Understanding the API Builder: A Guide to Related Data

Welcome to the API Builder. This tool helps you connect related data and build powerful APIs without writing code.

Think of the API Builder as a Lego Set. You have different bricks (Categories, Products, Reviews), and this tool allows you to snap them together to build one complete structure.

Custom Data Architecture (You Control the Hierarchy)

You have complete control over how your API response is structured.

• Choose which API is the Parent

• Choose which APIs are Nested inside it

This allows you to design a custom JSON response that fits your application exactly. The data is not fixed in one structure — you choose the hierarchy.

Quick Example: Same Data, Different APIs

{
  "id": 101,
  "name": "Wireless Mouse",
  "category": {
    "name": "Electronics"
  }
}

{
  "id": 5,
  "name": "Electronics",
  "products": [
    { "id": 101, "name": "Wireless Mouse" },
    { "id": 102, "name": "Keyboard" }
  ]
}

What Are Relationships and Why Do We Need Them?

In most applications, data is stored in separate APIs to stay organized. A Relationship is the connection between these APIs.

• Without relationships → Multiple API calls

• With relationships → One API call with connected data

This makes your application faster, cleaner, and easier to maintain.

How to Build Your API (Step by Step)

First, you need to create APIs.

For reference, we have created 5 APIs for this example:

• users

• categories

• products

• blogs

• blog_details

Requirement Explanation

The requirement is to fetch all related data together using ID.

For example:

This includes:

• User data

• Related categories

• Products under those categories

• Blogs written by the user

• log details related to those blogs

Use Email or Any Other Key

In addition to ID, you can also fetch related data using email or any other common key, based on your requirement.

For example:

• users.email = blogs.author_email

• users.username = orders.username

As long as the selected key exists in both APIs and matches correctly, the system will build the relationships and return the same nested response structure.

This flexibility allows you to design APIs that match your real-world data models without changing the response format.

API 1: users

API 2: categories

Relationship:

This means each category is linked to a user using the same id.

API 3: products (Connected to Categories)

Relationship:

This means products belong to a category.

API 4: blogs

Relationship:

This means each blog is written by a user.

API 5: blog_details

Relationship:

This means blog details belong to a specific blog.

Step 1: Select Main API

Choose your Main API.

This API acts as the base table and the parent for all relationships.

For this example:

Step 2: Add Relationships

Now connect all related APIs using common fields.

Example relationships used:

These relationships define how data is connected across APIs.

Step 3: Filters (Optional)

Filters control which records are returned.

If your base API is users, and you apply a filter where the user ID is 1 and the categories status is active, then only the active categories related to that user will be returned in the nested response.

You can also apply multiple filters based on your needs.

Example

• Filter active categories only

• Filter products by ID

• Filter blogs by author

Passing Filters as Parameters

Filters can be passed using query parameters.

Filter naming rule:

Examples:

Multiple filters:

Pagination & Limits

• Default limit is 100

• Default page no is 1

You can change them using parameters:

Nested Pagination

For nested APIs:

Example:

You can also apply a global nested limit, which is applied to all nested API data.

Example:

{Base URL}?apiName1_key=value&apiName2_key=value

Step 4: Response Shape (Drag & Drop)

Here you design how the final JSON response looks.

In this example:

Field Control on Hover

When you hover over any dropped API, you can:

• See a list of available keys

• Check or uncheck keys

• Unchecked keys will not appear in the final response

Step 5: Live API URL

Once configured, the builder generates a live API URL that you can use directly in your application.

Final JSON Response

[
  {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "role": "admin",
    "categories": [
                    {
                        "id": 1,
                        "name": "Electronics",
                        "status": "active",
                        "products": [
                        {
                            "id": 2,
                            "name": "Bluetooth Headphones",
                            "price": "59.99",
                            "category_id": "1"
                        },
                        {
                            "id": 1,
                            "name": "Wireless Mouse",
                            "price": "29.99",
                            "category_id": "1"
                        }
                        ]
                    }
                ],
    "blogs": [
                {
                    "id": 1,
                    "title": "Understanding APIs",
                    "author_name": "Charles R. Caldwell",
                    "blogdetails": [
                    {
                        "id": 1,
                        "blog_id": "1",
                        "content": "This article explains how APIs work.",
                        "views": "1200"
                    }
                    ]
                }
    ]
  }
]

Logical View of the Same JSON

[
  {
    users: {
      categories: {
        products
      },
      blogs: {
        blog_details
      }
    }
  }
]

You can change the response structure anytime using drag & drop. Once relationships are configured, you do not need to call multiple APIs. The system automatically combines all related data and returns the final result in a single API response.

You can directly:

• Use it in frontend apps

• Connect it to mobile apps

• Test it in API clients

No extra setup required.

Pro Tips for Performance

• Purge Cache: Refresh data instantly after updates.

• Enable Cache: Keep enabled for faster API responses.

Summary Checklist

• Select Main API

• Add Relationships

• Set Filters (Optional)

• Design Response Shape

• Use the Live API URL