Appwrite Dart SDK

Installation

bash

# Flutter (client-side)
flutter pub add appwrite

# Dart (server-side)
dart pub add dart_appwrite

Setting Up the Client

Client-side (Flutter)

dart

import 'package:appwrite/appwrite.dart';

final client = Client()
    .setEndpoint('https://<REGION>.cloud.appwrite.io/v1')
    .setProject('[PROJECT_ID]');

Server-side (Dart)

dart

import 'package:dart_appwrite/dart_appwrite.dart';

final client = Client()
    .setEndpoint('https://<REGION>.cloud.appwrite.io/v1')
    .setProject(Platform.environment['APPWRITE_PROJECT_ID']!)
    .setKey(Platform.environment['APPWRITE_API_KEY']!);

Code Examples

Authentication (client-side)

dart

final account = Account(client);

// Signup
await account.create(userId: ID.unique(), email: 'user@example.com', password: 'password123', name: 'User Name');

// Login
final session = await account.createEmailPasswordSession(email: 'user@example.com', password: 'password123');

// OAuth login
await account.createOAuth2Session(provider: OAuthProvider.google);

// Get current user
final user = await account.get();

// Logout
await account.deleteSession(sessionId: 'current');

User Management (server-side)

dart

final users = Users(client);

// Create user
final user = await users.create(userId: ID.unique(), email: 'user@example.com', password: 'password123', name: 'User Name');

// List users
final list = await users.list(queries: [Query.limit(25)]);

// Get user
final fetched = await users.get(userId: '[USER_ID]');

// Delete user
await users.delete(userId: '[USER_ID]');

Database Operations

Note: Use TablesDB (not the deprecated Databases class) for all new code. Only use Databases if the existing codebase already relies on it or the user explicitly requests it.

dart

final tablesDB = TablesDB(client);

// Create database (server-side only)
final db = await tablesDB.create(databaseId: ID.unique(), name: 'My Database');

// Create table (server-side only)
final col = await tablesDB.createTable(databaseId: '[DATABASE_ID]', tableId: ID.unique(), name: 'My Table');

// Create row
final doc = await tablesDB.createRow(
    databaseId: '[DATABASE_ID]',
    tableId: '[TABLE_ID]',
    rowId: ID.unique(),
    data: {'title': 'Hello', 'done': false},
);

// Query rows
final results = await tablesDB.listRows(
    databaseId: '[DATABASE_ID]',
    tableId: '[TABLE_ID]',
    queries: [Query.equal('done', false), Query.limit(10)],
);

// Get row
final row = await tablesDB.getRow(databaseId: '[DATABASE_ID]', tableId: '[TABLE_ID]', rowId: '[ROW_ID]');

// Update row
await tablesDB.updateRow(
    databaseId: '[DATABASE_ID]',
    tableId: '[TABLE_ID]',
    rowId: '[ROW_ID]',
    data: {'done': true},
);

// Delete row
await tablesDB.deleteRow(
    databaseId: '[DATABASE_ID]',
    tableId: '[TABLE_ID]',
    rowId: '[ROW_ID]',
);

File Storage

dart

final storage = Storage(client);

// Upload file
final file = await storage.createFile(
    bucketId: '[BUCKET_ID]',
    fileId: ID.unique(),
    file: InputFile.fromPath(path: '/path/to/file.png', filename: 'file.png'),
);

// Get file preview
final preview = storage.getFilePreview(bucketId: '[BUCKET_ID]', fileId: '[FILE_ID]', width: 300, height: 300);

// List files
final files = await storage.listFiles(bucketId: '[BUCKET_ID]');

// Delete file
await storage.deleteFile(bucketId: '[BUCKET_ID]', fileId: '[FILE_ID]');

Real-time Subscriptions (client-side)

dart

final realtime = Realtime(client);

final subscription = realtime.subscribe(['databases.[DATABASE_ID].tables.[TABLE_ID].rows']);
subscription.stream.listen((response) {
    print(response.payload);
});

// Cleanup
subscription.close();

Serverless Functions (server-side)

dart

final functions = Functions(client);

// Execute function
final execution = await functions.createExecution(functionId: '[FUNCTION_ID]', body: '{"key": "value"}');

// List executions
final executions = await functions.listExecutions(functionId: '[FUNCTION_ID]');

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) Authentication

SSR apps using server-side Dart (Dart Frog, Shelf, etc.) use the server SDK (dart_appwrite) to handle auth. You need two clients:

•Admin client — uses an API key, creates sessions, bypasses rate limits (reusable singleton)
•Session client — uses a session cookie, acts on behalf of a user (create per-request, never share)

dart

import 'package:dart_appwrite/dart_appwrite.dart';

// Admin client (reusable)
final adminClient = Client()
    .setEndpoint('https://<REGION>.cloud.appwrite.io/v1')
    .setProject('[PROJECT_ID]')
    .setKey(Platform.environment['APPWRITE_API_KEY']!);

// Session client (create per-request)
final sessionClient = Client()
    .setEndpoint('https://<REGION>.cloud.appwrite.io/v1')
    .setProject('[PROJECT_ID]');

final session = request.cookies['a_session_[PROJECT_ID]'];
if (session != null) {
    sessionClient.setSession(session);
}

