Bolt.new AI and Basecamp integration: Step-by-Step Guide 2025

To integrate Bolt.new with Basecamp, you treat Basecamp like any other external API: Bolt.new doesn’t have a built‑in connector, so you wire your app to Basecamp’s REST API using an OAuth2 flow, store the tokens as environment variables in Bolt.new, and then call Basecamp’s endpoints (projects, messages, to‑dos, etc.) from your backend code. In practice, this means creating a Basecamp OAuth application, implementing the OAuth callback inside your Bolt.new backend route, exchanging the “code” for an access token, then using that token to make real API calls. Basecamp’s API is standard JSON over HTTPS, which makes it straightforward to use from Node, Python, or any backend Bolt.new supports.

 

How Basecamp integration actually works

 

You connect Bolt.new to Basecamp through Basecamp’s REST API and OAuth2. There is no plugin or automatic connection — you manually implement the known API flow. Basecamp exposes well-documented endpoints (for example, to list projects or create to‑do items). Your Bolt.new backend calls these endpoints using normal HTTP requests.

• Basecamp’s API expects OAuth2 authorization. You must register your own app in your Basecamp account to get a client ID and client secret.
• Bolt.new stores secrets via environment variables so you never hardcode them.
• Backend routes in Bolt.new handle OAuth redirects, token exchange, and API calls.
• Frontend in Bolt.new simply hits your backend endpoints; it never talks to Basecamp directly.

 

Step-by-step approach

 

This sequence works inside Bolt.new and in any production environment later:

• Create a Basecamp OAuth App: In your Basecamp account, go to “My Apps”, create a new app, and set the redirect URI to something like https://your-bolt-domain/api/basecamp/callback.
• Store credentials: Put CLIENT_ID and CLIENT_SECRET in Bolt.new environment variables.
• Initiate OAuth: Your frontend hits a backend endpoint that redirects the user to Basecamp’s OAuth screen.
• Receive OAuth callback: Basecamp sends a “code” to your callback route.
• Exchange code for access token: Your backend trades the “code” for an access token via Basecamp’s token endpoint.
• Use the access token to call Basecamp API: Now you can fetch projects, create to‑dos, post messages, etc.

 

Minimal, real Node.js example for Bolt.new backend

 

This is a working pattern you can drop into Bolt.new’s server code. It uses standard fetch and environment variables.

import express from "express";
import fetch from "node-fetch";

const app = express();

// Pull secrets from environment variables in Bolt.new
const CLIENT_ID = process.env.BASECAMP_CLIENT_ID;
const CLIENT_SECRET = process.env.BASECAMP_CLIENT_SECRET;
const REDIRECT_URI = process.env.BASECAMP_REDIRECT_URI;

// Step: Redirect user to Basecamp OAuth
app.get("/api/basecamp/auth", (req, res) => {
  const authUrl = `https://launchpad.37signals.com/authorization/new?type=web_server&client_id=${CLIENT_ID}&redirect_uri=${encodeURIComponent(REDIRECT_URI)}`;
  res.redirect(authUrl);
});

// Step: Handle OAuth callback
app.get("/api/basecamp/callback", async (req, res) => {
  const { code } = req.query;

  // Exchange code for token
  const tokenRes = await fetch("https://launchpad.37signals.com/authorization/token?type=web_server", {
    method: "POST",
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      client_id: CLIENT_ID,
      client_secret: CLIENT_SECRET,
      redirect_uri: REDIRECT_URI,
      code: code
    })
  });

  const tokenData = await tokenRes.json();

  // At this point tokenData.access_token is what you use for Basecamp API calls
  // In a real app you would store this in a DB or user session
  res.json(tokenData);
});

// Example: Fetch Basecamp projects using access token
app.get("/api/basecamp/projects", async (req, res) => {
  const token = req.headers["authorization"]; 
  // Expected: "Bearer <access_token>"

  const apiRes = await fetch("https://3.basecampapi.com/<ACCOUNT_ID>/projects.json", {
    method: "GET",
    headers: {
      "Authorization": token,
      "User-Agent": "YourAppName ([email protected])"
    }
  });

  const data = await apiRes.json();
  res.json(data);
});

export default app;

 

Important details junior developers often miss

 

• Basecamp requires a User-Agent header with your app name and contact email, otherwise some endpoints may reject calls.
• Basecamp uses specific account IDs: Replace <ACCOUNT\_ID> with your actual Basecamp account number.
• You must store tokens somewhere persistent when you move beyond prototypes (DB, KV store, etc.). Bolt.new’s server memory resets on redeploy.
• Only your backend should hold secrets; the frontend must never expose CLIENT\_SECRET.

 

What you can do after connecting

 

• Create new Basecamp messages when users submit forms in your Bolt.new app.
• Sync Basecamp to‑dos with your app’s tasks.
• Use webhooks (Basecamp calls them “Subscriptions”) to notify your Bolt.new backend when something changes.
• Build dashboards that read Basecamp project data.