Passing Bind Variables to Table Hyperlinks (Pre-Authenticated URLs) in Autonomous Database

Oracle Autonomous Database (ADB) continues to evolve rapidly with new capabilities that make data access more flexible, secure, and developer-friendly. One such recent enhancement is the ability to use bind variables in SQL queries within Table Hyperlinks (also known as Pre-Authenticated URLs).

 

This feature allows you to define SQL queries that include bind variables and then supply values for those variables either:

 

·         As default bind values at the time of hyperlink creation, or

·         As runtime URL parameters when calling the link.

 

This makes Pre-Authenticated URLs even more powerful, especially when building dashboards, external integrations, or lightweight query-driven APIs that depend on dynamic filtering.

 

In this article, we’ll walk through:

 

1.       What this feature is and why it’s useful

2.       How to create a Pre-Authenticated URL using bind variables

3.       How default bind values behave

4.       How to override bind values at runtime using query parameters

 

Why Bind Variables in Table Hyperlinks Matter

Previously, Table Hyperlinks supported only static SQL statements, which meant:

 

·         The logic was fixed

·         Filtering required separate hyperlinks

·         External services had no way to pass in parameters dynamically

 

With this enhancement, you can now create one hyperlink and let clients supply any number of dynamic bind values at runtime. This reduces maintenance, improves flexibility, and allows Table Hyperlinks to behave more like parameterized REST endpoints — without needing to implement a full REST service.

 

Creating a Table Hyperlink With Bind Variables

Let’s start with an example SQL query that contains two bind variables :b1 and :b2. 

demo-user@ATP19C> declare
  2     l_status long;
  3  begin
  4     dbms_data_access.create_url(
  5              sql_statement => q'# select * from emp where deptno = :b1 and job = :b2 #'
  6             , service_name =>'LOW'
  7             , default_bind_values => json_object('b1' value 20 ,'b2' value 'CLERK')
  8             , result => l_status );
  9     dbms_output.put_line( l_status );
 10  end;
 11  /

The key points here:

·         The SQL contains bind variables (:b1, :b2).

·         default_bind_values defines values that will be used if no runtime parameters are supplied.

·         A new pre-authenticated URL gets generated.

 

Sample output from the above PL/SQL block: 

{
  "status" : "SUCCESS",
  "id" : "gTqfJcv0JfckskdR7eI77QCUrMcMe5N4k1iXeeWstlo6c7uKxXQbyQQPotFTi10E",
  "preauth_url" : "https://dataaccess.adb.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloudapps.com/adb/p/SSi8uslpyP4hikoPvJedQ9K6Jd-jGfC4hgY-tvdWWrqeu9TP_kPYoVkBu31kHadXqC3rdDDU4j4/data",
  "expiration_ts" : "2026-02-19T14:58:18.187Z"
} 

This URL can now be used from anywhere — scripts, dashboards, apps, or API clients. 

Accessing the Hyperlink Without Runtime Parameters

If you call the generated URL without adding any bind values in the query string, ADB will apply the default bind variable values (deptno = 20, job = 'CLERK'): 

$ curl --location 'https://dataaccess.adb.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloudapps.com/adb/p/SSi8uslpyP4hikoPvJedQ9K6Jd-jGfC4hgY-tvdWWrqeu9TP_kPYoVkBu31kHadXqC3rdDDU4j4/data'

{

  "items": [

    {

      "EMPNO": 7369,

      "ENAME": "SMITH",

      "JOB": "CLERK",

      "MGR": 7902,

      "HIREDATE": "1980-12-17T00:00:00",

      "SAL": 800,

      "DEPTNO": 20

    },

    {

      "EMPNO": 7876,

      "ENAME": "ADAMS",

      "JOB": "CLERK",

      "MGR": 7788,

      "HIREDATE": "1987-05-23T00:00:00",

      "SAL": 1100,

      "DEPTNO": 20

    }

  ],

  "hasMore": false,

  "limit": 1000,

  "offset": 0,

  "count": 2,

  "links": [

    {

      "rel": "self",

      "href": "https://dataaccess.adb.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloudapps.com/adb/p/SSi8uslpyP4hikoPvJedQ9K6Jd-jGfC4hgY-tvdWWrqeu9TP_kPYoVkBu31kHadXqC3rdDDU4j4/data"

    }

  ]

}

This confirms that the default bind values were applied successfully. 

