Working with APIs

Sharing & Collaboration

Share your mock APIs with team members, clients, and stakeholders for seamless collaboration

Why Share Mock APIs?

Sharing your mock APIs enables collaboration across your entire team without requiring everyone to create accounts or set up their own instances. Anyone with the shared link can access and use your mock API immediately.

Team Collaboration

Share with frontend developers, QA testers, and mobile developers so everyone uses the same API

Client Demos

Show stakeholders and clients working prototypes without giving them access to your account

Public Testing

Make your mock API publicly available for open-source projects or community testing

Controlled Access

Revoke access anytime by disabling the shared link without affecting your project

Sharing Methods

Public Link Sharing
Recommended

Generate a shareable link that allows anyone with the URL to access your mock API endpoints. No authentication required.

How it works:

  1. 1. Enable public sharing in project settings
  2. 2. Copy the generated public URL
  3. 3. Share the URL with your team or clients
  4. 4. They can immediately start making API requests

Example Public URL:

https://api.mockbuilder.com/public/abc123xyz/users
Token-Based Access

Generate API tokens for controlled access. Recipients must include the token in their requests to access your mock API.

How it works:

  1. 1. Generate an API token in project settings
  2. 2. Share the token securely with authorized users
  3. 3. They include the token in the Authorization header
  4. 4. Revoke tokens anytime to remove access

Example Request with Token:

bash

How to Share a Project

Step-by-Step Guide
1

Open Project Settings

Navigate to your project and click the "Settings" tab

2

Enable Public Access

Toggle the "Public Access" switch to enable sharing

3

Copy the Public URL

Click the "Copy Link" button to copy the shareable URL to your clipboard

4

Share with Your Team

Send the URL via email, Slack, or your preferred communication method

5

Monitor Usage (Optional)

Check request logs to see who's using your shared API

Access Control & Permissions

What Shared Users Can Do
  • ✓Make API requests to all public endpoints
  • ✓Receive mock data responses
  • ✓Test CRUD operations (changes are isolated per session)
  • ✓Access API documentation (if enabled)
What Shared Users Cannot Do
  • ✗Modify project settings or configuration
  • ✗Add, edit, or delete endpoints
  • ✗Change data schemas or validation rules
  • ✗View or access your account information
  • ✗Permanently modify the shared data (changes are session-isolated)

Revoking Access

How to Disable Sharing

You can revoke access to your shared API at any time:

Method 1: Disable Public Access

  1. 1. Go to Project Settings
  2. 2. Toggle off "Public Access"
  3. 3. The shared link immediately stops working

Method 2: Regenerate Public URL

  1. 1. Go to Project Settings
  2. 2. Click "Regenerate Public Link"
  3. 3. Old link stops working; new link is generated
  4. 4. Share the new link with authorized users only

Method 3: Revoke API Tokens

  1. 1. Go to Project Settings → API Tokens
  2. 2. Click "Revoke" next to the token you want to disable
  3. 3. Requests using that token will be rejected immediately

Common Use Cases

Frontend Team Collaboration

Scenario: Your backend team is still building the API, but the frontend team needs to start development now.

Solution: Create a mock API, share the public link with the frontend team, and they can immediately start building against realistic endpoints.

Client Demos & Presentations

Scenario: You need to demonstrate a working prototype to stakeholders, but the real backend isn't ready yet.

Solution: Share a mock API that returns realistic data for demos. After the presentation, you can disable sharing or regenerate the link.

QA Testing Environments

Scenario: QA testers need a stable API to test against without affecting production or development environments.

Solution: Share a dedicated mock API for testing. Testers get consistent responses, and you can monitor usage via request logs.

Third-Party Integrations

Scenario: Partner teams or contractors need to integrate with your API before it's deployed.

Solution: Use token-based sharing for controlled access. Partners include the token in requests, and you can revoke it once integration testing is complete.

Security Considerations

Important Security Notes

  • ⚠️Don't share sensitive data: Only use mock/fake data in shared projects
  • ⚠️Public links are accessible by anyone: Anyone with the URL can access your API
  • ⚠️Use tokens for sensitive projects: Token-based access provides better control
  • ⚠️Monitor request logs: Keep an eye on who's accessing your shared API
  • ⚠️Revoke access after use: Disable sharing when it's no longer needed
  • ⚠️Rate limits still apply: Shared APIs are subject to the same rate limits

Best Practices

  • ✓Share project-specific links instead of your main account URL
  • ✓Use descriptive project names so recipients know what the API is for
  • ✓Include API documentation when sharing to help users understand endpoints
  • ✓Set appropriate rate limits to prevent abuse of shared APIs
  • ✓Communicate changes to your team when you update the shared API
  • ✓Create separate projects for different audiences (internal team vs. clients)
  • ✓Regenerate links periodically for long-term shared projects
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