---
title: "Fetching data from an API"
course: "BE101 · What runs behind a website"
unit: "Connecting to data"
lesson: 33 of 39
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/what-runs-behind-a-website/fetching-data-from-an-api
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Fetching data from an API

Lesson 33 of 39 in **What runs behind a website** (BE101), unit "Connecting to data". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Recall how async/await works and use it to write asynchronous code that reads top to bottom
- Use fetch to make a GET request to a public API and log the JSON response to the console.
- Understand that await fetch(url) waits for the HTTP response, while await response.json() waits for the response body to be parsed into JavaScript data.

## Teaching notes
back in VS Code, running the page with the Live Server extension in the browser — set the Flask server aside; no Python or terminal is needed for this lesson. Use fetch against the public JSONPlaceholder API. Run the page via Live Server.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 33 complete: Fetching data from an API."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Rendering API data on the page" (lesson 34 of 39), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/what-runs-behind-a-website/rendering-api-data-on-the-page.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Serve pages and data from your server
Next lesson: Rendering API data on the page