Overriding Bind Values at Runtime

The real strength of this feature lies in the ability to override bind variables dynamically.
All you need to do is append query parameters to the URL, using the same bind variable names.

 

1.       Changing a Single Bind Variable

 

For example, to override only b1:

 

$ curl --location 'https://dataaccess.adb.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloudapps.com/adb/p/SSi8uslpyP4hikoPvJedQ9K6Jd-jGfC4hgY-tvdWWrqeu9TP_kPYoVkBu31kHadXqC3rdDDU4j4/data?b1=10'

 

{

  "items": [

    {

      "EMPNO": 7934,

      "ENAME": "MILLER",

      "JOB": "CLERK",

      "MGR": 7782,

      "HIREDATE": "1982-01-23T00:00:00",

      "SAL": 1300,

      "DEPTNO": 10

    }

  ],

  "hasMore": false,

  "limit": 1000,

  "offset": 0,

  "count": 1,

  "links": [

    {

      "rel": "self",

      "href": "https://dataaccess.adb.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloudapps.com/adb/p/SSi8uslpyP4hikoPvJedQ9K6Jd-jGfC4hgY-tvdWWrqeu9TP_kPYoVkBu31kHadXqC3rdDDU4j4/data?b1=10"

    }

  ]

}

 

Only the department number changed; the job remained 'CLERK' because we did not override b2.

 

2.       Changing Multiple Bind Variables

 

You can override as many bind values as needed:

 

$ curl --location 'https://dataaccess.adb.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloudapps.com/adb/p/SSi8uslpyP4hikoPvJedQ9K6Jd-jGfC4hgY-tvdWWrqeu9TP_kPYoVkBu31kHadXqC3rdDDU4j4/data?b1=20&b2=MANAGER'

 

{

  "items": [

    {

      "EMPNO": 7566,

      "ENAME": "JONES",

      "JOB": "MANAGER",

      "MGR": 7839,

      "HIREDATE": "1981-04-02T00:00:00",

      "SAL": 2975,

      "DEPTNO": 20

    }

  ],

  "hasMore": false,

  "limit": 1000,

  "offset": 0,

  "count": 1,

  "links": [

    {

      "rel": "self",

      "href": "https://dataaccess.adb.us-ashburn-1.oraclecloudapps.com/adb/p/SSi8uslpyP4hikoPvJedQ9K6Jd-jGfC4hgY-tvdWWrqeu9TP_kPYoVkBu31kHadXqC3rdDDU4j4/data?b1=20&b2=MANAGER"

    }

  ]

}

 

With just one hyperlink, we can now produce entirely different result sets depending on the runtime parameters. 

Use Cases for Runtime Bind Variables

This enhancement opens the door for several powerful scenarios:

·         Dynamic filtering for dashboards

o    Single URL can drive multiple filtered views

·         External system integrations

o    Supply parameters from REST clients without changing SQL

·         Lightweight report endpoints

o    Customize responses without creating multiple URLs

·         Secure parameterized access

o    Bind variables reduce SQL injection risks

·         Simplified API behaviour

o    Acts like a parameterized GET endpoint

 

If you're building applications that need controlled, query-based access to ADB data, this feature dramatically reduces overhead.

 

Bind variable support for Table Hyperlinks adds a powerful new dimension to how data can be accessed and filtered in Autonomous Database. With just one hyperlink, you can:

·         Define parameterized SQL

·         Provide default bind values

·         Override those values at runtime

·         Drive flexible, dynamic data retrieval from external systems

 

This makes Pre-Authenticated URLs a versatile tool for lightweight data APIs, automated pipelines, and integration workflows.