Client side JavaScript apps (Angular, React, Ionic etc) and Dialogflow REST API v2

I got a question from a reader:

Can I use a client side JavaScript app built using Ionic with Dialogflow’s v2 REST API?

It could have also been Angular, or React, or one of the other bajillion other JavaScript frameworks. 🙂

The answer: No

You need to use the concept of Dialogflow REST API middleware

1 The middleware code runs on a server

2 You need to use a server side programming language such as NodeJS

3 You will save the service account JSON file to the server folder where your code is located (or some other folder you can access from the code)

4 You will set up a ‘relay’ between your JS app and your Dialogflow agent

5 You will communicate with your Dialogflow agent by using the REST API