Custom API Integration

The API Call tool lets you connect Crew to any external service that has a REST API. This is Crew's most flexible tool — if a service has an API, you can connect it.

How It Works

1. Store your API credentials in Settings

2. Ask Crew to call the API with natural language

3. Crew constructs the API request and returns the results

Setting Up Credentials

Before using an external API, store your API key:

1. Go to Settings

2. Scroll to API Credentials (or configure them when installing a Marketplace skill that requires one)

3. Add your credential:

   • Key name: A label like MY_SERVICE_API_KEY

   • Value: Your actual API key

Credentials are encrypted and stored securely. When Crew makes API calls, it injects the credential using a {{KEY_NAME}} placeholder — the actual key is never exposed in conversation.

Making API Calls

Simple GET Request

"Call the JSONPlaceholder API to get the first 5 posts: GET https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?_limit=5"

Authenticated Request

"Check my Airtable base using my API key: GET https://api.airtable.com/v0/appXXXXX/Table1 with Authorization: Bearer {{AIRTABLE_API_KEY}}"

POST Request

"Create a new task in my project management tool: POST https://api.example.com/tasks with body { "title": "Review proposal", "priority": "high" }"

Supported HTTP Methods

• GET — Retrieve data

• POST — Create new resources

• PUT — Replace existing resources

• PATCH — Partially update resources

• DELETE — Remove resources

Response Types

• JSON — Structured data (default)

• Text — Plain text responses

• Binary — File downloads

Timeout

• Default: 30 seconds

• Maximum: 120 seconds

Practical Examples

Airtable Integration

"Use my Airtable API key to list all records in the 'Projects' table and summarize the status of each project."

Slack Webhook

"Send a message to our team's Slack channel using this webhook URL: [webhook URL]. Message: 'The weekly report is ready.'"

Custom CRM

"Check our CRM API for the latest deals: GET https://api.ourcrm.com/deals?status=open with my CRM API key."

Weather Service

"Use the OpenWeatherMap API to get the 5-day forecast for London."

Combining APIs

"Check the stock price using the financial API, then post the result to our Slack channel using the webhook."

Plan Limits

Plan	Marketplace Tools (including API tools)
Free	1
Basic	5
Plus	15
Pro	Unlimited

Security

• Credentials are encrypted at rest (AES-256-GCM)

• API keys are never shown in conversation responses

• The {{KEY_NAME}} placeholder system ensures keys are only injected at execution time

• You can delete stored credentials at any time from Settings

Tips

• Start simple: Test with a basic GET request before building complex workflows

• Check API docs: Make sure you know the endpoint format and required headers

• Use with scheduled tasks: Combine API calls with scheduled tasks for automated monitoring

• Chain requests: You can ask Crew to make multiple API calls in sequence — e.g., "Get data from API A, process it, then send the result to API B"