Connect a REST API
Learn how to connect REST APIs to Retool.
You can use the REST API integration to create a resource and make it available in Retool. Once complete, your users can write queries that interact with REST API data.
Requirements
The REST API integration requirements depend on whether you have a cloud-hosted or self-hosted Retool organization. You may also need to make REST API configuration changes before creating the resource.
- Cloud-hosted organizations
- Self-hosted organizations
Sufficient user permissions to create resources
All users for Retool organizations on Free or Team plans have global Edit permissions and can add, edit, and remove resources. If your organization manages user permissions for resources, you must be a member of a group with Edit all permissions.
Allow Retool to access the data source
If the data source is behind a firewall or restricts access based on IP address, then you must ensure that your Retool organization can access it. If necessary, configure your data source to allow access from Retool's IP addresses.
3.77.79.248/30
35.90.103.132/30
44.208.168.68/30
3.77.79.249
3.77.79.250
35.90.103.132
35.90.103.133
35.90.103.134
35.90.103.135
44.208.168.68
44.208.168.69
44.208.168.70
44.208.168.71
Retool is building support for querying firewalled resources without allowlisting Retool’s IP address. To learn more or be considered for early access, contact cloud-connect@retool.com.
REST API settings and authentication
You must have sufficient access and familiarity with your REST API data source so you can provide:
- Required connection settings (e.g., URL and server variables).
- Authentication credentials (e.g., API keys).
In some cases, you may need to make changes to your REST API configuration, such as generating authentication credentials or allowing access through a firewall. Refer to the configuration and authentication sections to learn more.
Sufficient user permissions to create resources
All users for Retool organizations on Free or Team plans have global Edit permissions and can add, edit, and remove resources. If your organization manages user permissions for resources, you must be a member of a group with Edit all permissions.
Allow your deployment to access the data source
Your self-hosted deployment must have access to the data source. Ensure that any potential firewall rules for either the data source or your deployment instance are updated to allow them to communicate.
REST API settings and authentication
You must have sufficient access and familiarity with your REST API data source so you can provide:
- Required connection settings (e.g., URL and server variables).
- Authentication credentials (e.g., API keys).
In some cases, you may need to make changes to your REST API configuration, such as generating authentication credentials or allowing access through a firewall. Refer to the configuration and authentication sections to learn more.
Configure the resource
Sign in to your Retool organization and navigate to the Resources tab. Click Create new > Resource, then select REST API.
Configuration
Specify the name, location, and description to use for your REST API resource. Retool displays the resource name and type in query editors to help users identify them.
Provide the following configuration settings to create the resource. Depending on how your data source is configured, you may also need to provide optional settings for Retool to connect.
- Cloud-hosted organizations
- Self-hosted organizations
Name
The name to use for the resource.
Description
A description of the resource.
Base URL
The base URL for all requests (e.g., https://example.com).
URL parameters
Additional URL parameters to include with all requests.
Headers
Additional headers to include with all requests.
Exclude default headers
Whether to exclude the default User-Agent header that identifies the request as coming from Retool.
Sanitize custom headers
Whether to sanitize additional custom headers.
Body
Additional key-value pairs to include within the body of all requests.
Cookies
Cookies to use for cookie-based APIs.
Use the pattern COOKIE_your_cookie_name in the Headers section to implement the double-cookie submit pattern.
Forward all cookies
Whether to forward all cookies.
Use self-signed certificates
Whether to allow self-signed certificates.
Override default outbound Retool region
Retool connects to your data source from the us-west-2 region. Choosing a different outbound region can improve performance through geographic proximity.
| Region | Location |
|---|---|
| us-west-2 | US West (Oregon) |
| eu-central-1 | (Frankfurt, Germany) |
Name
The name to use for the resource.
Description
A description of the resource.
Base URL
The base URL for all requests (e.g., https://example.com).
URL parameters
Additional URL parameters to include with all requests.
Headers
Additional headers to include with all requests.
Exclude default headers
Whether to exclude the default User-Agent header that identifies the request as coming from Retool.
Sanitize custom headers
Whether to sanitize additional custom headers.
Body
Additional key-value pairs to include within the body of all requests.
Cookies
Cookies to use for cookie-based APIs.
