Templates

Clay provides pre-built templates for common operations with Directus. These templates appear as enrichment column options and handle all the API configuration for you.

← Back to Directus + Clay Overview

Follow these steps to use the pre-built Directus templates in Clay.

Step 1: Set Up Authentication

Before using any templates, configure your Directus authentication in Clay:

1. Go to your Clay account settings
2. Add a new HTTP API account
3. Set up the authorization header:
   • Key: Authorization
   • Value: Bearer YOUR_DIRECTUS_TOKEN_HERE
4. Name it "Directus" for easy reference

💡 Tip: Once created, you can select this account for all Directus API calls instead of manually entering headers each time.

Step 2: Add a Directus Template

1. In your Clay table, create a new enrichment column
2. Search for "directus" in the template search
3. Select the template that matches your operation:

::callout{icon="material-symbols:warning" color="warning"} Important
The Directus templates use generic collection names (like "posts" or "users") as examples. You'll need to adapt these to match your specific Directus schema by replacing collection names, adjusting field names, and configuring filters based on your data structure. ::

Step 3: Configure the Template

Each template requires configuration specific to your Directus setup:

Basic Configuration:

For GET operations, add query parameters:

::field{name="limit" type="number"} Maximum number of items to return (e.g., 10) ::

::field{name="fields" type="string"} Comma-separated field names (e.g., id,title,status) ::

::field{name="filter[field][operator]" type="string"} Filter criteria (e.g., filter[status][_eq] with value published) ::

For more advanced filtering options and field selection techniques, see the Working with Directus Data Operations guide.

For POST/PATCH operations, configure the body:

• Map Clay columns to Directus field names
• Use the visual field mapper or write JSON directly
• Include all required fields for your collection

Step 4: Map Your Data

Configure how Clay data maps to Directus fields:

1. Click on field values to open the column selector
2. Select the Clay column that contains your data
3. Use formulas if you need to transform data before sending
4. Set static values for fields that don't change (like status: "draft")

Example mapping for creating a blog post:

{
  "title": "{{Blog Post Title Column}}",
  "slug": "{{URL Slug Column}}",
  "content": "{{Post Content Column}}",
  "status": "draft",
  "author": "{{Author ID Column}}"
}

💡 Tip: Use Clay's visual field mapper for easier configuration, or write JSON directly for more control.

Step 5: Test and Run

1. Test the enrichment on a single row first
2. Verify the results in your Directus instance
3. Check for any errors in Clay's response column
4. Once confirmed working, run on your full dataset

Next Steps

• Learn about Directus Webhooks → - Set up real-time data sync
• Explore Advanced Data Operations → - Filters, pagination, and best practices
• ← Back to Overview

Additional Resources

• Clay Documentation
• Directus Community