Appwrite Swift SDK

Installation

swift

// Swift Package Manager — Package.swift
.package(url: "https://github.com/ChiragAgg5k/sdk-for-swift", from: "1.8.1")

Setting Up the Client

Client-side (Apple platforms)

swift

import Appwrite

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

Server-side (Swift)

swift

import Appwrite

let client = Client()
    .setEndpoint("https://<REGION>.cloud.appwrite.io/v1")
    .setProject(ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment["APPWRITE_PROJECT_ID"]!)
    .setKey(ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment["APPWRITE_API_KEY"]!)

Code Examples

Authentication (client-side)

swift

let account = Account(client)

// Signup
let user = try await account.create(userId: ID.unique(), email: "user@example.com", password: "password123", name: "User Name")

// Login
let session = try await account.createEmailPasswordSession(email: "user@example.com", password: "password123")

// OAuth
try await account.createOAuth2Session(provider: .google)

// Get current user
let me = try await account.get()

// Logout
try await account.deleteSession(sessionId: "current")

User Management (server-side)

swift

let users = Users(client)

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

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

// Get user
let fetched = try await users.get(userId: "[USER_ID]")

// Delete user
try 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.

swift

let tablesDB = TablesDB(client)

// Create database (server-side only)
let db = try await tablesDB.create(databaseId: ID.unique(), name: "My Database")

// Create row
let doc = try await tablesDB.createRow(databaseId: "[DATABASE_ID]", tableId: "[TABLE_ID]", rowId: ID.unique(), data: [
    "title": "Hello",
    "done": false
])

// Query rows
let results = try await tablesDB.listRows(databaseId: "[DATABASE_ID]", tableId: "[TABLE_ID]", queries: [
    Query.equal("done", value: false),
    Query.limit(10)
])

// Get row
let row = try await tablesDB.getRow(databaseId: "[DATABASE_ID]", tableId: "[TABLE_ID]", rowId: "[ROW_ID]")

// Update row
try await tablesDB.updateRow(databaseId: "[DATABASE_ID]", tableId: "[TABLE_ID]", rowId: "[ROW_ID]", data: ["done": true])

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

File Storage

swift

let storage = Storage(client)

// Upload file
let file = try await storage.createFile(bucketId: "[BUCKET_ID]", fileId: ID.unique(), file: InputFile.fromPath("/path/to/file.png"))

// List files
let files = try await storage.listFiles(bucketId: "[BUCKET_ID]")

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

Real-time Subscriptions (client-side)

swift

let realtime = Realtime(client)

let subscription = realtime.subscribe(channels: ["databases.[DATABASE_ID].tables.[TABLE_ID].rows"]) { response in
    print(response.payload)
}

// Cleanup
subscription.close()

Serverless Functions (server-side)

swift

let functions = Functions(client)

// Execute function
let execution = try await functions.createExecution(functionId: "[FUNCTION_ID]", body: "{\"key\": \"value\"}")

// List executions
let executions = try await functions.listExecutions(functionId: "[FUNCTION_ID]")

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) Authentication

SSR apps using server-side Swift (Vapor, Hummingbird, etc.) use the server SDK 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)

swift

import Appwrite

// Admin client (reusable)
let adminClient = Client()
    .setEndpoint("https://<REGION>.cloud.appwrite.io/v1")
    .setProject("[PROJECT_ID]")
    .setKey(Environment.get("APPWRITE_API_KEY")!)

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

if let session = req.cookies["a_session_[PROJECT_ID]"]?.string {
    sessionClient.setSession(session)
}

Email/Password Login (Vapor)

swift

app.post("login") { req async throws -> Response in
    let body = try req.content.decode(LoginRequest.self)
    let account = Account(adminClient)
    let session = try await account.createEmailPasswordSession(
        email: body.email,
        password: body.password
    )

    // Cookie name must be a_session_<PROJECT_ID>
    let response = Response(status: .ok, body: .init(string: "{\"success\": true}"))
    response.cookies["a_session_[PROJECT_ID]"] = HTTPCookies.Value(
        string: session.secret,
        isHTTPOnly: true,
        isSecure: true,
        sameSite: .strict,
        path: "/"
    )
    return response
}

Authenticated Requests

swift

app.get("user") { req async throws -> Response in
    guard let session = req.cookies["a_session_[PROJECT_ID]"]?.string else {
        throw Abort(.unauthorized)
    }

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

    let account = Account(sessionClient)
    let user = try await account.get()
    // Return user as JSON
}

OAuth2 SSR Flow

swift

// Step 1: Redirect to OAuth provider
app.get("oauth") { req async throws -> Response in
    let account = Account(adminClient)
    let redirectUrl = try await account.createOAuth2Token(
        provider: .github,
        success: "https://example.com/oauth/success",
        failure: "https://example.com/oauth/failure"
    )
    return req.redirect(to: redirectUrl)
}

// Step 2: Handle callback — exchange token for session
app.get("oauth", "success") { req async throws -> Response in
    let userId = try req.query.get(String.self, at: "userId")
    let secret = try req.query.get(String.self, at: "secret")

    let account = Account(adminClient)
    let session = try await account.createSession(userId: userId, secret: secret)

    let response = Response(status: .ok, body: .init(string: "{\"success\": true}"))
    response.cookies["a_session_[PROJECT_ID]"] = HTTPCookies.Value(
        string: session.secret,
        isHTTPOnly: true, isSecure: true, sameSite: .strict, path: "/"
    )
    return response
}

Cookie security: Always use isHTTPOnly, isSecure, and sameSite: .strict to prevent XSS. The cookie name must be a_session_<PROJECT_ID>.

Forwarding user agent: Call sessionClient.setForwardedUserAgent(req.headers.first(name: .userAgent) ?? "") 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.

swift

import Appwrite
// Permission and Role are included in the main module import

Database Row with Permissions

swift

let doc = try 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

swift

let file = try await storage.createFile(
    bucketId: "[BUCKET_ID]",
    fileId: ID.unique(),
    file: InputFile.fromPath("/path/to/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