Backend Web/REST API for Office File API with Access Control Rights (Powered by EF Core)

Dec 24, 2025
3 minutes to read

Your Office File API application may require a document distribution mechanism. You can store document templates in a database and users can access or download files based on permissions. To implement such functionality, you can use DevExpress Web API Service. It allows you to add role-based access control, permission management, and CRUD operations to your next .NET project: DevExpress .NET App Security & Web API Service.

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Benefits

Powered by Entity Framework Core ORM (EF Core)DevExpress Web API Service leverages the functionality of EF Core to implement CRUD operations required for your app.Multiple Authentication StrategiesYou application’s authentication mechanism can leverage built-in support for OAuth2, JWT, and OpenID. You can also implement a custom authentication strategy.Cross-Platform CompatibilityBackend Web API Service is platform-agnostic. Users can access documents from various types of clients – web, mobile, and desktop applications.IDE IntegrationIf you work in Visual Studio 2022+ for Windows, integrated Solution Wizard automatically scaffolds your Web Service to speed up application development.Database Storage for Word Mail Merge DefinitionsDevExpress Web API Service ships with a business class for EF Core ORM that can persist Word mail merge templates in Rich Text Format (RTF) to any supported database. Built-in security mechanisms restrict access to instances of this type and to data types that can be used in mail merge operations. You can export generated documents to PDF and other formats, as shown in the following example: Stream a PDF File.

Basic functionality of the Web API Service is available for free. Additional capabilities and services listed below are available as part of the DevExpress Universal Subscription:

Audit trail
Endpoints to download mail merge documents, reports, and file attachments
Data validation
Localization endpoints that return translated captions for UI elements
Technical support and full source code

Get Started: Add DevExpress Web API Service Functionality to an Office File API App

Refer to the following articles for guidance on how to get started:

Predefined Users, Roles, and Permissions: describes how to configure permissions for your Mail Merge definition (RichTextMailMergeData) and ORM data models or your EF Core entities.
JavaScript — Consume DevExpress Backend Web API with Svelte: describes how to add a custom endpoint to a Web API Service, generate a PDF file during a Mail Merge operation, and stream this document to a Svelte application.
.NET MAUI Example: shows how to create a Web API Service that authorizes users and allows them to download files and images from a .NET MAUI application.
Blazor WebAssembly Example: shows how to create a Web API Service that authorizes users and allows them to download files and images from a Blazor WebAssembly application.