Use the pattern COOKIE_your_cookie_name in the Headers section to implement the double-cookie submit pattern.
Forward all cookies
Whether to forward all cookies.
Use self-signed certificates
Whether to allow self-signed certificates.
Authentication
The REST API integration supports the following authentication methods. Depending on which authentication method you use, you may need to make changes to your REST API configuration.
- Cloud-hosted organizations
- Self-hosted organizations
Auth0
Authentication is performed using an Auth0 client application. You must create this application and then provide the details.
| Credential | Description |
|---|---|
| Domain | The domain URL. |
| Client ID | The client ID. |
| Client secret | The client secret. |
| Audience | The audience URL. |
AWS Identity and Access Management
Authentication is performed using the provided AWS security credentials. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Region
The AWS region with which to connect (e.g., us-east-1). This is often part of the base URL.
| Region | Location |
|---|---|
| us-east-1 | US East (N. Virginia) |
| us-east-2 | US East (Ohio) |
| us-west-1 | US West (N. California) |
| us-west-2 | US West (Oregon) |
| af-south-1 | Africa (Cape Town) |
| ap-east-1 | Asia Pacific (Hong Kong) |
| ap-northeast-1 | Asia Pacific (Tokyo) |
| ap-northeast-2 | Asia Pacific (Seoul) |
| ap-northeast-3 | Asia Pacific (Osaka) |
| ap-south-1 | Asia Pacific (Mumbai) |
| ap-south-2 | Asia Pacific (Bahrain) |
| ap-southeast-1 | Asia Pacific (Singapore) |
| ap-southeast-2 | Asia Pacific (Sydney) |
| ap-southeast-3 | Asia Pacific (Jakarta) |
| ap-southeast-4 | Asia Pacific (Hong Kong) |
| ca-central-1 | Canada (Central) |
| eu-central-1 | Europe (Frankfurt) |
| eu-central-2 | Europe (Warsaw) |
| eu-north-1 | Europe (Stockholm) |
| eu-south-1 | Europe (Milan) |
| eu-south-2 | Europe (London) |
| eu-west-1 | Europe (Ireland) |
| eu-west-2 | Europe (London) |
| eu-west-3 | Europe (Paris) |
| me-central-1 | Middle East (Bahrain) |
| me-south-1 | Middle East (Bahrain) |
| sa-east-1 | South America (São Paulo) |
| us-gov-east-1 | AWS GovCloud (US-East) |
| us-gov-west-1 | AWS GovCloud (US-West) |
Access key ID
The access key ID with which to authenticate.
Secret key ID
The secret key ID with which to authenticate.
Role to assume (ARN)
A different role to use for accessing the API.
Basic
Authentication is performed using Basic HTTP authentication with a username and password. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Bearer Token
Authentication is performed using Bearer HTTP authentication with a token. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Digest
Authentication is performed using Digest HTTP authentication with a username and password. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Google service account
Authenticate with a service account tied to a Google Cloud project. This method allows users to give Retool access to certain APIs or data with the service account's email address.
Retool recommends using service account authentication when you need to share credentials across users but limit Retool's access to a subset of data. This authentication flow restricts Retool's access to APIs or data shared with the service account email address only.
Refer to Google's service account documentation to learn more.
OAuth 1.0
Authentication is performed using an OAuth 1.0 client application. You must create this application and then provide the details.
| Credential | Description |
|---|---|
| Consumer key | The consumer key with which to authenticate. |
| Consumer secret | The consumer secret with which to authenticate. |
| Access token | The access token with which to authenticate. |
| Token secret | The access token secret. |
| Realm | The realm to use. |
| Signature method | The signature method to use. Either HMAC-SHA1, HMAC-SHA256, or PLAINTEXT. |
Custom OAuth 2.0 client credentials
Authentication is performed using a custom OAuth 2.0 client app. You must create this client and then provide its credentials. Once configured, your users are redirected to to sign in and authorize Retool to access data.
OAuth apps typically require the following values during creation:
- OAuth callback URL: The URL to which users are redirected once they have successfully signed in.
- Scopes : The permissions granted to Retool. Each scope defines a specific set of permissions (e.g.,
messages:readto read messagesusers:writeto create new users). You must ensure that any scopes defined in your OAuth app matches the scopes you specify when configuring the resource.
