabay Service File

 

• In your Lovable project, navigate to the source folder where your TypeScript files are kept.
• Create a new file named pixabayService.ts.
• This file will contain a service class to interact with the Pixabay API using the built‐in fetch function.

export interface PixabayImage {
  id: number;
  pageURL: string;
  previewURL: string;
  largeImageURL: string;
}

export interface PixabayResponse {
  total: number;
  totalHits: number;
  hits: PixabayImage[];
}

export class PixabayService {
  // Replace 'YOURPIXABAYAPI_KEY' with your actual Pixabay API key
  private apiKey: string = 'YOURPIXABAYAPI_KEY';
  private baseUrl: string = 'https://pixabay.com/api/';

  public async searchImages(query: string): Promise<PixabayImage[]> {
    const url = ${this.baseUrl}?key=${this.apiKey}&q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}&image_type=photo;
    try {
      const response = await fetch(url);
      if (!response.ok) {
        throw new Error('Network response was not ok');
      }
      const data: PixabayResponse = await response.json();
      return data.hits;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error fetching images:', error);
      return [];
    }
  }
}

 

Integrating the Pixabay Service into Your Project

 

• Open the file where you manage image display or your main application logic. This could be your main entry TypeScript file (for example, app.ts) in your Lovable project.
• Import the PixabayService class from the file you just created.
• Instantiate the service and write a helper function to display the images returned by the API.

import { PixabayService } from './pixabayService';

const pixabay = new PixabayService();

function displayImages(images: any[]): void {
  const container = document.getElementById('imageContainer');
  if (container) {
    // Clear previous content
    container.innerHTML = '';
    images.forEach((img) => {
      const imgElement = document.createElement('img');
      imgElement.src = img.previewURL;
      imgElement.alt = 'Pixabay Image';
      // Optional: Set styling properties for the image
      imgElement.style.margin = '5px';
      container.appendChild(imgElement);
    });
  }
}

// Example: Search for images with the query "nature" on page load
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
  const images = await pixabay.searchImages('nature');
  displayImages(images);
});

 

Adding an HTML Container for Image Display

 

• Locate your main HTML file (often named index.html) in your Lovable project.
• Add a container with the id imageContainer where the images will be displayed.

 

Handling Dependency Installation Without a Terminal

 

• Since Lovable doesn’t provide a terminal, you can use the browser’s native fetch function without installing extra dependencies.
• If you ever require additional libraries, include them by adding their script tags in your HTML file. For example, to add a specific library from a CDN, add a line like:

<script src="https://cdn.example.com/library.min.js"></script>

 

Final Notes and Testing the Integration

 

• Replace YOURPIXABAYAPI_KEY in pixabayService.ts with your actual Pixabay API key.
• Save all the files and make sure your Lovable project is set up to compile TypeScript to JavaScript.
• Load your project in the browser. Once the page loads, the script will search for "nature" images and display them in the container you created.
• Check the browser’s console for any error messages to help with debugging if needed.