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Guides → Custom View: Any JSON API

Custom View: Wire Up Any JSON API

The apps and built-in views cover the common cases. For everything else — your own server, a smart-home hub, a project tracker — a Custom view reads any web address that returns JSON. This guide uses JSONPlaceholder, a free test API with no key.

Two values from a JSON API placed on the panel canvas in the editor
Two fields from one API, placed and formatted in the editor.

What you need

  • A DataPix, powered on and joined to your WiFi (see Setup).
  • Any JSON API address. JSONPlaceholder needs no key; most real APIs take one as a request header.

Step by step

  1. Start a Custom view

    Views → New view → Custom (the first card) opens a blank canvas.

    The DataPix home screen with Quick Start, Views, Accounts & API keys and settings tiles

  2. Add a value from an API

    Press Add a value, leave Type on From API (any JSON), and paste https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users/1.

    The Add a value dialog with Type set to From API and the API address pasted

  3. Test the API

    Press Test API. The answer appears as a tree: name, email, address.city, company.name…

    The Test API answer shown as a tree of fields to tick

  4. Pick fields and add them

    Tick one or more fields, then Add to Canvas. Each becomes a value with its own label, format, colour and size.

    An API value selected on the canvas with its label, format, colour and size

  5. Format, place and save

    Drag each value into place. Use a format like {value:.1f}, {value:k} (12K, 1.6M) or Ping {value} ms. A second value from the same address doesn't need another test — pick the saved source from the list. Then Save.

    The source list with the saved JSONPlaceholder address

Check what a value reads

Select any value and press View JSON source to see the full answer with its field highlighted — click another field to switch to it.

View JSON source showing the API answer with the chosen field highlighted
Limits: up to 8 custom data sources, each with up to 8 headers, refreshed every 10 seconds at most, with answers up to 8 KB. See Features for every format.
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