How to get data from external api and make dynamic dropdown in WhatsApp Mini Apps / Native Flows ?

Dynamic Dropdown with External API in WhatsApp Mini Apps

1. Create a Mini App Workflow

• Start by creating a new WhatsApp Mini App within your dashboard.

• Choose an appropriate category for your app and create the workflow.​

2. Add Screens for API Call

• You cannot directly call an external API on the first screen. Instead, use the first screen just for displaying a button.

• Add a footer button to the first screen and set up a “data exchange” option.

• Configure the button so it navigates to a new screen upon clicking.​

3. Configure API Call on Second Screen

• On the second screen, set up your API call:

  • Go to “Data Source” and create a new one.

  • Enter your external API URL.

  • Choose form data options as required (often ‘none’ for basic GET requests).

  • Run and save to verify the API returns the expected output.​

4. Map API Data to Dropdown

• Add a dropdown component to the second screen.

• In the dropdown settings:

  • Change the label to “Options”.

  • Set the data source type to “Dynamic”.

  • Link it to your API call as the data source.

  • In the dynamic accessor, select the correct block or root object from the API response that contains your options.

  • Map the “ID” and “Title” fields from this block to display the correct dropdown values.

  • Optionally, you can skip adding images if they're not required.​

5. Complete Submission Flow

• Add another footer button for submissions.

• Set its action to “Data Exchange”.

• Configure the navigation to “New Submission”, ensuring data flows properly.

• Click “Save & Apply” to store and activate your mini app flow.​

This will enable a dynamic dropdown field in your WhatsApp Mini App that fetches its options live from any configured external API, ensuring users get up-to-date choices every time they use the flow.​