# Data from external api into a selection list

**URL:** <https://community.glideapps.com/t/data-from-external-api-into-a-selection-list/84813>\
**Category:** Ask for Help\
**Created:** [October 9, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/data-from-external-api-into-a-selection-list/84813 "2025-10-09T20:26:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sadia\_Mehreen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/sadia_mehreen/32/71614_2.png) [@Sadia\_Mehreen](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Sadia_Mehreen)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/data-from-external-api-into-a-selection-list/84813/1 "2025-10-09T20:26:50Z")

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Hi Everyone, I have an external API which returns data in JSON format. I want to put this data into a selection field inside Glide. The selection should also filter by the paramters which I can pass to the API. I have seen some discussions on the forum about creating an Helper table but in my case each user can have a separate set of list which will be based on the search parameters that will be passed to the API, which will then return the items that I need to display on the selection field. Please let me know how can I implement this. Thank you

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/data-from-external-api-into-a-selection-list/84813/2 "2025-10-09T20:59:29Z")

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By “selection field” do you mean a choice component?

A helper table usually uses user specific columns, so each user would see something different.

You could also consider creating a custom AI component that reads the JSON and creates a dropdown from that.

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**Author:** ![Sadia\_Mehreen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/sadia_mehreen/32/71614_2.png) [@Sadia\_Mehreen](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Sadia_Mehreen)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/data-from-external-api-into-a-selection-list/84813/3 "2025-10-09T21:33:38Z")

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@Jeff_Hager yes I mean selection field

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**Author:** ![ThinhDinh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thinhdinh/32/49_2.png) [@ThinhDinh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/ThinhDinh)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 12:49am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/data-from-external-api-into-a-selection-list/84813/4 "2025-10-10T00:49:18Z")

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The helper table is usually user-specific anyway like Jeff suggested, so this works in your favor.

> [@Sadia\_Mehreen](#):
>
> but in my case each user can have a separate set of list which will be based on the search parameters that will be passed to the API, which will then return the items that I need to display on the selection field

But recently I have good success using AI components in place of choice components in relatively complex use cases like this, you can also try it and feed it an image of the Glide choice component so the “look” can be consistent.