/!\ API calls - initial parameters applied when empty

This is in Tips, but it could be considered as a Bug @Bubble . Anyway, since I’ve encountered ths issue twice theses last two months, here a warning you may find out helpful.

In the API Connector, you definied your parameters with exemples like here :

Some of them may be optionals, or sometimes must be set empty in your request. If so, you may leave the fields empty in your api call :
image image

Seems logic right ? “hls” is empty, so the request will be. “dash+hlsfmp4” is empty if the parameter is false

Actually, not. For both, parameters defined at first will be applied !

Values set in the API Connector or in the Plugin Bulider are not just some indications for the editor later on or some test values for initializing your request, there actually are the default parameters applied whenever another value is not set.

Response from @neerja :
You can type an empty space instead of leaving the parameter input empty to get the desired result.

Be sure the space does not break anyhting, especially if it is a URL parameter.

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@Bubble Here a new exemple why empty field should be considered when we use a plugin’s api call.

see with the plugin MailChimp Extended. I subribe a new user :

but the values used to setup the API call are used :

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Please, @Bubble, if the user cleans a field, consider this as an empty value, and do not automatically set the value with the default value used during initialization.

How can this be obvious from the Editor ?

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Yup, that’s an annoying one since these parameters are as helpful indicators for users.
I hope the Bubble pushes a fix for this.

This is a known behavior. Take time to empty your data in API Connector.
I think that in some case, it’s a good thing to have a default value. But we don’t have an option to set this. I Think bubble should have a checkbox that we can use to say if we want to keep it as default value or not

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I lost some hours due to this behaviour the other day. It’s really not obvious to the users. In the case that I do want to use the values from the API Connector, I have 3 options:
1.) Mark it as private in the API Connector
2.) Leave it as it is in the Editor
3.) Delete the entry in the Editor
On the other hand there seems to be only 1 way to have an empty parameter by entering an empty space in the Editor.

From a UX standpoint the obvious choice of having an empty parameter is by deleting the pre-fill in the Editor.
It would help tremendously debugging specific API situations.

Touchy subject.

Just ran into it myself setting up Stripe and I had to create new API call just as a workaround.

e.g. blank state is impossible to create so there is a need for API call “Create customer” just before creating checkout session if one doesn’t no want to do that before that.


https://stripe.com/docs/api/checkout/sessions/create#create_checkout_session-customer

so +1 on blank states!

Haha this is not a joke. I’m stuck using my own plugin because blank states are still impossible. @allenyang @emmanuel Could we get an insight from you about this ? We have been several users pointing to this for more than two years.

Can’t you had an option for each field : “don’t use this value used for initialization if the user leaves the field empty” ? or anything else solving this issue ?

Pease !

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Any resolution on this?

p.s.
I used empty space and it worked as suggest by OP but this is a hackey workaround

How many people are not aware about this when they use plugins ? most of them I guess.

Again again… how many times should we report this? - Bugs - Bubble Forum

2 years later ! [New Features] API Connector - Announcements - Bubble Forum

Glad it has been added

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