Xano - Building custom CRUD API endpoints

At Xano, we believe in empowering everyone to build powerful applications without writing a single line of code. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of creating custom CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) API endpoints for your database using Xano's intuitive visual interface.

Why Create Custom CRUD APIs?

While Xano automatically generates basic CRUD APIs during the jumpstart process, you may want to build custom APIs for several reasons:

1. Customization: Tailor the APIs to your specific needs or add additional functionality.
2. Separation of Concerns: Keep your custom APIs separate from the auto-generated ones to avoid accidental modifications.
3. Learning Experience: Understand how CRUD APIs are built from scratch.

So, let's dive in and create our custom CRUD API endpoints!

Step 1: Create a New API Group

1. Navigate to the API page in the Xano dashboard.
2. Click Add API Group and give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Custom").
3. Click Save.

Step 2: Create a Custom POST (Create) API

1. Within your new API group, click Add API.
2. Select CRUD Database Operations and choose the table you want to work with (e.g., "Merchant").
3. Click POST* (Create) and then *Save.
4. In the API editor, you'll see the anatomy of the POST endpoint, including inputs, function stack, and response.
5. Optionally, you can Run Debug to test the API with sample data.

Step 3: Create a Custom PUT (Update) API

1. Go back to your API group and click Add API again.
2. Select CRUD Database Operations and choose the same table as before.
3. Click Edit* and then *Save.
4. In the API editor, you can update the inputs (e.g., "Merchant Name" and "Description") and test the API with Run Debug.

Step 4: Create a Custom GET (Read) API

1. Repeat the process by going back to your API group and clicking Add API.
2. Select CRUD Database Operations and choose the same table.
3. Click Get a Single Record* and then *Save.
4. In the API editor, you can test the GET endpoint by providing a valid record ID in the Run Debug section.

Step 5: Create a Custom GET (Read All) API

1. Go back to your API group and click Add API once more.
2. Select CRUD Database Operations and choose the same table.
3. Click Get All* and then *Save.
4. In the API editor, you can simply click Run Debug to retrieve all records from the table.

Step 6: Create a Custom DELETE API

1. One last time, go back to your API group and click Add API.
2. Select CRUD Database Operations and choose the same table.
3. Click Delete* and then *Save.
4. In the API editor, you can test the DELETE endpoint by providing a valid record ID in the Run Debug section.

Congratulations! You've successfully created custom CRUD API endpoints for your database using Xano's visual interface. You can now integrate these APIs into your web or mobile applications, or continue exploring Xano's powerful capabilities.

Remember, Xano is designed to empower everyone, regardless of their technical background. If you're a no-code enthusiast, citizen developer, traditional developer, or a startup/small business, Xano can help you build and deploy backend services quickly and efficiently.

Happy building!