Integrating Any API

This guide covers how to integrate any REST API with your Nativeline app. Use this for services not specifically covered elsewhere.

Understanding REST APIs

Most APIs follow REST conventions:

Your App  →  HTTP Request  →  API Server
              (GET, POST)         ↓
Your App  ←  JSON Response  ←  API Server

Finding APIs

Popular API Directories

RapidAPI — Thousands of APIs
Public APIs — Free public APIs
APIs.guru — OpenAPI directory

Common Categories

Communication: Twilio (SMS), SendGrid (Email)
Social: Twitter, Instagram, TikTok
Data: News APIs, Stock APIs
Utilities: URL shorteners, QR codes
AI: Stability AI, Replicate

Typical Integration Steps

Find the API

Identify the service that provides what you need

Read documentation

Understand endpoints, parameters, and authentication

Get credentials

Configure in Nativeline

Tell the AI about the API and provide credentials

Make requests

Build the features that use the API

API Authentication Types

API Key (Header)

Most common. Include key in request header:

Add [Service] API with key in Authorization header:
Key: your-api-key-here

API Key (Query Parameter)

Some APIs want the key in the URL:

Add [Service] API with key as query parameter:
Key: your-api-key-here

Bearer Token

Common for OAuth and modern APIs:

Add [Service] API with Bearer token:
Token: your-token-here

OAuth 2.0

For user-authorized access (e.g., accessing user’s social media):

Add OAuth authentication for [Service]:
- Client ID: xxxxx
- Client Secret: xxxxx
- Redirect URL: your-app://callback

Making API Requests

GET Request

Retrieve data:

Fetch the list of items from [API]:
Endpoint: GET https://api.service.com/items

POST Request

Send data:

Send user data to [API]:
Endpoint: POST https://api.service.com/users
Body: { name, email }

With Parameters

Search [API] with query parameters:
Endpoint: GET https://api.service.com/search?q={query}&limit=10

Handling Responses

JSON Parsing

Most APIs return JSON. Tell Nativeline the structure:

The API returns:
{
  "results": [
    { "id": 1, "name": "Item 1" },
    { "id": 2, "name": "Item 2" }
  ],
  "total": 100
}

Parse this and display the results in a list.

Creating Models

Create a model for the API response:
- Item has: id (Int), name (String), description (String?)
- Response has: results (array of Items), total (Int)

Error Handling

Common HTTP Status Codes

Code	Meaning	Handle
200	Success	Process data
400	Bad request	Check your parameters
401	Unauthorized	Check API key
403	Forbidden	Check permissions
404	Not found	Resource doesn’t exist
429	Rate limited	Wait and retry
500	Server error	Retry later

Implementing Error Handling

Handle API errors:
- 401: Show "Invalid API key"
- 404: Show "Not found"
- 429: Wait 30 seconds and retry
- 500: Show "Service unavailable, try later"

Rate Limiting

Most APIs limit requests:

Understanding Limits

Requests per minute/hour/day
Check headers: X-RateLimit-Remaining

Handling Rate Limits

If rate limited:
- Show "Please wait" message
- Wait for limit reset
- Use exponential backoff
- Cache responses to reduce calls

Caching

Reduce API calls by caching:

Cache API responses:
- Store response with timestamp
- Use cached data if less than 5 minutes old
- Refresh in background
- Show cached data immediately while loading fresh data

Security Best Practices

Never expose API keys

Keys should be stored securely, not in source code or logs.

Use HTTPS only

All API calls should use HTTPS to encrypt data in transit.

Validate responses

Don’t assume API responses are always correct or safe.

Consider a proxy server

For sensitive APIs, route calls through your server to hide keys.

Example: News API

Integrate NewsAPI.org:

1. API Key: your-news-api-key
2. Endpoint: GET https://newsapi.org/v2/top-headlines
3. Parameters: country=us, category=technology

Display:
- List of articles
- Each shows: title, source, thumbnail
- Tap to open in Safari

Example: Giphy API

Integrate Giphy:

1. API Key: your-giphy-key
2. Endpoint: GET https://api.giphy.com/v1/gifs/search
3. Parameters: q={searchTerm}, limit=20

Display:
- Grid of GIF thumbnails
- Tap to view full GIF
- Share button

Example: Currency Conversion

Integrate ExchangeRate-API:

1. API Key: your-key
2. Endpoint: GET https://v6.exchangerate-api.com/v6/{key}/latest/USD

Build:
- Currency converter
- Select from/to currencies
- Enter amount
- Show converted result
- Cache rates for 1 hour

Testing APIs

Postman or Similar

Test APIs outside your app first:

Download Postman
Test endpoints manually
Verify responses
Then integrate into app

Nativeline Testing

Add a test screen that:
- Makes a test API call
- Logs the response
- Shows success/failure

When APIs Don’t Work

Debugging Steps

Check API key is valid
Verify endpoint URL
Check request format
Look at error response
Test in Postman
Check API documentation
Contact API support

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
CORS errors	Usually not an issue for iOS apps
Invalid JSON	Check API response format
Timeout	Increase timeout, check network
Wrong data	Verify endpoint and parameters

OpenAI

AI integration

Stripe

Payment processing

Supabase

Backend services

Integrations

Other APIs

Integrating Any API

Understanding REST APIs

Finding APIs

Popular API Directories

Common Categories

Typical Integration Steps

API Authentication Types

API Key (Header)

API Key (Query Parameter)

Bearer Token

OAuth 2.0

Making API Requests

GET Request

POST Request

With Parameters

Handling Responses

JSON Parsing

Creating Models

Error Handling

Common HTTP Status Codes

Implementing Error Handling

Rate Limiting

Understanding Limits

Handling Rate Limits

Caching

Security Best Practices

Example: News API

Example: Giphy API

Example: Currency Conversion

Testing APIs

Postman or Similar

Nativeline Testing

When APIs Don’t Work

Debugging Steps

Common Issues

OpenAI

Stripe

Supabase

​Integrating Any API

​Understanding REST APIs

​Finding APIs

​Popular API Directories

​Common Categories

​Typical Integration Steps

​API Authentication Types

​API Key (Header)

​API Key (Query Parameter)

​Bearer Token

​OAuth 2.0

​Making API Requests

​GET Request

​POST Request

​With Parameters

​Handling Responses

​JSON Parsing

​Creating Models

​Error Handling

​Common HTTP Status Codes

​Implementing Error Handling

​Rate Limiting

​Understanding Limits

​Handling Rate Limits

​Caching

​Security Best Practices

​Example: News API

​Example: Giphy API

​Example: Currency Conversion

​Testing APIs

​Postman or Similar

​Nativeline Testing

​When APIs Don’t Work

​Debugging Steps

​Common Issues

​Related

OpenAI

Stripe

Supabase

Integrating Any API

Understanding REST APIs

Finding APIs

Popular API Directories

Common Categories

Typical Integration Steps

API Authentication Types

API Key (Header)

API Key (Query Parameter)

Bearer Token

OAuth 2.0

Making API Requests

GET Request

POST Request

With Parameters

Handling Responses

JSON Parsing

Creating Models

Error Handling

Common HTTP Status Codes

Implementing Error Handling

Rate Limiting

Understanding Limits

Handling Rate Limits

Caching

Security Best Practices

Example: News API

Example: Giphy API

Example: Currency Conversion

Testing APIs

Postman or Similar

Nativeline Testing

When APIs Don’t Work

Debugging Steps

Common Issues

Related