How can I use the Webflow API Key to upload a media file in CURL format into the assets folder?
TL;DR
- Webflow API doesn’t support direct uploads to the Assets folder.
- Host media files externally and use their public URLs in CMS fields via the API.
You can't directly upload media files to the Assets folder in Webflow using the API, as Webflow does not currently support file uploads to the Assets panel via API.
However, here’s what you can and can't do when using the Webflow API with respect to media:
1. Current Webflow API Limitations
- The Webflow CMS API allows inserting references to assets (like images or files) in CMS item fields, but it requires the file to already be hosted elsewhere.
- You can't upload a file via API directly into the Webflow Assets manager (i.e., the Files tab inside the Webflow Designer).
2. Alternative Workflow Using External Hosting
If you want to use external media and include it in your Webflow project via API:
- Host your file externally (e.g., Amazon S3, Cloudinary, Google Drive with public access, or any publicly accessible CDN).
- Use the accessible URL of the file in a CMS item’s Image or File field using the Webflow CMS API.
A CURL example for creating a CMS item with a reference to a media file:
curl -X POST https://api.webflow.com/collections/{collection_id}/items \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ -H "accept-version: 1.0.0" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "fields": { "name": "Sample Item", "media": "https://your-cdn.com/path/to/image.jpg", "_archived": false, "_draft": false } }'- Replace:
{collection_id},YOUR_API_KEY, and the URL with your actual values. - The field name
mediamust match the Field API ID of the image/file field in your CMS Collection.
3. Restrictions and Considerations
- Assets hosted externally won’t appear in your Webflow asset panel—they’re only linked through CMS items.
- Uploaded media should be appropriately optimized and made publicly accessible.
Summary
Webflow's API does not support direct asset uploads into the Assets folder. To use media via the API, you must host the file externally and reference its URL in a CMS item field using the CMS API.