Launch HN: Kampala (YC W26) – Reverse-Engineer Apps into...

Launch HN: Kampala (YC W26) – Reverse‑Engineer Apps into APIs

Over 70 % of knowledge workers spend more than an hour each day hunting for data hidden inside web apps. With Kampala’s reverse‑engineering platform, you can turn any SaaS UI into a fully‑featured API in minutes—cutting that wasted time to seconds. Imagine automating your weekly reporting workflow without ever writing a single integration script—just point, click, and let the API do the heavy lifting.

What Is Kampala and How Does It Fit Into Modern Automation?

Kampala is a no‑code reverse‑engineering tool that listens to your clicks, form fills, and navigation patterns, then spits out a REST‑style endpoint you can call from any workflow. It’s like having a personal developer on speed‑dial, but without the paycheck. The magic happens in three parts: a Chrome extension that captures UI events, a cloud service that builds an OpenAPI spec, and an auto‑auth layer that keeps your session alive. The real kicker is that Kampala’s endpoints are standard HTTP/JSON, so you can drop them straight into n8n, Zapier, or even your own micro‑services. In recent months, the no‑code/low‑code movement has exploded, and people are looking for reliable APIs that don’t come from official doc stores. Kampala fills that void neatly.

From UI to API in 3 Simple Steps (Practical Walkthrough)

Record your interaction. Install the Kampala extension, hit “Start Recording,” and log in to the target app. The extension captures every click, input, and navigation.
Generate the endpoint. Stop recording, let Kampala analyse the steps, and export the OpenAPI specification. You’ll see a clean JSON file that outlines parameters, responses, and security.
Consume it. Use a simple Node.js fetch call to pull data into an n8n workflow. Below is a minimal example that grabs a task list from a legacy project‑management tool.

import fetch from 'node-fetch';

const ENDPOINT = 'https://api.kampala.io/v1/legacypm/tasks';
const TOKEN    = process.env.KAMPALA_TOKEN;

async function getAllTasks(page = 1, acc = []) {
  const res = await fetch(`${ENDPOINT}?page=${page}`, {
    headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${TOKEN}` },
  });
  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Kampala error ${res.status}`);

  const { data, meta } = await res.json();
  const collected = acc.concat(data);

  return meta.hasMore
    ? getAllTasks(page + 1, collected)
    : collected;
}

export default async function () {
  const tasks = await getAllTasks();
  return tasks.map(t => ({ id: t.id, title: t.title, status: t.status }));
}

Building Real‑World Workflows with n8n & Zapier

Okay, let’s be real: you probably already have a favorite visual workflow tool. Kampala plays nicely with both. In n8n, you simply drag an “HTTP Request” node, paste the endpoint URL, and map the JSON payload to the next node. Zapier users can use the “Webhooks – Custom Request” action to fire a GET or POST. The beauty is that you’re not writing a custom parser; you’re calling a well‑documented API.

Take the case of a sales‑report aggregator. A legacy CRM has no public API, but you can still pull data by recording the UI flow that exports a CSV. Kampala turns that into a GET endpoint that returns JSON. An n8n workflow can then take that JSON, transform it, and push it into Google Sheets or Airtable—all without touching the CRM code.

The Business Impact of Turning Apps into APIs

Speed to market is the name of the game. By cutting integration time from weeks to hours, you can launch new features, roll out internal tools, or ship a partner portal faster than the competition. Cost savings come next: fewer dev hours mean less burn, and consolidating data pipelines reduces the need for multiple SaaS subscriptions.

And the scalability factor? A centralized API layer means you can roll out logging, monitoring, and GDPR‑friendly data handling in one go. You no longer have to patch each app individually; you just update the Kampala schema and re‑deploy. Pretty much, you’re turning a patchy web of manual clicks into a clean, maintainable codebase.

Actionable Takeaways & Quick‑Start Checklist

1️⃣ Install the Kampala extension.
2️⃣ Record a simple workflow, like pulling a list of contacts.
3️⃣ Export the OpenAPI spec.
4️⃣ Wire the endpoint into n8n or Zapier.
5️⃣ Add retry logic, caching, and version control.

What I love about Kampala is that it gives you a frictionless path from UI to API. Just because a vendor hasn’t released an official API doesn’t mean you’re stuck. Join the Kampala community Slack, explore the “Template Gallery,” and start automating a “Hello‑World” integration today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I automate a web app that doesn’t offer an API using Kampala?

A: Kampala records your interactions with the app’s UI, generates a REST endpoint that mimics those actions, and exposes it via an OpenAPI spec—so you can automate it just like any native API.

Is Kampala compatible with n8n and Zapier workflows?

A: Yes. Kampala produces standard HTTP endpoints; n8n can call them with its “HTTP Request” node, while Zapier can use the “Webhooks – Custom Request” action to trigger or fetch data.

What programming languages does Kampala support for consuming generated APIs?

A: Because the output is a regular HTTP/HTTPS API, you can use any language—Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby, etc. The article includes a Node.js example for quick start.

Does reverse‑engineering an app with Kampala violate terms of service?

A: Kampala operates under a “record‑and‑replay” model that respects the same authentication and rate‑limits a human user would. However, always review the target app’s TOS; for internal tools the risk is minimal.

How does Kampala help me “launch” a new automation product faster?

A: By turning existing SaaS UIs into reusable APIs, you eliminate the need to build custom scrapers or wait for official API releases—letting you prototype, test, and ship integrations within days rather than months.

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