Once you've created an OAuth app you can obtain its credentials, such as the Client ID and Client secret. You then provide these to configure Retool for OAuth authentication.
Refer to the documentation for detailed instructions on creating an OAuth app.
Authorization URL
The URL with which to authenticate.
Access token URL
The access token URL.
Client ID
The client ID with which to authenticate.
Client secret
The client secret with which to authenticate.
Scopes
Scopes govern what permissions Retool has once you connect your account authenticates. For some integrations, Retool automatically populates a set of recommended scopes to make full use of the integration. In some cases, you may need to specify the scopes for Retool to use.
Prompt
The type of prompt when users authenticate.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| None | Attempt to authorize silently without using a prompt. |
| Consent | Prompt the user to consent. |
| Login | Require the user to sign in with the provider, regardless of whether they are currently signed in. |
| Select account | Require the user to select an account if they could be signed into multiple accounts. |
| No prompt | Do not display a prompt. |
Audience
The OAuth 2.0 audience.
Enable an auth verification endpoint
Whether to use a custom authentication verification URL.
If enabled, you can provide an endpoint that will return a response code in the range 200-299 when the user is authenticated, and a non-2xx status code (e.g., 401 Unauthorized) when the user is not authenticated.
Skip Retool consent screen and attempt login
Whether to skip the Retool consent screen at the start of the authentication flow.
Access token lifespan
The lifespan of the access token before it expires.
Session-based
Session-based authentication has been deprecated. Use an alternative authentication method, if available.
Authentication is performed using session-based authentication. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
| Credential | Description |
|---|---|
| Cookies to forward | The cookies to forward. |
| Enable an auth verification endpoint | Whether to use a verification endpoint to determine if the user needs to authenticate. |
| URL to link to for logging in | The URL with which users can authenticate. |
Auth0
Authentication is performed using an Auth0 client application. You must create this application and then provide the details.
| Credential | Description |
|---|---|
| Domain | The domain URL. |
| Client ID | The client ID. |
| Client secret | The client secret. |
| Audience | The audience URL. |
AWS Identity and Access Management
Authentication is performed using the provided AWS security credentials. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Credential provider chain
Authentication is performed using AWS credentials sourced from the credential provider chain. Use this option to authenticate with credentials provided in environment variables or the underlying instance role.
Region
The AWS region with which to connect (e.g., us-east-1). This is often part of the base URL.
| Region | Location |
|---|---|
| us-east-1 | US East (N. Virginia) |
| us-east-2 | US East (Ohio) |
| us-west-1 | US West (N. California) |
| us-west-2 | US West (Oregon) |
| af-south-1 | Africa (Cape Town) |
| ap-east-1 | Asia Pacific (Hong Kong) |
| ap-northeast-1 | Asia Pacific (Tokyo) |
| ap-northeast-2 | Asia Pacific (Seoul) |
| ap-northeast-3 | Asia Pacific (Osaka) |
| ap-south-1 | Asia Pacific (Mumbai) |
| ap-south-2 | Asia Pacific (Bahrain) |
| ap-southeast-1 | Asia Pacific (Singapore) |
| ap-southeast-2 | Asia Pacific (Sydney) |
| ap-southeast-3 | Asia Pacific (Jakarta) |
| ap-southeast-4 | Asia Pacific (Hong Kong) |
| ca-central-1 | Canada (Central) |
| eu-central-1 | Europe (Frankfurt) |
| eu-central-2 | Europe (Warsaw) |
| eu-north-1 | Europe (Stockholm) |
| eu-south-1 | Europe (Milan) |
| eu-south-2 | Europe (London) |
| eu-west-1 | Europe (Ireland) |
| eu-west-2 | Europe (London) |
| eu-west-3 | Europe (Paris) |
| me-central-1 | Middle East (Bahrain) |
| me-south-1 | Middle East (Bahrain) |
| sa-east-1 | South America (São Paulo) |
| us-gov-east-1 | AWS GovCloud (US-East) |
| us-gov-west-1 | AWS GovCloud (US-West) |
Access key ID
The access key ID with which to authenticate.
Secret key ID
The secret key ID with which to authenticate.
