Xano Tutorial Part 2 - Backend Management

High-Level Overview of Xano

This walkthrough is meant to give you a high-level understanding of Xano and how to manage some of the basics. We're not going to dive into the advanced database modeling or backend logic that takes years of experience to master. Instead, you'll walk away with practical knowledge of how to interact with the data that powers your app.

Why Manage the Database?

Your Xano instance is the primary source of truth for the application. Any time data is stored—users, points, companies, purchases—it lives here. If you need to modify data, whether it's updating a user’s info, changing a point total, or deleting something that shouldn't be there, you’ll want to know how to do that inside Xano.

Navigating the Interface

When you log in, the homepage might look slightly different depending on your user role, but the layout stays consistent:

• Dashboard
• Database
• APIs
• Tasks
• Libraries
• Settings

Start with the Dashboard, where you'll see a quick overview of your API activity from the last 24 hours. It’s helpful for spotting errors or unauthorized attempts to access data.

A common question: What do the red warnings mean?
Red doesn’t always mean broken. For example, a 401 Unauthorized means someone tried to access something without the right credentials—and Xano correctly blocked it. That’s a good thing. However, if you see repeated errors like 500 Internal Server Error or 404 Not Found, that’s when something’s broken or misconfigured.

We often start here when troubleshooting issues—looking for failed requests or unexpected responses.

Database View

The Database tab is where your core data lives. You’ll see tables like users, companies, points, etc. From here you can:

• View and search records
• Add, edit, or delete rows manually
• Cross-reference user data like roles or point totals
• Match data to what's displaying in Webflow

You’ll also find the Database Assistant, which lets you run basic queries in plain language. It’s still limited, but you can ask things like:

• “Where does josh@movercreative.com exist?”
• “What role does this user have?”
• “How many points does this user have?”

It will tell you which table and field hold that information, and direct you there. It’s not building APIs or editing data for you—it’s just a quick reference tool.

APIs: The Heart of the Integration

APIs are how data moves between the frontend (Webflow + Wized) and the backend (Xano). Each endpoint represents a request, such as:

• GET — Retrieve data (e.g., get a list of users)
• POST — Add new data (e.g., create a new company)
• PATCH/PUT — Update existing data
• DELETE — Remove records

For example, the getApprovedUsers API pulls only users with an "approved" status. You can test these endpoints, see what they return, and validate whether they’re working as expected.

It’s important to understand that Wized pulls data from these endpoints. When your frontend displays users, points, tiers, or course content, that data is coming from the Xano API.

Working With Data Examples

When you run a request like getTiers, Xano sends back a list of tiers, which then renders on the frontend. This applies to other lists like:

• Rewards
• Courses
• Company data

These requests are pre-built and mapped in Wized. You're not expected to create new endpoints from scratch—though if you need to in the future, that’s a more advanced conversation involving conditions, filters, and data transformations.

Tasks

Tasks are recurring jobs. For example, one task runs every 15 minutes to fetch updated status information for your companies. These jobs are automated and fire on a schedule. They’re helpful for syncing or updating background data.

Libraries

Libraries hold reusable functions. If you constantly need to check whether a user is an admin or generate a magic link, you don’t want to build that logic in every API. Instead, create the function once in the library and call it wherever it’s needed. It keeps your backend clean and consistent.

Settings and CSV Exports

In the Settings tab, you’ll find:

• Exported CSV files (useful for downloading data from tables)
• Environment variables (like API keys)

If you export a table (for example, the users table), that export will appear here with a download link. These environment variables are private and secure—you shouldn’t share or display them publicly. While people within your company can see them, treat them with care. They allow access to sensitive systems and APIs.

Security Reminder

Environment variables should be treated like passwords. They’re hidden by default, and that’s intentional. While it's fine for your internal team to have access, don't livestream these values or expose them in public code.

That’s your working knowledge of Xano at a high level. You should now feel comfortable navigating the backend, exploring data, and understanding how your frontend connects to what lives in your database.

In the next video, we’ll walk through how to import or edit a CSV if you need to manage bulk data updates.

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