diff --git a/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/api/WorkerConnection.java b/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/api/WorkerConnection.java
index f9611a1bc57..52a636ce8a8 100644
--- a/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/api/WorkerConnection.java
+++ b/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/api/WorkerConnection.java
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ public void onError(Throwable throwable) {
         info.failureHandled(throwable.toString());
     }
 
-    public Promise<JsVariableDefinition> getVariableDefinition(String name, String type) {
+    public Promise<JsVariableDefinition> getVariableDefinition(String name, @Nullable String type) {
         LazyPromise<JsVariableDefinition> promise = new LazyPromise<>();
 
         final class Listener implements Consumer<JsVariableChanges> {
@@ -705,11 +705,11 @@ final class Listener implements Consumer<JsVariableChanges> {
             public void accept(JsVariableChanges changes) {
                 JsVariableDefinition foundField = changes.getCreated()
                         .find((field, p1, p2) -> field.getTitle().equals(name)
-                                && field.getType().equalsIgnoreCase(type));
+                                && (type == null || field.getType().equalsIgnoreCase(type)));
 
                 if (foundField == null) {
                     foundField = changes.getUpdated().find((field, p1, p2) -> field.getTitle().equals(name)
-                            && field.getType().equalsIgnoreCase(type));
+                            && (type == null || field.getType().equalsIgnoreCase(type)));
                 }
 
                 if (foundField != null) {
@@ -789,20 +789,15 @@ public Promise<?> getJsObject(JsPropertyMap<Object> definitionObject) {
             return getObject((JsVariableDefinition) definitionObject);
         }
 
-        if (!definitionObject.has("type")) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("no type field; could not getObject");
-        }
-        String type = definitionObject.getAsAny("type").asString();
-
+        String type = definitionObject.has("type") ? definitionObject.getAsAny("type").asString() : null;
         boolean hasName = definitionObject.has("name");
         boolean hasId = definitionObject.has("id");
         if (hasName && hasId) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("has both name and id field; could not getObject");
         } else if (hasName) {
             String name = definitionObject.getAsAny("name").asString();
-            return getVariableDefinition(name, type)
-                    .then(this::getObject);
-        } else if (hasId) {
+            return getVariableDefinition(name, type).then(this::getObject);
+        } else if (hasId && type != null) {
             String id = definitionObject.getAsAny("id").asString();
             return getObject(new JsVariableDefinition(type, null, id, null));
         } else {
diff --git a/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeConnection.java b/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeConnection.java
index a32b290c613..1b7c13688ae 100644
--- a/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeConnection.java
+++ b/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeConnection.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.WorkerConnection;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.barrage.stream.ResponseStreamWrapper;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsVariableChanges;
+import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsVariableDefinition;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsVariableDescriptor;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.fu.JsLog;
 import io.deephaven.web.shared.data.ConnectToken;
@@ -130,11 +131,30 @@ public Promise<IdeConnection> running() {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets an object from the server, given a definition object. The definition object you can get:
+     * - From {@link #getVariableDefinition(String)}, or
+     * - Returned from a {@link #subscribeToFieldUpdates(JsConsumer)} callback, or
+     * - Created manually, see {@link JsVariableDefinition}
+     * @param definitionObject A VariableDefinition object. See {@link JsVariableDefinition}
+     * @return Promise that will resolve to the object being fetched
+     */
     public Promise<?> getObject(@TsTypeRef(JsVariableDescriptor.class) JsPropertyMap<Object> definitionObject) {
         WorkerConnection conn = connection.get();
         return onConnected().then(e -> conn.getJsObject(definitionObject));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets a variable definition from the server, given a name. Can be used to get the type of the variable, and then
+     * use {@link #getObject(JsPropertyMap)} to get the actual object by passing in the definition returned from this.
+     * @param name Name of the variable to get the definition for
+     * @return Promise that will resolve to the variable definition, or reject if it is not found.
+     */
+    public Promise<JsVariableDefinition> getVariableDefinition(String name) {
+        WorkerConnection conn = connection.get();
+        return onConnected().then(e -> conn.getVariableDefinition(name, null));
+    }
+
     public JsRunnable subscribeToFieldUpdates(JsConsumer<JsVariableChanges> callback) {
         // Need to make sure the connection is initialized and connected
         WorkerConnection conn = connection.get();
diff --git a/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeSession.java b/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeSession.java
index 6d8e1b69cb0..2b1af2a1a00 100644
--- a/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeSession.java
+++ b/web/client-api/src/main/java/io/deephaven/web/client/ide/IdeSession.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.barrage.stream.BiDiStream;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsCommandResult;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsVariableChanges;
+import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsVariableDefinition;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsVariableDescriptor;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.console.JsVariableType;
 import io.deephaven.web.client.api.tree.JsTreeTable;
@@ -138,6 +139,10 @@ public Promise<JsTreeTable> getHierarchicalTable(String name) {
                 .then(connection::getTreeTable);
     }
 
+    public Promise<JsVariableDefinition> getVariableDefinition(String name) {
+        return connection.getVariableDefinition(name, null);
+    }
+
     public Promise<?> getObject(@TsTypeRef(JsVariableDescriptor.class) JsPropertyMap<Object> definitionObject) {
         return connection.getJsObject(definitionObject);
     }