Installing Addons

How to enable and configure addons in your Spala project.

Installing Addons

Addons are bundled with Spala but disabled by default. To use an addon, you need to enable it in your project and configure any required API keys or credentials.

Enabling an Addon

Open your project in Spala

Click the Addons icon in the left sidebar

Browse or search the addon catalog to find the addon you need

Click on the addon to view its details, available steps, and required configuration

Click Enable to activate the addon for your project

If the addon requires API keys or other credentials, enter them in the configuration panel

Click Save to complete the installation

Once enabled, the addon's steps appear in the flow editor's step palette. You can drag them into any flow just like built-in steps.

Configuring API Keys

Most addons that connect to external services require API keys or other credentials. These are stored as project environment variables in Spala and are never exposed to the frontend.

To configure an addon's credentials:

1. Open the addon's settings from the Addons panel
2. Enter the required values (API keys, secrets, webhook URLs, etc.)
3. Click Save

The configuration panel shows which environment variables each addon needs, along with links to the external service's documentation for obtaining API keys.

# Example environment variables for common addons
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_live_...
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=AC...
TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=...
SENDGRID_API_KEY=SG...

Never commit API keys to version control or share them in client-side code. Store secrets in Spala project environment variables or addon settings.

Verifying Installation

After enabling an addon, verify it is working:

1. Open the flow editor for any endpoint or task
2. Open the step palette and search for the addon's step types
3. Drag a step into the flow and configure it
4. Use the Playground to test the endpoint

If the addon's steps do not appear in the palette, make sure you saved the addon configuration and refreshed the page.

Disabling an Addon

To disable an addon you no longer need:

1. Open the Addons panel
2. Find the enabled addon
3. Click Disable

Disabling an addon removes its steps from the palette. Any flows that use the addon's steps will show a warning, and those steps will fail at runtime. Remove or replace the addon steps from your flows before disabling the addon to avoid errors.

Disabling an addon does not delete its configuration. If you re-enable the addon later, your API keys and settings are preserved.

Addons Overview
/addons
Browse available addons
External API Steps
/reference/steps/api
Call services that are not in the addon catalog