title | label | order | desc | keywords |
---|---|---|---|---|
Local API |
Overview |
10 |
The Payload Local API allows you to interact with your database and execute the same operations that are available through REST and GraphQL within Node, directly on your server. |
local api, config, configuration, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, express |
The Payload Local API gives you the ability to execute the same operations that are available through REST and GraphQL within Node, directly on your server. Here, you don't need to deal with server latency or network speed whatsoever and can interact directly with your database.
Tip:The Local API is incredibly powerful when used with server-side rendering app frameworks like NextJS. With other headless CMS, you need to request your data from third-party servers which can add significant loading time to your server-rendered pages. With Payload, you don't have to leave your server to gather the data you need. It can be incredibly fast and is definitely a game changer.
Here are some common examples of how you can use the Local API:
- Seeding data via Node seed scripts that you write and maintain
- Opening custom Express routes which feature additional functionality but still rely on Payload
- Within access control and hook functions
You can gain access to the currently running payload
object via two ways:
You can import or require payload
into your own files after it's been initialized, but you need to make sure that your import
/ require
statements come after you call payload.init()
—otherwise Payload won't have been initialized yet. That might be obvious. To us, it's usually not.
Example:
import payload from 'payload';
const afterChangeHook = async () => {
const posts = await payload.find({
collection: 'posts',
});
}
Payload is available anywhere you have access to the Express req
- including within your access control and hook functions.
Example:
const afterChangeHook = async ({ req: { payload }}) => {
const posts = await payload.find({
collection: 'posts',
});
}
You can specify more options within the Local API vs. REST or GraphQL due to the server-only context that they are executed in.
Local Option | Description |
---|---|
collection |
Required for Collection operations. Specifies the Collection slug to operate against. |
data |
The data to use within the operation. Required for create , update . |
depth |
Control auto-population of nested relationship and upload fields. |
locale |
Specify locale for any returned documents. |
fallbackLocale |
Specify a fallback locale to use for any returned documents. |
overrideAccess |
Skip access control. By default, this property is set to false. |
user |
If you re-enable access control, you can specify a user to use against the access control checks. |
showHiddenFields |
Opt-in to receiving hidden fields. By default, they are hidden from returned documents in accordance to your config. |
There are more options available on an operation by operation basis outlined below.
Note:By default, all access control checks are disabled in the Local API, but you can re-enable them if you'd like, as well as pass a specific user to run the operation with.
The following Collection operations are available through the Local API:
// The created Post document is returned
const post = await payload.create({
collection: 'posts', // required
data: { // required
title: 'sure',
description: 'maybe',
},
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
user: dummyUserDoc,
overrideAccess: true,
showHiddenFields: false,
// If creating verification-enabled auth doc,
// you can optionally disable the email that is auto-sent
disableVerificationEmail: true,
// If your collection supports uploads, you can upload
// a file directly through the Local API by providing
// its full, absolute file path.
filePath: path.resolve(__dirname, './path-to-image.jpg'),
})
// Result will be a paginated set of Posts.
// See /docs/queries/pagination for more.
const result = await payload.find({
collection: 'posts', // required
depth: 2,
page: 1,
limit: 10,
where: {} // pass a `where` query here
sort: '-title',
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
user: dummyUser,
overrideAccess: false,
showHiddenFields: true,
})
// Result will be a Post document.
const result = await payload.findByID({
collection: 'posts', // required
id: '507f1f77bcf86cd799439011', // required
depth: 2,
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
user: dummyUser,
overrideAccess: false,
showHiddenFields: true,
})
// Result will be the updated Post document.
const result = await payload.update({
collection: 'posts', // required
id: '507f1f77bcf86cd799439011', // required
data: { // required
title: 'sure',
description: 'maybe',
},
depth: 2,
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
user: dummyUser,
overrideAccess: false,
showHiddenFields: true,
// If your collection supports uploads, you can upload
// a file directly through the Local API by providing
// its full, absolute file path.
filePath: path.resolve(__dirname, './path-to-image.jpg'),
})
// Result will be the now-deleted Post document.
const result = await payload.delete({
collection: 'posts', // required
id: '507f1f77bcf86cd799439011', // required
depth: 2,
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
user: dummyUser,
overrideAccess: false,
showHiddenFields: true,
})
If a collection has Authentication
enabled, additional Local API operations will be available:
// result will be formatted as follows:
// {
// token: 'o38jf0q34jfij43f3f...', // JWT used for auth
// user: { ... } // the user document that just logged in
// exp: 1609619861 // the UNIX timestamp when the JWT will expire
// }
const result = await payload.login({
collection: 'users', // required
data: { // required
email: 'dev@payloadcms.com',
password: 'rip',
},
req: req, // pass an Express `req` which will be provided to all hooks
res: res, // used to automatically set an HTTP-only auth cookie
depth: 2,
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
overrideAccess: false,
showHiddenFields: true,
})
// Returned token will allow for a password reset
const token = await payload.forgotPassword({
collection: 'users', // required
data: { // required
email: 'dev@payloadcms.com',
},
req: req, // pass an Express `req` which will be provided to all hooks
})
// Result will be formatted as follows:
// {
// token: 'o38jf0q34jfij43f3f...', // JWT used for auth
// user: { ... } // the user document that just logged in
// }
const result = await payload.forgotPassword({
collection: 'users', // required
data: { // required
token: 'afh3o2jf2p3f...', // the token generated from the forgotPassword operation
},
req: req, // pass an Express `req` which will be provided to all hooks
res: res, // used to automatically set an HTTP-only auth cookie
})
// Returned result will be a boolean representing success or failure
const result = await payload.unlock({
collection: 'users', // required
data: { // required
email: 'dev@payloadcms.com',
},
req: req, // pass an Express `req` which will be provided to all hooks
overrideAccess: true,
})
// Returned result will be a boolean representing success or failure
const result = await payload.verify({
collection: 'users', // required
token: 'afh3o2jf2p3f...', // the token saved on the user as `_verificationToken`
})
The following Global operations are available through the Local API:
// Result will be the Header Global.
const result = await payload.findGlobal({
slug: 'header', // required
depth: 2,
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
user: dummyUser,
overrideAccess: false,
showHiddenFields: true,
})
// Result will be the updated Header Global.
const result = await payload.updateGlobal({
slug: 'header', // required
data: { // required
nav: [
{
url: 'https://google.com',
},
{
url: 'https://payloadcms.com',
},
],
},
depth: 2,
locale: 'en',
fallbackLocale: false,
user: dummyUser,
overrideAccess: false,
showHiddenFields: true,
})