Kolaybase + Express: Backend Data Access in Node.js APIs

Install

npm install kolaybase-js

Create a server client

// kolaybase.js
import { createClient } from "kolaybase-js";

export const kb = createClient({
  projectId: process.env.KOLAYBASE_PROJECT_ID,
  apiKey: process.env.KOLAYBASE_SERVICE_KEY, // server-only
});

Keep the service key on the server only. Use it for trusted operations; for anything reachable by the browser, use the anon key with row-level security.

Use it in a route handler

import express from "express";
import { kb } from "./kolaybase.js";

const app = express();

app.get("/api/posts", async (_req, res) => {
  const { data, error } = await kb.from("posts").select("id, title");
  if (error) return res.status(500).json({ error });
  res.json(data);
});

app.listen(3000);

Frequently asked questions

Can I build a custom REST API over Kolaybase with Express?

Yes. Use Express for bespoke endpoints and business logic, and kolaybase-js with a service key for data access.

Should I use the anon or service key in Express?

Use the service key for trusted server operations. If you forward requests on behalf of end users, prefer the anon key so row-level security still applies.

Other integrations