Mastering the DA.Live Source API: A Developer's Guide to Programmatic Content
As the world of headless CMS and “Document Authoring” (DA) continues to evolve, the ability to programmatically manage your content is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Today, we’re diving deep into the Source API from da.live, a powerful tool for developers looking to automate their content trees, files, and media.
If you are building custom plugins or automating site migrations, understanding the GET and POST methods of the Source API is your first step.
What is the Source API?
The Source API is the backbone of the da.live ecosystem. It allows you to interact with the underlying content repository of your project. Whether you need to fetch a specific HTML draft or programmatically upload a JSON configuration file, this API handles it through a clean, RESTful interface.
The Anatomy of a Request
To interact with the Source API, you need four key parameters:
- Org: Your project’s organization.
- Site: The name of your site.
- Path: The specific location of the content (e.g.,
/drafts/marketing/post-1). - Authorization: An IMS JWT bearer token.
1. Fetching Content (GET)
Fetching content is straightforward. You send a GET request to the resource path. The API returns a rich JSON response containing metadata about the live, preview, and edit versions of your document.
Example Request:
const opts = {
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${IMS_TOKEN}` },
method: 'GET',
};
const fullpath = `https://admin.da.live/source/org/site/drafts/hello-world.html`;
const resp = await fetch(fullpath, opts);
const data = await resp.json();
Why this is useful: This response gives you the sourceLocation (like a OneDrive or SharePoint link) and the lastModified timestamps, perfect for building custom dashboards or auditing tools.
2. Creating & Updating Content (POST)
The POST method is where the automation magic happens. You can create folders, upload media, or update existing files.
Example via cURL:
curl -X POST \
'[https://admin.da.live/source/your-org/your-site/drafts/test.json](https://admin.da.live/source/your-org/your-site/drafts/test.json)' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer {IMS_TOKEN}' \
--form 'data=@/local/path/to/file.json'
Note: When using the API to update pages in a tree, ensure your paths are correctly mapped to avoid overwriting production content.
Best Practices for DA Developers
- Security First: Never hardcode your IMS tokens. Use environment variables or a secure vault.
- Error Handling: The API returns standard status codes (200, 201, 400, 500). Always wrap your fetch calls in a
try/catchblock to handle network issues or authorization expirations. - Rate Limiting: Be mindful of the number of requests when performing bulk operations (like importing a whole site).
Final Thoughts
The Source API transforms da.live from a simple authoring tool into a fully extensible content platform. By mastering these endpoints, you can build smarter apps, smoother workflows, and more robust ecommerce experiences.
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