Role to assume (ARN)
A different role to use for accessing the API.
Basic
Authentication is performed using Basic HTTP authentication with a username and password. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Bearer Token
Authentication is performed using Bearer HTTP authentication with a token. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Digest
Authentication is performed using Digest HTTP authentication with a username and password. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
Google service account
Authenticate with a service account tied to a Google Cloud project. This method allows users to give Retool access to certain APIs or data with the service account's email address.
Retool recommends using service account authentication when you need to share credentials across users but limit Retool's access to a subset of data. This authentication flow restricts Retool's access to APIs or data shared with the service account email address only.
Refer to Google's service account documentation to learn more.
OAuth 1.0
Authentication is performed using an OAuth 1.0 client application. You must create this application and then provide the details.
| Credential | Description |
|---|---|
| Consumer key | The consumer key with which to authenticate. |
| Consumer secret | The consumer secret with which to authenticate. |
| Access token | The access token with which to authenticate. |
| Token secret | The access token secret. |
| Realm | The realm to use. |
| Signature method | The signature method to use. Either HMAC-SHA1, HMAC-SHA256, or PLAINTEXT. |
Custom OAuth 2.0 client credentials
Authentication is performed using a custom OAuth 2.0 client app. You must create this client and then provide its credentials. Once configured, your users are redirected to to sign in and authorize Retool to access data.
OAuth apps typically require the following values during creation:
- OAuth callback URL: The URL to which users are redirected once they have successfully signed in.
- Scopes : The permissions granted to Retool. Each scope defines a specific set of permissions (e.g.,
messages:readto read messagesusers:writeto create new users). You must ensure that any scopes defined in your OAuth app matches the scopes you specify when configuring the resource.
Once you've created an OAuth app you can obtain its credentials, such as the Client ID and Client secret. You then provide these to configure Retool for OAuth authentication.
Refer to the documentation for detailed instructions on creating an OAuth app.
Authorization URL
The URL with which to authenticate.
Access token URL
The access token URL.
Client ID
The client ID with which to authenticate.
Client secret
The client secret with which to authenticate.
Scopes
Scopes govern what permissions Retool has once you connect your account authenticates. For some integrations, Retool automatically populates a set of recommended scopes to make full use of the integration. In some cases, you may need to specify the scopes for Retool to use.
Prompt
The type of prompt when users authenticate.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| None | Attempt to authorize silently without using a prompt. |
| Consent | Prompt the user to consent. |
| Login | Require the user to sign in with the provider, regardless of whether they are currently signed in. |
| Select account | Require the user to select an account if they could be signed into multiple accounts. |
| No prompt | Do not display a prompt. |
Audience
The OAuth 2.0 audience.
Enable an auth verification endpoint
Whether to use a custom authentication verification URL.
If enabled, you can provide an endpoint that will return a response code in the range 200-299 when the user is authenticated, and a non-2xx status code (e.g., 401 Unauthorized) when the user is not authenticated.
Skip Retool consent screen and attempt login
Whether to skip the Retool consent screen at the start of the authentication flow.
Access token lifespan
The lifespan of the access token before it expires.
Session-based
Session-based authentication has been deprecated. Use an alternative authentication method, if available.
Authentication is performed using session-based authentication. You must be able to obtain and provide these credentials to create the resource.
| Credential | Description |
|---|---|
| Cookies to forward | The cookies to forward. |
| Enable an auth verification endpoint | Whether to use a verification endpoint to determine if the user needs to authenticate. |
| URL to link to for logging in | The URL with which users can authenticate. |
Test the connection
Click Test Connection to verify that Retool can successfully connect to the data source. If the test fails, check the resource settings and try again.
Testing a connection only checks whether Retool can successfully connect to the resource. It cannot check whether the provided credentials have sufficient privileges or can perform every supported action.
Save the resource
Click Create resource to complete the setup. You can then click either Create app to immediately start building a Retool app or Back to resources to return to the list of resources.
Next steps
Your REST API resource is now ready to use. Check out related queries and code documentation to learn how to interact with REST API data.
Queries and code quickstart
Fundamental concepts of queries and code.
Resource query tutorial
Hands-on introduction to querying APIs and databases.
Query REST APIs
Learn how to query REST API resources.