Understand Server Functions: Enabling your app to do more - Bolt.new Workshop

In this Bolt.new Premium Customer Workshop, we dive deep into Server Functions and show you how to supercharge your apps by securely connecting to external APIs. Using Exa's People Search API and Anthropic's Claude API, we build a fully functional people research tool from scratch, complete with user authentication, profile search, and AI-powered LinkedIn message generation. Server Functions are the secure backbone that lets your app call external services without exposing API keys or sensitive business logic to the browser. In this session, we break down exactly how they work, why they matter, and how to implement them step by step in Bolt. *What we're building:* A web app with email authentication that uses Exa's People Search to find and display detailed profiles from over a billion indexed people. Users can save profiles, store personal information, and generate custom LinkedIn outreach messages powered by Anthropic's Claude, all through secure server functions. *Skills:* Server functions, API integration, Exa People Search, Anthropic Claude API, Supabase authentication, JWT security, Secrets management, ShadCN UI, Prompt engineering, Markdown context for LLMs, Batch processing, Model selection, Plan mode, Enhance prompt. *What You'll Learn:* - What server functions are and why they're essential for secure API calls - How to protect API keys and sensitive business logic from client exposure - Setting up Exa's People Search API to query over a billion indexed profiles - Building user authentication with Supabase and email login - Creating a second server function using Anthropic's Claude to generate personalized LinkedIn messages - How to feed API documentation as markdown context to improve build accuracy - Security best practices including JWT validation, gateway auth, and role-based access control - The "Bring Your Own Key" pattern for letting users supply their own API keys - Batch processing API requests to save up to 50% on costs - Using UI component libraries like React Bits and 21st Dev to add custom flair to your projects *Timestamps:* 00:00 - Workshop Intro and Overview 02:35 - Two Stage Build Approach 07:22 - Server Functions Explained 11:01 - Exa API Docs and Markdown Context 17:40 - Testing Login and UI Fixes 19:00 - Implementing Exa People Search 27:06 - Saving Profiles and Drafting Messages 32:33 - Server Function Security Basics 40:32 - Bring Your Own Key Flow 45:15 - Workshop Wrap and Code Tour 51:07 - Batch Processing Live Test 54:25 - Debugging and Final Goodbye *About Bolt* Bolt turns ideas into production software in minutes, entirely in your browser. No setup, no servers. Powered by WebContainers. *Connect with us:* X (Twitter): https://x.com/boltdotnew LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boltdotnew/ Questions? Check out our Support page: https://support.bolt.new #BoltNew #AIDevelopment #Prompting #WebDevelopment #NoCode #BuildWithAI #WebApps #ServerFunctions #API #Exa #Anthropic #Claude #LinkedInOutreach #Supabase