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Formidable Forms API Essential Guide

Aug 13, 20246 minute read

What type of API does Formidable Forms provide?

REST API

  • Formidable Forms has a REST API that is fully integrated with the WordPress REST API.

  • The API allows Formidable data to be created, read, updated, and deleted using JSON requests and standard HTTP verbs.

  • It uses WordPress REST API authentication methods.

API Features

  • The API includes a Form Webhooks feature to send entry data to other sites with REST APIs.

  • It can be used to connect to third-party REST APIs.

  • The API supports Basic Authentication by default.

Other API Types

  • There is no mention of GraphQL or SOAP APIs for Formidable Forms.

  • The API documentation and features are focused on REST functionality.

Requirements

  • To use the latest version of the REST API, you need:
    • Formidable 2.0+
    • Formidable API 1.0+
    • WordPress 4.4+
    • Pretty permalinks enabled

Summary

Formidable Forms primarily offers a REST API for interacting with form data and integrating with other systems. The API follows REST principles and is built on top of the WordPress REST API infrastructure. There is no indication of support for GraphQL or SOAP APIs based on the provided information.

Does the Formidable Forms API have webhooks?

Webhook Support

Yes, the Formidable Forms API does support webhooks. This functionality is provided through the API Webhooks Add-On.

Types of Events

The API Webhooks Add-On allows you to trigger webhooks for the following events:

  • After an entry is created
  • After an entry is updated
  • After an entry is deleted

Key Features of the API Webhooks Add-On

  • Allows sending Formidable Forms data to any other site with a REST API
  • Can trigger webhooks after entry creation, updating, or deletion
  • Enables fetching, creating, updating, and deleting entries
  • Supports getting, creating, and deleting fields
  • Allows getting, creating, and deleting forms

Implementation Details

  • The API uses Basic Authorization for authentication
  • An API key is required to make requests
  • Webhooks can be set up using the "Send API Data" action in the form settings
  • The webhook URL and authentication details are configured in the API action settings

Additional Notes

  • The Formidable API is designed for developers comfortable with RESTful APIs
  • This feature is included in the Formidable Business plan and higher
  • The API can also be used to communicate with external third-party APIs

In summary, the Formidable Forms API does offer webhook functionality, allowing you to trigger actions on external systems when entries are created, updated, or deleted in your forms. This provides powerful integration capabilities for developers looking to extend the functionality of their Formidable Forms implementations.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Based on the search results, here are the key points about API rate limits for the Formidable Forms API:

API Rate Limits

The search results do not provide specific information about rate limits for the Formidable Forms API. The documentation does not mention any explicit rate limiting.

Key Points to Consider

  1. The Formidable Forms API uses Basic Authentication [1].

  2. It is recommended to use SSL (HTTPS) when using the API for security [1].

  3. The API allows creating, reading, updating, and deleting data using JSON requests [2].

  4. To use the API, you need:

    • Formidable 2.0+
    • Formidable API 1.0+
    • WordPress 4.4+
    • Pretty permalinks enabled [2]
  5. The API can be accessed over HTTP or HTTPS, but HTTPS is recommended [2].

  6. The API is designed for developers comfortable with RESTful APIs [4].

Best Practices

  1. Use https:// for secure communication when making API requests [1][2].

  2. Ensure you have the required versions of Formidable Forms, the API add-on, and WordPress installed [2].

  3. Enable pretty permalinks in WordPress settings for the API endpoints to work correctly [2].

  4. Consider using the Formidable Logs add-on for debugging API calls and responses [1].

  5. Be aware that the API is designed for developers and may require technical knowledge to implement effectively [4].

While the search results don't provide specific rate limit information for the Formidable Forms API, it's always a good practice to implement reasonable request rates and handle potential rate limiting or throttling in your API integrations.

Latest API Version

Here are the key points about the most recent version of the Formidable Forms API:

Current Version

The most recent version of the Formidable Forms API is v2 [3].

Requirements

To use the latest version (v2) of the Formidable Forms API, you need:

  • Formidable Forms 2.0+
  • Formidable API 1.0+
  • WordPress 4.4+
  • Pretty permalinks enabled in WordPress settings
  • HTTPS recommended (though HTTP is also supported) [4]

Key Features

The Formidable Forms API v2 allows you to:

  • Fetch, create, update, and delete entries
  • Get, create, and delete fields
  • Get, create, and delete forms
  • Trigger webhooks after entry creation, updates, or deletion
  • Display view content on other pages/sites via shortcode
  • Insert forms on other pages/sites and accept submissions [2]

Authentication

The API uses Basic Authentication and is designed for developers comfortable with RESTful APIs [2].

Availability

The API feature is included in the Formidable Business plan and higher [2].

In summary, v2 is the latest version of the Formidable Forms API, offering extensive capabilities for managing forms, entries, and fields programmatically. It requires the latest versions of Formidable Forms, the API add-on, and WordPress 4.4+.

How to get a Formidable Forms developer account and API Keys?

Here are the key steps to get a developer account for Formidable Forms to create an API integration:

  1. Purchase and install Formidable Forms Premium on your WordPress site.

  2. After activating your Formidable Forms license, go to Formidable → Add-Ons and install the Formidable Forms API plugin.

  3. Once installed, an API key will be automatically generated. You can find this API key by going to Formidable → Global Settings and clicking on the API tab.

  4. This API key is what you'll use to authenticate API requests to Formidable Forms. It's 19 characters long by default.

  5. Make sure you are using SSL (https) on your server for security when using the API.

  6. You can now use this API key to make requests to the Formidable Forms API endpoints, such as creating/updating entries, getting form data, etc.

What can you do with the Formidable Forms API?

Based on the search results provided, here is a list of data models you can interact with using the Formidable Forms API, along with what is possible for each:

Forms

  • Get, create, and delete forms
  • Insert a form on a page and accept submissions from another site

Entries

  • Fetch, create, update, and delete entries
  • Trigger webhooks after an entry is created, updated, or deleted
  • Send entry data to any other site with a REST API

Fields

  • Get, create, and delete fields

Views

  • Get view content and display it on a page with a simple shortcode

Styles

  • Customize form appearance using the built-in styler

Webhooks

  • Set up webhooks to send data to any site with a REST API

Key points to consider:

  • The Formidable API is designed for developers and engineers comfortable with RESTful APIs
  • It uses Basic Authorization for requests
  • The API allows for integration with other systems and automation of form-related tasks
  • The API enables the creation of data-driven web applications and dynamic content display

Best practices:

  • Use the API to extend Formidable Forms' functionality and integrate it with other systems
  • Leverage webhooks for real-time data synchronization with external services
  • Utilize the API to automate form creation, management, and data processing tasks
  • Implement proper security measures when working with the API, especially for sensitive data

In summary, the Formidable Forms API provides comprehensive access to core form functionality, allowing developers to interact with forms, entries, fields, and views programmatically. This enables advanced customization, automation, and integration possibilities for WordPress websites using Formidable Forms.