Configuring API Base URL

Overview

The API base URL connects your mobile app to your Botble e-commerce backend. This is the most important configuration setting.

Configuration

Step 1: Update API URL

Open .env file and update:

API_BASE_URL=https://your-website.com
API_KEY=your-api-key

Replace your-website.com with your actual Botble website domain.

Note: The app automatically appends /api/v1 to API_BASE_URL for API calls, and uses API_BASE_URL directly for checkout (WebView).

Examples

Production Website

API_BASE_URL=https://mystore.com
API_KEY=your-api-key

Subdomain Setup

API_BASE_URL=https://shop.mycompany.com
API_KEY=your-api-key

Demo/Staging

API_BASE_URL=https://staging.mystore.com
API_KEY=your-api-key

Local Development

# For iOS Simulator
API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000

# For Android Emulator (use your computer's IP)
API_BASE_URL=http://10.0.2.2:8000

# For physical device (use your computer's local IP)
API_BASE_URL=http://192.168.1.100:8000

Finding Your API URL

1. Go to your Botble admin panel
2. Navigate to Settings → General
3. Find the Site URL - this is your API_BASE_URL

Example:

• Site URL: https://mystore.com
• Set API_BASE_URL=https://mystore.com

Testing the Connection

Using curl

curl https://your-website.com/api/v1/ecommerce/products

Using browser

Visit: https://your-website.com/api/v1/ecommerce/products

You should see JSON data with products.

Important Notes

HTTPS Required

• Always use https:// for production
• http:// only for local development
• SSL certificate must be valid

URL Format

• Do NOT include trailing slash: https://mystore.com/api/v1
• NOT: https://mystore.com/api/v1/

CORS Configuration

Ensure your backend allows mobile app requests. Contact your backend developer if you get CORS errors.

Applying Changes

After modifying .env:

1. Stop the current server (Ctrl+C)
2. Restart with clear cache:

   npm start -- --clear

Note: Hot reload does NOT apply .env changes. You must restart the server.

Multiple Environments

Create separate environment files:

.env.development    # Local development
.env.staging        # Staging server
.env.production     # Production

Load specific environment:

# Development
API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000 npm start

# Production
API_BASE_URL=https://mystore.com npm start

Troubleshooting

"Network Error"

• Check URL is correct
• Verify website is online
• Test in browser first

"401 Unauthorized"

• API might require authentication
• Check if API access is enabled on backend

"CORS Error"

• Backend needs to allow app requests
• Contact backend developer

"SSL Certificate Error"

• Ensure valid SSL certificate
• Don't use self-signed certs in production

For Production Builds (EAS)

Important

The .env file is only for local development. When building with EAS for production, you must use EAS Secrets instead:

eas secret:create --name API_BASE_URL --value "https://your-website.com"
eas secret:create --name API_KEY --value "your-api-key"

See Environment Variables section in the Deploying Guide for complete details.

Need Help?

• Check the API Integration Guide
• Read the Troubleshooting Guide
• Contact support for assistance