Can Webflow connect to an external data source and use that data as if it was an internal collection, or is the only option to use the API to manually push data into Webflow?

Webflow does not currently support direct connections to external data sources as native CMS Collections, meaning you cannot query an external database or API and use that data as if it were stored in Webflow’s CMS. However, you have two primary options to work with external data:

1. Use Webflow's API to Push Data

• Webflow’s CMS API allows you to create, update, and delete CMS items programmatically.
• You must fetch the data from your external source separately and then push it to Webflow via API.
• This method requires setting up a server, automation tool (Zapier, Make), or a custom script to sync data properly.

2. Use JavaScript to Fetch External Data on Page Load

• You can use JavaScript (Fetch API, Axios, etc.) to dynamically load external data when a page is viewed.
• This doesn’t store data in Webflow’s CMS but allows you to display real-time data from an API.
• The downside is SEO limitations, since search engines typically don’t index dynamically loaded content.

3. Third-Party No-Code Tools

• Tools like Make (Integromat), Zapier, Whalesync, or Parabola can act as a bridge to automatically send and retrieve data between an external source and Webflow.
• These usually rely on Webflow’s API and work in the same way as option #1, syncing data into Webflow’s CMS.

Summary

Webflow does not natively support live external data sources. The best approaches are pushing data to Webflow’s CMS via API for structured integration or fetching data dynamically via JavaScript for real-time content. Third-party automation tools can simplify API-based workflows.