Modules API

Manage module instances with com_modules. An instance combines module type, parameters, template position and menu assignment.

See the introduction for authentication, request formats and error handling.

Routes

Paths are relative to /api/index.php. Enable the corresponding Web Services plugin.

Methods	Path	Controller tasks
GET	/v1/modules/types/site	modules.getTypes
GET	/v1/modules/types/administrator	modules.getTypes
GET, POST	/v1/modules/site	modules.displayList, modules.add
GET, PATCH, DELETE	/v1/modules/site/{id}	modules.displayItem, modules.edit, modules.delete
GET, POST	/v1/modules/administrator	modules.displayList, modules.add
GET, PATCH, DELETE	/v1/modules/administrator/{id}	modules.displayItem, modules.edit, modules.delete

Collection GET lists records; item GET reads one; POST creates; PATCH updates; DELETE removes an eligible record. Some records must first be trashed. Consult individual operation responses for exceptions.

Forms and data

Relevant forms and extension parameter manifests are:

• Module form (com_modules)
• Moduleadmin form (com_modules)
• Site module parameter form selected by module.
• Administrator module parameter form selected by module.

Joomla selects additional parameter fields according to the extension, client or field type. The OpenAPI specification includes these core parameter variants.

Field	JSON type or role	Meaning
title	string	Required instance title.
module	string	Installed module type, such as mod_custom.
content	string	Custom HTML for mod_custom.
position	string	Position supported by the active template.
published, showtitle	integer or numeric string	Publication and title-display flags.
assignment, assigned	integer or numeric string, array	Assignment mode and menu IDs.
params	object	Parameter schema selected by module type and client.

Site routes set client_id=0; administrator routes set client_id=1 for reading. When creating an administrator module, also send client_id: 1: without it, POST /modules/administrator creates a site module and returns 404. A new module also needs language and a non-empty params object. /modules/types/{client} lists types, not instances. Select the parameter schema by type and client rather than instance ID alone. An empty assignment set does not automatically mean all pages: specify the assignment mode. Third-party module forms can add parameters.

Module instance lists use standard pagination, while the module-type endpoints return the retrieved type list without generic page slicing.

Write a flat JSON object with these form fields. Do not wrap it in JSON:API data.attributes. Read-only response attributes are not a write template.

Backend server-side requests

Confirm mod_custom is installed. This creates an unpublished site module assigned to all pages. Select a real template position before publishing.

Joomla HTTPFactory

Use this request in a Joomla component, plugin or console command. Set the API URL, token and record values for the target site. Keep the token in your integration's secret store. HTTP and JSON errors throw exceptions for the calling extension to handle.

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

use Joomla\Http\HttpFactory;
use Joomla\Uri\Uri;

$siteUrl = 'https://example.org';
$token = 'REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_API_TOKEN';
$headers = [
    'Accept' => 'application/vnd.api+json',
    'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
    'X-Joomla-Token' => $token,
];

$payload = [
    'title' => 'API custom module',
    'module' => 'mod_custom',
    'content' => '<p>Example module</p>',
    'published' => 0,
    'showtitle' => 1,
    'language' => '*',
    'assignment' => '0',
];

$uri = (new Uri($siteUrl))
    ->setPath('/api/index.php/v1/modules/site');
$http = (new HttpFactory())->getHttp(['follow_location' => false]);
$response = $http->post(
    $uri,
    json_encode($payload, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR), $headers,
    30
);

$status = $response->getStatusCode();
$body = (string) $response->getBody();

if ($status < 200 || $status >= 300) {
    throw new \RuntimeException('HTTP ' . $status . ': ' . $body);
}

$document = json_decode($body, true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);

if (!empty($document['errors'])) {
    throw new \RuntimeException(json_encode($document['errors'], JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR));
}

if (isset($document['success']) && $document['success'] === false) {
    throw new \RuntimeException('The API action reported failure.');
}

echo json_encode($document, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT | JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR), PHP_EOL;

curl

This complete POSIX shell example requires curl 7.76 or later. On Windows, use a compatible shell such as Git Bash or WSL.

API_BASE='https://example.org/api/index.php/v1'
TOKEN='REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_API_TOKEN'

curl --silent --show-error --fail-with-body --include --globoff \
  --request POST \
  --url "$API_BASE/modules/site" \
  --header 'Accept: application/vnd.api+json' \
  --header 'X-Joomla-Token: '"$TOKEN" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-binary @- <<'JSON'
{
  "title": "API custom module",
  "module": "mod_custom",
  "content": "<p>Example module</p>",
  "published": 0,
  "showtitle": 1,
  "language": "*",
  "assignment": "0"
}
JSON

Server-side successful response

HTTP 200 OK, with Content-Type: application/vnd.api+json. The response excerpt below shows the resource structure. Responses can also contain relationships, links and metadata. IDs and values depend on the site.

