Private API Modules allow developers to write, manage, and reuse custom backend API logic.
You can publish private modules via the CLI or by connecting a GitHub repository through the Vratix dashboard.

How Private API Modules Work

• Each user gets a private registry where they can publish and manage their API Modules.
• Modules can be created using the Vratix CLI or by linking a GitHub repository.
• Every module must include a valid manifest.json file.
• Modules can depend on Community API Modules (Vratix Open Source API Library) or other private modules from your registry.
• Each module has a size limit of 5MB.

Create Your Vratix Account

To create, publish, and install Private Modules, you need to create a Vratix account.

When you sign up, we will create a Private Registry linked to your account, where all your custom API Modules will be stored.

Authenticating Your CLI Session

Before you can publish private modules or install them into your API projects, you need to authenticate your CLI session.

Run the following command:

npx vratix login

This will open a browser window where you can authorize the CLI to use your Vratix account. Once authenticated, you can proceed with publishing and installing modules.

Your CLI session is valid for 1 hour after which you need to authenticate again.

Creating a New Private API Module

You can create a new API Module in two ways:

Using Our GitHub Template

We provide a GitHub template to quickly scaffold a new API Module.
Fork the template, customize your module, and publish it using the CLI or by linking the repository to Vratix.

Using the CLI

Run the following command:

npx vratix module new

This command will guide you through creating the basic structure of an API Module, including a manifest.json file.

Example manifest.json

{
  "key": "ios-billing-module",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "name": "iOS Billing",
  "description": "A simple API module that integrates billing for iOS mobile apps",
  "typescript": true,
  "framework": "express",
  "folders": {
    "controllers": "controllers",
    "routes": "routes",
    "middleware": "middleware",
    "utils": "utils"
  },
  "registryDependencies": ["payments"],
  "communityDependencies": ["auth-basic"]
}

Learn more about configuring your module’s manifest.json.

You can also override the standard folder names, just like when creating a new API service with Community Modules.

Publishing a Private API Module

There are two ways to publish a private module:

Using a GitHub Repository

You can also publish modules by linking a GitHub repository to your account in the Vratix Dashboard.
This ensures seamless source code updates on every push to the main branch.

Note: Only repositories with a valid manifest.json file can be imported to your private registry.

Using the CLI

Once your module is ready, publish it with:

npx vratix module publish --private

This will upload your module to your private registry.

Installing a Private API Module

Private modules published via the CLI or GitHub can be easily installed into your Node.js projects.

⚠ Do not modify or move your manifest.json file, as this may cause issues during installation.

To install a private module, run:

npx vratix add

You will first be asked if you want to add any Community Modules, then you can select from your Private Registry.

Managing Dependencies

Private modules can depend on:

• Community API Modules (our Open Source API Library)
• Other Private Modules from your registry

Dependencies should be listed in manifest.json.
When installing a module, the Vratix CLI will automatically resolve and install its dependencies.