Major concepts

API Mesh

TakeShape allows you to build an API mesh that combines the APIs of multiple services into single, unified API. This simplifies all the calls you need to make to access the third-party resources your business, app, or website depends upon.

• Use our built-in providers to connect Shopify, BigCommerce, Mailchimp, and Auth0.
• Connect any other services you need with our generic support for APIs that use GraphQL, OpenAPI, or REST.

GraphQL API

TakeShape generates a GraphQL API for every project, providing a convenient way to access multiple resources at once.

• Call the GraphQL API from inside an application or website for instant access to your data.
• Use the API Explorer to write test queries and examine results.
• Create and upload static assets to our CDN.
• Create custom roles for your API keys to control access to your resources.

ShapeDB

TakeShape projects provide data modeling and database features to augment and enhance your API mesh.

• Use our visual editor to model new shapes, then edit their saved data.
• Automatically generate queries and mutation for common operations: create, update, duplicate, and delete.
• Localize your data for different languages and countries using built-in i18n tools
• Define multi-step workflows to control access to your data.
• View the entire version history of your data, with the ability to restore from any previous version.
• Trigger builds in Netlify or Vercel when your data changes

Schema

The schema is the core of every TakeShape project. The schema's complexity is what enables the API Mesh's simplicity. It uses a set of objects, properties, and concepts to enable complex functionality like data transformation pipelines, multi-step query resolution, and external data storage. From a single schema JSON file, we generate an entire GraphQL API.

• Add queries and mutations to your schema that combine data and functionality from your connected services.
• Define shapes for transmitting and storing your data.
• Leverage our indexing functionality
• Consult our schema reference specification for detailed guidance when hand-writing your own schema.
• Interact with your schema programmatically by using the schema API.

Patterns & Starter projects

Create or share APIs with pre-defined functionality using patterns. Our starter projects combine API patterns with prewritten client code so you can get a site running in minutes.

CLI

Install the CLI to access your TakeShape project from the command line. Use it to generate a GraphQL schema file to integrate with your code editor, export your TakeShape schema to edit by hand, or import new projects from patterns.