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Lovable can integrate with any external API, public or private, authenticated or not. This is the most flexible integration type, allowing you to bring in functionality Lovable does not natively support.
What is an API?
API (Application Programming Interface) is a structured way for services or applications to communicate and share data with each other. It defines what you can ask for, what you’ll get back, and how to make the request. For example, a weather service’s API lets your app ask for the current temperature in a city and get the answer back in a format your app can display.
Before integrating an API by hand, check the Connectors catalog first. If the tool exists as a connector, connecting it is faster and Lovable manages the credentials for you. Direct API integration is the right path when the tool is not in the catalog, or when you need full control over how your app calls it. When you ask Lovable to integrate an API, it automatically chooses the correct approach:
  • If the API requires no authentication, your app calls the API directly.
  • If the API requires authentication, Lovable prompts you to enable the built-in backend (Cloud) and add a secret, and automatically creates an Edge Function to protect sensitive credentials.

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APIs without authentication

If an API requires no credentials, there is no setup required. Just ask Lovable to integrate the API. For example:
Lovable detects that no key is required and adds the feature directly to your app.

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Authenticated APIs (requires secrets)

For APIs that require authentication credentials or API keys, Lovable handles the integration securely using the built-in backend (Cloud). Credentials are stored as secrets in the linked Cloud project and accessed only through Edge Functions, ensuring they remain protected. Setup
  1. Ask Lovable to integrate the API and include key details:
    • Endpoint URLs and HTTP methods
    • Authentication method (API key header, query param, Bearer token, OAuth)
    • Required headers (Content-Type, custom headers)
    • Request and response format examples (JSON, params, bodies)
    • OpenAPI spec or documentation link
  2. Enable Cloud.
  3. Add your API key under Cloud → Secrets.
For example:
Lovable generates the integration with an Edge Function and a weather widget where users can enter a city and fetch weather data.

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API access for the chat

Integrating an API this way adds functionality to your app. If you instead want Lovable to read from a tool as context while building, and the tool is not in the connector catalog, connect it as a custom MCP server.

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FAQ

Yes. Lovable can integrate with any external API, public or private. APIs without authentication can be called directly, while authenticated APIs are integrated securely using the built-in backend (Cloud), secrets, and Edge Functions to protect credentials.
In your project’s secrets, which live in the built-in backend (Cloud), never in your app’s frontend code. Lovable creates an Edge Function that reads the secret server-side, so the key is not exposed to visitors of your app.
Only for authenticated APIs. APIs that need no credentials can be called directly from your app. When credentials are involved, Lovable prompts you to enable the built-in backend (Cloud) so the key can be stored as a secret and used from an Edge Function.