Apps become powerful when they can connect to external systems. Hypermode supports connecting your app to APIs, databases, and model providers through secure, manageable integrations.

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Connection Examples

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OpenAI API connection

Connect to OpenAI for language models:
modus.json
{
  "models": {
    "text-generator": {
      "sourceModel": "gpt-4o-mini",
      "connection": "openai",
      "path": "v1/chat/completions"
    }
  },
  "connections": {
    "openai": {
      "type": "http",
      "baseUrl": "https://api.openai.com/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer {{API_KEY}}"
      }
    }
  }
}

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PostgreSQL database

Connect to a PostgreSQL database:
modus.json
{
  "connections": {
    "postgres": {
      "type": "postgresql",
      "connStr": "{{DATABASE_URL}}"
    }
  }
}

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Dgraph database

Connect to a Dgraph database for graph operations:
modus.json
{
  "connections": {
    "dgraph": {
      "type": "dgraph",
      "grpcTarget": "{{DGRAPH_ENDPOINT}}"
    }
  }
}

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Environment variables

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Naming convention

Hypermode uses a consistent naming pattern for environment variables: MODUS_<CONNECTION_NAME>_<PLACEHOLDER> For a connection named openai with placeholder {{API_KEY}}:
  • Environment variable: MODUS_OPENAI_API_KEY

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Local development

Set environment variables in .env.dev.local:
.env.dev.local
MODUS_OPENAI_API_KEY="your_openai_api_key"
MODUS_POSTGRES_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb"
MODUS_DGRAPH_DGRAPH_ENDPOINT="localhost:9080"

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Production environment

Configure production environment variables in the Hypermode console: Environment variables configuration panel
  1. Navigate to your app in the console
  2. Click on the Environment Variables tab
  3. Add your environment variables with the proper naming convention
  4. Save the configuration

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Testing connections

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Local testing

Test connections during development: 
# Start development server
modus dev

# Test connections in the API Explorer
# Navigate to http://localhost:8686/explorer

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Production testing

Verify connections in production: 
# Test your deployed app's connections
curl -X POST https://your-app-endpoint.hypermode.app/graphql \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"query": "{ testConnection }"}'

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Best practices

  • Never commit secrets: Use environment variables for all sensitive data
  • Use least privilege: Grant minimal necessary permissions to API tokens
  • Test locally first: Use modus dev to debug connection issues before deploying
  • Monitor usage: Track API calls and database connections in production
Your app can now securely connect to external services and databases.