---
title: "API_GetDBVar"
slug: "api-getdbvar"
updated: 2025-08-18T09:19:49Z
published: 2025-08-18T09:19:49Z
canonical: "help.quickbase.com/api-getdbvar"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.quickbase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API_GetDBVar

**Don't forget to check out our**[**JSON RESTful APIs**](https://developer.quickbase.com/)**, they can help you utilize and extend Quickbase with ease.**

## Overview

Use API_GetDBVar to get values assigned to variables (DBVars) set up in your Quickbase application. DBVars are variables you can create to use in your application. (See the Quickbase online help to [learn how to set up DBVars](/v1/docs/creating-and-using-application-variables).

API_GetDBVar returns only one DBVar. If you want to retrieve more than one variable, you'll need to invoke this call multiple times.

Once you've set them up, you can assign values to them using API_SetDBVar. (Use the application-level dbid.) You’ll get an error if the DBVar you ask for does not exist.

## Request parameters

| Parameter | Value | Required? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| varname | The name of the variable in the target application. | yes |
| ticket | A valid authentication ticket. The authentication ticket is returned via the API_Authenticate call. | yes, one of: - ticket - username/password - user token |
| usertoken | The user token is an alternative means of authentication, used for API access. User tokens cannot be used to access the Quickbase UI. | yes, one of: - ticket - username/password - user token |
| apptoken | Supply a valid application token. | yes, if the application requires application tokens |
| udata | A string value that you want returned. It will not be handled by Quickbase but it will be returned in the response. | no |

## Response values

| Element Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| action | The originating request, for example, API_AddField. |
| errcode | Identifies the error code, if any. (See the[Error Codes appendix](/v1/docs/error-codes) for a list of possible error codes.) 0 indicates that no error was encountered. |
| errtext | Text that explains the error code. "No error" indicates that no error was encountered. |
| udata | Optional. Contains any udata value supplied in the request. |
| value | The value of the DBVar. |

## Sample XML Request

```xml
POST https://target_domain/db/target_dbid 
 HTTP/1.0
Content-Type: application/xml
Content-Length:
QUICKBASE-ACTION: API_GetDBVar

<qdbapi>
   <udata>mydata</udata>
   <ticket>auth_ticket</ticket>
   <apptoken>app_token</apptoken>
   <varname>usercode</varname>
</qdbapi>
```

## URL alternative

```plaintext
https://target_domain/db/target_dbid?a=API_GetDBVar&ticket=auth_ticket
&apptoken=app_token&varname=usercode
```

where *target_domain* is the domain against which you are invoking this call, for example, *quickbase.com*. [Read about this notation](/v1/docs/understanding-the-api-call-reference).

## Sample XML Response

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<qdbapi>
   <action>API_getDBvar</action>
   <errcode>0</errcode>
   <errtext>No error</errtext>
   <value>12</value>
</qdbapi>
```