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Jeremy Reevese
Jeremy Reevese

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Build a FastAPI Service in Under 10 Minutes (Perfect for Automation Workflows)

#python #beginners #webdev #productivity

FastAPI is one of the fastest ways to build lightweight, production-ready APIs using Python.

In this post, I’ll show you how to create a minimal FastAPI service in under 10 minutes, perfect for automation workflows, internal tools, or integrations with platforms like n8n, Make.com, and Zapier.

This is part of my ongoing effort to build in public while constructing the technical backbone of my one-person company.

If you know basic Python, you can follow this — no backend experience required.

🚀 What We’re Building

A tiny FastAPI service that:

  • Exposes a simple /ping endpoint
  • Accepts JSON input
  • Returns structured JSON output
  • Runs locally or inside n8n / Make webhooks
  • Can be deployed later to Fly.io, Render, Vercel, etc.

The goal is to create something simple, reliable, automation-friendly, and easily extendable.

📦 Requirements

You’ll need:

  • Python 3.8+
  • fastapi
  • uvicorn

Install dependencies:

pip install fastapi uvicorn
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🧪 Minimal Working Code Example

Create a file named main.py:

from fastapi import FastAPI
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

class Message(BaseModel):
    text: str

@app.get("/ping")
def ping():
    return {"status": "ok", "message": "FastAPI is running!"}

@app.post("/echo")
def echo(message: Message):
    return {"received": message.text}
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Run the service:

uvicorn main:app --reload
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Your API is now running at:

http://127.0.0.1:8000
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Try these URLs:

  • GET /ping → Health check
  • POST /echo with JSON payload

Example:

{
  "text": "Hello FastAPI"
}
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You’ll get back:

{
  "received": "Hello FastAPI"
}
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🧩 Why This Tiny Service Is Powerful

Even this minimal version can be used to:

  • Build automation steps for n8n
  • Create custom webhooks for Make.com
  • Build simple bots
  • Add Python logic to no-code workflows
  • Serve as a microservice in your personal stack
  • Prototype AI tools
  • Power internal dashboards

This small piece becomes the foundation for larger engineering blocks.

🛠️ Optional: Connecting to n8n or Make.com

If you want to integrate immediately:

In n8n:

  • Add an HTTP Request node
  • Set method to POST
  • URL: http://127.0.0.1:8000/echo
  • Send JSON payload

In Make.com:

  • Add an HTTP module
  • POST JSON to the same endpoint

Instant custom automation.

📚 Full Code + Future Examples

I’ll publish the full FastAPI template repo (including logging, config, and deployment options) on GitHub soon.

👉 (GitHub repo link placeholder — to be added)

💬 Want More Tutorials?

Let me know if you'd like:

  • A FastAPI + Notion API microservice
  • A FastAPI + n8n workflow
  • Deploying FastAPI to Fly.io / Render
  • Turning this into a CLI + API hybrid tool
  • Full automation stack breakdown for one-person companies

Thanks for reading — and happy building! 🚀

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