Reading database and layout metadata from the Data API

Expert

Use the metadata endpoints to discover databases, layouts, and field definitions programmatically without opening FileMaker Pro.

What you'll learn

How to list available databases and layouts via the API
How to retrieve field definitions for a layout
How to use metadata to build schema-aware integrations

The FileMaker Data API exposes metadata endpoints that return lists of hosted databases, available layouts, and the field and portal definitions of a specific layout. This powers auto-discovery features — letting integrations adapt to schema changes without hardcoded field names.

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List available databases

Before authenticating to a specific database, you can list all hosted databases on the server.

HTTP

GET /fmi/data/v1/databases
Authorization: Basic base64(user:pass)

// Response:
{
  "response": {
    "databases": [
      { "name": "CRM" },
      { "name": "Inventory" }
    ]
  }
}

Rate limiting and retry strategies OAuth external authentication with the Data API