How to enable OpenAPI and the Swagger UI

Availability

OpenAPI schemas were introduced in v4.13.0 of Unleash and v0.10.0 of the Unleash proxy. Since v5.2.0 Unleash has OpenAPI enabled by default.

Both Unleash and the Unleash proxy have included OpenAPI schemas and Swagger UIs for their APIs. The schemas can be used to get an overview over all API operations and to generate API clients using OpenAPI client generators. The Swagger UI lets you see and try out all the available API operations directly in your browser.

To enable the OpenAPI documentation and the Swagger UI, you must start Unleash or the proxy with the correct configuration option. The following section shows you how. The methods are the same for both Unleash and the Unleash proxy, so the steps described in the next section will work for either.

Location of the OpenAPI spec

Once you enable OpenAPI, you can find the specification in JSON format at /docs/openapi.json and the swagger UI at /docs/openapi.

For instance, if you're running the Unleash server locally at http://localhost:4242, then

• the JSON specification will be at http://localhost:4242/docs/openapi.json
• the Swagger UI will be at http://localhost:4242/docs/openapi

Similarly, if you're running the Unleash proxy locally at http://localhost:3000 (so that the proxy endpoint is at http://localhost:3000/proxy), then

• the JSON specification will be at http://localhost:3000/docs/openapi.json
• the Swagger UI will be at http://localhost:3000/docs/openapi

Step 1: enable OpenAPI

The OpenAPI spec and the Swagger UI can be turned on either via environment variables or via configuration options. Configuration options take precedence over environment variables.

If you are using Unleash v5.2.0, OpenAPI is enabled by default. You still need to enable it for Unleash proxy.

Enable OpenAPI via environment variables

To turn on OpenAPI via environment variables, set the ENABLE_OAS to true in the environment you're running the server in.

Environment variable (bash)

Enable OpenAPI via an environment variable

export ENABLE_OAS=true

Docker (Unleash)

Enable OpenAPI for Unleash via Docker

docker run \
    // highlight-next-line
    -e ENABLE_OAS=true \ # other variables omitted for brevity
    unleashorg/unleash-server

Docker (Unleash proxy)

Enable OpenAPI for the Unleash proxy via Docker

docker run \
    // highlight-next-line
    -e ENABLE_OAS=true \ # other variables omitted for brevity
    unleashorg/unleash-proxy

Enable OpenAPI via configuration options

The configuration option for enabling OpenAPI and the swagger UI is enableOAS. Set this option to true.

The following examples have been shortened to show the only the relevant configuration options. For more detailed instructions on how to run Unleash or the proxy, refer to how to run the Unleash proxy or the section on running Unleash via Node.js from the deployment section of the documentation.

Unleash

Enable OpenAPI for Unleash via configuration option

const unleash = require('unleash-server');

unleash
    .start({
        // ... Other options elided for brevity
        enableOAS: true,
    })
    .then((unleash) => {
        console.log(
            `Unleash started on http://localhost:${unleash.app.get('port')}`,
        );
    });

Unleash proxy

Enable OpenAPI for the Unleash proxy via configuration

const port = 3000;

const { createApp } = require('@unleash/proxy');

const app = createApp({
    // ... Other options elided for brevity
    enableOAS: true,
});

app.listen(port, () =>
    console.log(`Unleash Proxy listening on http://localhost:${port}/proxy`),
);