Email/Password Login

dart

final account = Account(adminClient);
final session = await account.createEmailPasswordSession(
    email: body['email'],
    password: body['password'],
);

// Cookie name must be a_session_<PROJECT_ID>
response.headers.add('Set-Cookie',
    'a_session_[PROJECT_ID]=${session.secret}; '
    'HttpOnly; Secure; SameSite=Strict; '
    'Expires=${HttpDate.format(DateTime.parse(session.expire))}; Path=/');

Authenticated Requests

dart

final session = request.cookies['a_session_[PROJECT_ID]'];
if (session == null) {
    return Response(statusCode: 401, body: 'Unauthorized');
}

final sessionClient = Client()
    .setEndpoint('https://<REGION>.cloud.appwrite.io/v1')
    .setProject('[PROJECT_ID]')
    .setSession(session);

final account = Account(sessionClient);
final user = await account.get();

OAuth2 SSR Flow

dart

// Step 1: Redirect to OAuth provider
final account = Account(adminClient);
final redirectUrl = await account.createOAuth2Token(
    provider: OAuthProvider.github,
    success: 'https://example.com/oauth/success',
    failure: 'https://example.com/oauth/failure',
);
return Response(statusCode: 302, headers: {'Location': redirectUrl});

// Step 2: Handle callback — exchange token for session
final account = Account(adminClient);
final session = await account.createSession(
    userId: request.uri.queryParameters['userId']!,
    secret: request.uri.queryParameters['secret']!,
);
// Set session cookie as above

Cookie security: Always use HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite=Strict to prevent XSS. The cookie name must be a_session_<PROJECT_ID>.

Forwarding user agent: Call sessionClient.setForwardedUserAgent(request.headers['user-agent']) to record the end-user's browser info for debugging and security.

Permissions & Roles (Critical)

Appwrite uses permission strings to control access to resources. Each permission pairs an action (read, update, delete, create, or write which grants create + update + delete) with a role target. By default, no user has access unless permissions are explicitly set at the document/file level or inherited from the collection/bucket settings. Permissions are arrays of strings built with the Permission and Role helpers.

dart

import 'package:appwrite/appwrite.dart';
// Permission and Role are included in the main package import

Database Row with Permissions

dart

final doc = await tablesDB.createRow(
    databaseId: '[DATABASE_ID]',
    tableId: '[TABLE_ID]',
    rowId: ID.unique(),
    data: {'title': 'Hello World'},
    permissions: [
        Permission.read(Role.user('[USER_ID]')),     // specific user can read
        Permission.update(Role.user('[USER_ID]')),   // specific user can update
        Permission.read(Role.team('[TEAM_ID]')),     // all team members can read
        Permission.read(Role.any()),                 // anyone (including guests) can read
    ],
);

File Upload with Permissions

dart

final file = await storage.createFile(
    bucketId: '[BUCKET_ID]',
    fileId: ID.unique(),
    file: InputFile.fromPath(path: '/path/to/file.png', filename: 'file.png'),
    permissions: [
        Permission.read(Role.any()),
        Permission.update(Role.user('[USER_ID]')),
        Permission.delete(Role.user('[USER_ID]')),
    ],
);

When to set permissions: Set document/file-level permissions when you need per-resource access control. If all documents in a collection share the same rules, configure permissions at the collection/bucket level and leave document permissions empty.

Common mistakes:

•Forgetting permissions — the resource becomes inaccessible to all users (including the creator)

•Role.any() with write/update/delete — allows any user, including unauthenticated guests, to modify or remove the resource

•Permission.read(Role.any()) on sensitive data — makes the resource publicly readable

API Reference

For complete method documentation, see the reference files:

•Account — The Account service allows you to authenticate and manage a user account.
•Avatars — The Avatars service aims to help you complete everyday tasks related to your app image, icons, and avatars.
•Assistant
•Console — The Console service allows you to interact with console relevant information.
•Databases — The Databases service allows you to create structured collections of documents, query and filter lists of documents
•Functions — The Functions Service allows you view, create and manage your Cloud Functions.
•Graphql — The GraphQL API allows you to query and mutate your Appwrite server using GraphQL.
•Health — The Health service allows you to both validate and monitor your Appwrite server's health.
•Locale — The Locale service allows you to customize your app based on your users' location.
•Messaging — The Messaging service allows you to send messages to any provider type (SMTP, push notification, SMS, etc.).
•Migrations — The Migrations service allows you to migrate third-party data to your Appwrite project.
•Project — The Project service allows you to manage all the projects in your Appwrite server.
•Projects — The Project service allows you to manage all the projects in your Appwrite server.
•Proxy — The Proxy Service allows you to configure actions for your domains beyond DNS configuration.
•Sites — The Sites Service allows you view, create and manage your web applications.
•Storage — The Storage service allows you to manage your project files.
•TablesDB
•Teams — The Teams service allows you to group users of your project and to enable them to share read and write access to your project resources
•Tokens
•Users — The Users service allows you to manage your project users.
•Vcs