--- title: "Setup Drupal 8 RESTful Web Services in 3 Easy Steps · Appnovation" url: "https://www.appnovation.com/insights/setup-drupal-8-restful-web-services-3-easy-steps" description: "Expose your Drupal 8 content through a RESTful API in three easy steps using the core RESTful Web Services and Serialization modules." --- Article # Setup Drupal 8 RESTful Web Services in 3 Easy Steps [![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/36eb314260fb474cacc1b3a473d7e8402d997898-68x68.png?w=68&auto=format) Appno Blogger Appnovation Coop](/people/appno-blogger.md) Jul 23, 2014 2 min read ![Setup Drupal 8 RESTful Web Services in 3 Easy Steps](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/c436b59f50ad60b68edeea178ad2125df0abdcff-700x200.jpg?w=1400&auto=format) In this quick tutorial, we will expose our [Drupal (opens in new window)](http://www.appnovation.com/technologies/drupal) 8 site content through a RESTful API. To achieve this, we will use Drupal 8 RESTful Web Services and the Serialization Module. These modules are included in [Drupal 8](/services/drupal-development.md) core, so go ahead and grab a copy of latest Drupal 8 version (at the time of this tutorial the latest Drupal 8 verison was [drupal-8-aplha-13 (opens in new window)](https://www.drupal.org/node/2296363)). Without further ado, let's start! **Step 1** - Enable the two modules. Under Web Services, enable Restful Web Services and Serialization Module. **Step 2** - Configure the permissions to allow users of your API to make GET requests. **Step 3** - Final step. We need to create a view to serve the API. * Create a new view with REST Export display * Select the Format as Serializer, and, in the setting, check the JSON/XML option, or both depending on your needs * Configure the filter criteria depending on your needs; I just choose the option to filter by article content type * Put the path which you want people to make requests to get the data. I named my path as ‘all-content’ * By default this view exposes the whole entity data but if you want more control you can select the fields that you want to show. For e.g you can show just the title of all nodes and nothing else BOOM!!! we are done. Now you can point the browser to www.your-site.com/all-content and see the sweet json. I am using DHC extension for chrome to make the GET request. Here is a simple get request for example, **BONUS!!!** We can also do POST requests using the same method. For doing POST requests we need to enable HTTP Basic Authentication. Again, HTTP Basic Authentication module is in Drupal 8 core, so we just have to enable it. Also, You have to update your permissons for POST in RESTful Web Services section. Here is the final result: [![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/36eb314260fb474cacc1b3a473d7e8402d997898-68x68.png?w=68&auto=format) Appno Blogger Appnovation Coop · Appnovation](/people/appno-blogger.md) ## Keep reading [![What is Sovereign AI](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/a5889abdd5e80376912546622e046e3fbef234b4-2496x1664.png?w=640&auto=format)](/insights/what-is-open-source-sovereign-ai.md) Article · 7 min AI ### [What Is Open Source, Sovereign AI?](/insights/what-is-open-source-sovereign-ai.md) Every company is encouraging more AI, and almost every AI bill is climbing. Sovereign AI is about two kinds of control: over your data and over your costs. Here's why open source sits at its foundation. [Iain MacNeil](/people/iain-macneil.md) Article [![AI-first experience design](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/8bbc2418e87924ef10f36115478a2e10d5bed95e-1584x624.jpg?w=640&auto=format)](/insights/how-build-ai-first-experience-without-throwing-out-everything-youve-already-built.md) Article · 6 min AI Sep 10, 2026 ### [How to Build an AI-First Experience Without Throwing Out Everything You've Already Built](/insights/how-build-ai-first-experience-without-throwing-out-everything-youve-already-built.md) Users now expect a direct answer, not a list of links to click through. Here's how organizations can layer an AI-First experience onto their existing website or app, in weeks rather than years. [Andrew Douglas](/people/andrew-douglas.md) Article [![What Becomes Possible When AI Can Read All the Data](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ey850001/production/c28ab0bd26753421ee42937e13adc7a7f19b47f0-1296x510.jpg?w=640&auto=format)](/insights/what-becomes-possible-when-ai-can-read-all-data.md) Article · 4 min AI Sep 09, 2026 ### [What Becomes Possible When AI Can Read All the Data](/insights/what-becomes-possible-when-ai-can-read-all-data.md) Most of the world's data has never been analyzed, only sampled. AI changes that. How AI-ready data platforms unlock questions no one could ask before. [Appnovation](/people/appnovation.md) Article ## Get the thinking, *before everyone else.* One considered email a month. New essays, field notes from live engagements, and the occasional strong opinion. No noise.