HTTP

The HTTP task is used to make calls to remote services exposed over HTTP/HTTPS. It supports various HTTP methods, headers, body content, and other configurations needed for interacting with APIs or remote services.

The HTTP task evaluates the parameters provided, constructs the HTTP request accordingly, and sends it to the specified URI. It handles the response by extracting useful information like status code, headers, and body content, which can be used in subsequent tasks in the workflow.

Task parameters

Configure these parameters for the HTTP task.

Parameter	Description	Required/ Optional
inputParameters.uri	The URI for the service. It can be a partial value when using vipAddress or it can be the server address.	Required.
inputParameters.method	The HTTP method. Supported methods: GET HEAD POST PUT PATCH DELETE OPTIONS TRACE	Required.
inputParameters.accept	The accept header required by the server. The default value is application/json. Supported types: application/java-archive application/EDI-X12 application/EDIFACT application/javascript application/octet-stream application/ogg application/pdf application/xhtml+xml application/x-shockwave-flash application/json application/ld+json application/xml application/zip application/x-www-form-urlencoded audio/mpeg audio/x-ms-wma audio/vnd.rn-realaudio audio/x-wav image/gif image/jpeg image/png image/tiff image/vnd.microsoft.icon image/x-icon image/vnd.djvu image/svg+xml You can pass any other headers as variables.	Optional.
inputParameters.contentType	The content type for the server. The default value is application/json. Supported types: application/java-archive application/EDI-X12 application/EDIFACT application/javascript application/octet-stream application/ogg application/pdf application/xhtml+xml application/x-shockwave-flash application/json application/ld+json application/xml application/zip application/x-www-form-urlencoded audio/mpeg audio/x-ms-wma audio/vnd.rn-realaudio audio/x-wav image/gif image/jpeg image/png image/tiff image/vnd.microsoft.icon image/x-icon image/vnd.djvu image/svg+xml You can pass this as variables.	Optional.
inputParameters.headers	A map of additional HTTP headers to be sent along with the request. Supported types: Accept-Language Authorization Cache Control Content-MD5 From If-Match If-Modified-Since If-None-Match Max-Forwards Pragma If-Range If-Unmodified-Since Proxy-Authorization Range Warning x-api-key Accept-Charset Accept-Encoding Accept-Control-Request-Headers Accept-Control-Request-Method Content-Transfer-Encoding Expect Transfer-Encoding Trailer	Optional.
inputParameters.body	The request body for POST, PUT, or PATCH methods. Can be text or parameters such as string, number, boolean, null, or object/array.	Required for POST, PUT, or PATCH.
inputParameters.encode	Determines whether the URI needs encoding. When set to true, the Conductor will automatically encode the query parameters before sending the HTTP request. Set this to false if the URI is already encoded. The default value is true.	Optional.
inputParameters.asyncComplete	When turned on, task completion occurs asynchronously, with the task remaining in progress while waiting for external APIs or events to complete the task.	Optional.

Task configuration

This is the task configuration for an HTTP task.

{
  "name": "http",
  "taskReferenceName": "http_ref",
  "type": "HTTP",
  "inputParameters": {
    "uri": "https://orkes-api-tester.orkesconductor.com/api",
    "method": "GET",
    "accept": "application/json",
    "contentType": "application/json",
    "encode": true,
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer ${workflow.secrets.api_key}",
      "Accept": "application/json"
    },
    "body": {
      "key": "value"
    }
  },
  "asyncComplete": true
}

Task output

The HTTP task will return the following parameters.

Parameter	Description
response	A JSON object representing the response, if present.
headers	An object containing the metadata about the response.
statusCode	The HTTP status code indicating success or failure of the request.
reasonPhrase	The reason phrase associated with the HTTP status code.
body	The response body containing the data returned by the API.

Adding an HTTP task in UI

To add an HTTP task:

1. In your workflow, select the (+) icon and add an HTTP task.
2. Choose the HTTP method for sending requests from the Method drop-down.
3. In URL, add the URI to be called by the HTTP task.
4. In Accept, select the accept header as required by the server.
5. In Content-Type, select the content type for the server.
6. (Optional) In Other-headers, add any additional HTTP headers to be sent along with the request.
7. In Body, add the request body when using PUT, POST, or PATCH method.
8. (Optional) Enable or disable Encode to specify if the URI needs to be encoded.
9. (Optional) Set Async complete to true if the task is to be completed asynchronously.

Examples

Here are some examples for using the HTTP task.

Sending a POST request

Sample workflow for sending an HTTP POST request:

//task definition

{
  "name": "http_post_example",
  "taskReferenceName": "post_example",
  "inputParameters": {
    "http_request": {
      "uri": "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/",
      "method": "POST",
      "body": {
        "title": "${get_example.output.response.body.title}",
        "userId": "${get_example.output.response.body.userId}",
        "action": "doSomething"
      }
    }
  },
  "type": "HTTP"
}

Orchestrating Long-Running APIs

Explore the full tutorial on orchestrating long-running APIs.

Sample Workflow using ‘Async Complete’ option

The asyncComplete option in the HTTP task configuration allows tasks to be marked as completed asynchronously, providing flexibility in workflow execution. Here's an example enabling ‘asyncComplete’:

{
  "name": "async_complete_example",
  "description": "Edit or extend this sample workflow. Set the workflow name to get started",
  "version": 1,
  "tasks": [
    {
      "name": "http_task_85tf2",
      "taskReferenceName": "http_task_85tf2_ref",
      "inputParameters": {
        "http_request": {
          "uri": "https://orkes-api-tester.orkesconductor.com/api",
          "method": "GET",
          "connectionTimeOut": 3000,
          "readTimeOut": "3000",
          "accept": "application/json",
          "contentType": "application/json"
        }
      },
      "type": "HTTP",
      "asyncComplete": true
    }
  ],
  "schemaVersion": 2,
  "ownerEmail": "john.doe@acme.com"
}

Now, let’s run this in the Developer Playground.

Run in Orkes Developer Playground

1. Under Workflow Name, choose async_complete_example.
2. Click Run Workflow.

Upon execution, the HTTP task remains “Scheduled” instead of completing immediately, allowing for asynchronous completion. The task can be completed using various methods:

Using API

Once the workflow runs, note the generated workflowId displayed near the workflow name on the execution page.

Use this workflowId along with the taskRefName to complete the task via the following API:

POST /api/tasks/{workflowId}/{taskRefName}/{status}

From Conductor UI

From the workflow execution page, click on the task and manually update the status to “COMPLETED.”

Employing these methods allows you to asynchronously complete your workflow, which is beneficial when pausing the workflow for external interventions.