Write API

This plugin exposes a write enabled API interface for NodeBB. It is useful if you would like to supplment the built-in read-only API, in order to push items/actions/events to NodeBB.

For example, without this plugin, one can easily retrieve the contents of a post by prefixing api/ to the corresponding route. (e.g. https://community.nodebb.org/api/topic/687/help-translate-nodebb/2).

With this plugin, however, you can create content on NodeBB externally (new topics, new posts, etc), which comes in handy when third-party applications want deeper integration with NodeBB.

Installation

Install this plugin via the plugins page in the ACP.

Alternatively:

$ cd /path/to/nodebb/node_modules
$ git clone git@github.com:julianlam/nodebb-plugin-write-api.git
$ cd nodebb-plugin-write-api
$ npm i

In both methods, you will need to ./nodebb build before (re-)starting your NodeBB forum.

API Resources

• api/v1 Endpoints
• api/v2 Endpoints

Quick Start

1. Install and activate the plugin, reload NodeBB
2. Generate your uid an API token in the ACP page
3. curl -H "Authorization: Bearer {YOUR_TOKEN}" --data "title={TITLE}&content={CONTENT}&cid={CID}" http://localhost:4567/api/v1/topics

Authentication

Authentication is handled either via HTTP Bearer Token or JSON Web Token, as generated/specified in the Write API.

Bearer Tokens

There are two types of tokens:

• A user token is associated with a specific uid, and all calls made are made in the name of that user
• A master token is not associated with any specific uid, though a _uid parameter is required in the request, and then all calls are made in the name of that user. This is the only difference between the two tokens. A master token with _uid set to a non-administrator will not allow you to make administrative calls.

Note: The first token can be generated via the administration page (admin/plugins/write-api), or via the token generation route (POST /api/v1/users/{UID}/tokens) by sending in a password, but additional user tokens can be generated using an existing user/master token.

JSON Web Tokens

JSON Web Tokens are an open, industry standard RFC 7519 method for representing claims securely between two parties.

To make requests with a JSON Web Token instead of a user/master token, sign the entire request payload with the same secret as defined in the plugin, and either send it in the POST body, or as a query string parameter. In both cases, the key token is used.

For example,

$ curl http://localhost:4567/api/v1/users/1/tokens?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJfdWlkIjoxfQ.pbm5wbAZ4__yFh5y8oeCsJyT0dm8ROcd5SEBr4yGlNw  # secret is 'secret'

Error Handling

When the API encounters an error, it will do it's best to report what went wrong. Errors will follow the format specified in this example:

{
    "code": "not-authorised",
    "message": "You are not authorised to make this call",
    "params": {}
}

Changelog

v5.0

• Introduced v2 router with breaking changes to some routes (see api/v2 Endpoints for more information)
• Additional validation for post routes in v2 router only

v4.6

• Bug fixes
• Allowing users to generate token via password input (only in token generation route)

v4.5

• Bug fixes
• Updated integration with NodeBB so that privileged assets in NodeBB (e.g. /unread) can be retrieved for a user via user/master tokens

v4.2

• Fix bug with topic deletion
• Introduced support for category enable/disable, and category purge (deletion)

v4.1

• Allow addition of tags when creating topics
• Handling post deletion via API

v3.x to v4.x

• Made compatible with NodeBB v1.0.0

v3.1

• Introduced support for JSON Web Tokens

v2.x to v3.x

• users/ routes now take a uid instead of a userslug. This affects the following routes:
  • PUT /api/v1/users/:userslug -> PUT /api/v1/users/:uid
  • POST /api/v1/users/:userslug/follow -> POST /api/v1/users/:uid/follow
  • DELETE /api/v1/users/:userslug/follow -> DELETE /api/v1/users/:uid/follow