{
  "data": {
    "type": "modules",
    "id": "42",
    "attributes": {
      "title": "API custom module",
      "module": "mod_custom",
      "published": 0
    }
  }
}

Read GET /modules/site/{id} and compare content, publication and assignment. Inspect frontend output separately after publishing.

Frontend browser requests

These examples read site modules with GET /modules/site. Calling the API from the browser still uses administrator models and ACL. Follow the browser setup and authentication guidance, including loading Joomla's core script for Joomla.request. Replace the site origin and API path, then enter the signed-in operator's personal API token when prompted. Keep shared integration tokens on the server.

Joomla.request

(async () => {
    const token = window.prompt('Enter your personal Joomla API token');

    if (!token) {
        throw new Error('An API token is required.');
    }

    const url = new URL('https://example.org');
    url.pathname = '/api/index.php/v1/modules/site';
    url.search = new URLSearchParams({
        "page[offset]": "0",
        "page[limit]": "20"
    }).toString();

    let xhr;

    try {
        xhr = await Joomla.request({
            url: url.toString(),
            method: 'GET',
            headers: {
                Accept: 'application/vnd.api+json',
                'X-Joomla-Token': token,
            },
            promise: true,
            onBefore(request) {
                request.timeout = 30000;
            },
        });
    } catch (error) {
        // Joomla.request rejects statuses other than 200, including 204.
        if (!(error instanceof XMLHttpRequest)) {
            throw error;
        }

        xhr = error;
    }

    if (xhr.status < 200 || xhr.status >= 300) {
        throw new Error(`HTTP ${xhr.status}: ${xhr.responseText || xhr.statusText}`);
    }

    const text = xhr.responseText;

    const document = text.trim() ? JSON.parse(text) : null;

    if (document?.errors && Object.keys(document.errors).length > 0) {
        throw new Error(JSON.stringify(document.errors));
    }

    if (document?.success === false) {
        throw new Error(document.message || 'The API action reported failure.');
    }

    console.log(document);
    return document;
})();

Native fetch()

(async () => {
    const token = window.prompt('Enter your personal Joomla API token');

    if (!token) {
        throw new Error('An API token is required.');
    }

    const url = new URL('https://example.org');
    url.pathname = '/api/index.php/v1/modules/site';
    url.search = new URLSearchParams({
        "page[offset]": "0",
        "page[limit]": "20"
    }).toString();

    const controller = new AbortController();
    const timeout = window.setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 30000);
    let response;
    let text;

    try {
        response = await fetch(url, {
            method: 'GET',
            headers: {
                Accept: 'application/vnd.api+json',
                'X-Joomla-Token': token,
            },
            credentials: 'omit',
            redirect: 'error',
            signal: controller.signal,
        });
        text = await response.text();
    } finally {
        window.clearTimeout(timeout);
    }

    if (!response.ok) {
        throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}: ${text || response.statusText}`);
    }

    const document = text.trim() ? JSON.parse(text) : null;

    if (document?.errors && Object.keys(document.errors).length > 0) {
        throw new Error(JSON.stringify(document.errors));
    }

    if (document?.success === false) {
        throw new Error(document.message || 'The API action reported failure.');
    }

    console.log(document);
    return document;
})();

Both examples check the HTTP status and API error fields. An empty successful body produces null; a JSON collection has an array in data.

Browser successful response

HTTP 200 OK returns a collection such as:

{
  "data": [
    {
      "type": "modules",
      "id": "42",
      "attributes": {
        "title": "API custom module",
        "module": "mod_custom",
        "published": 0
      }
    }
  ]
}

This collection excerpt omits other attributes, relationships, links and metadata. An empty result has "data": [].

Errors

These responses apply to server-side and browser clients. Check both HTTP status and response body. Wording depends on the site language, plugins and server configuration. The following examples show possible error responses.

HTTP status	Possible cause
401	Authentication is absent or invalid, or API login is not allowed.
400	Title, type or module parameter validation fails.
403	The user cannot manage modules for this client.
404	The module instance or type cannot be found.

Form validation can produce HTTP 400 Bad Request:

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "title": "Invalid field: Title"
    }
  ]
}

Authentication failure can produce HTTP 401 Unauthorized:

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "title": "Forbidden"
    }
  ]
}

After an interrupted or failed write, read the resource before retrying. Saving may have occurred before a later error.

References

• OpenAPI reference
• Complete OpenAPI specification, including com_modules schemas
• Joomla Web Services Collection for Postman