Call an HTTP Service (APIs, Rest)

HTTP task allows for making calls to remote services exposed over HTTP/HTTPS.

Definitions

  {
    "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": {
        "If-Range": "${workflow.input.range}"
      },
      "body": {
        "key": "value"
      }
    },
    "cacheConfig": {
      "ttlInSecond": 2500,
      "key": "cache-key"
    },
    "optional": false,
    "asyncComplete": true
  }

Input Parameters

Attribute	Description
uri	Provide the URI for the service. It can be a partial value when using vipAddress or it can be the server address.
method	Choose the HTTP method. Conductor supports the methods: GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, OPTIONS, and TRACE.
accept	Provide the accept header as required by the server. The supported types are: 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 By default, it is set to application/json. You can also pass any other headers as variables.
contentType	Provide the content type for the server. The supported types are: 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 By default, it is set to application/json. You can also pass this parameter as a variable.
headers	A map of additional HTTP headers to be sent along with the request. The supported types are: 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
body	Request body when using POST, PUT, or PATCH. It can be added as text ("body": "text") or parameters such as string, number, boolean, null, or object/array.
encode	Determines whether the URI needs encoding. When set to true (the default), the Conductor will automatically encode the query parameters before sending the HTTP request. Set this to false if the URI is already encoded. In this case, the Conductor will assume the query parameters are properly encoded and pass them to the HTTP endpoint as specified in the URI.
cacheConfig	Enabling this option allows saving the cache output of the task. On enabling, you can provide the following parameters: ttlInSecond - Provide the time to live in seconds. You can also pass this parameter as a variable. key - Provide the cache key, which is a string with parameter substitution based on the task input. You can also pass this parameter as a variable.
optional	Enabling this option renders the task optional. The workflow continues unaffected by the task's outcome, whether it fails or remains incomplete.
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.

Output Parameters

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

Examples

UI

1. Add task type HTTP.
2. Configure the task by choosing method, endpoint, headers, etc.

JSON

{
     "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": {
         "If-Range": "${workflow.input.range}"
       },
       "body": {
         "key": "value"
       }
     },
     "cacheConfig": {
       "ttlInSecond": 2500,
       "key": "cache-key"
     },
     "optional": false,
     "asyncComplete": true
   }

Sample Task Definition for sending a POST request

    {
      "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"
    }

Sample Workflow utilizing “Async Complete” option

The "asyncComplete" option in the HTTP task configuration allows tasks to be marked as completed asynchronously, providing flexibility in workflow execution. Let's examine a detailed example to better understand its implementation.

Here’s a sample workflow with “asynComplete” set to “true”:

{
 "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",
         "accept": "application/json",
         "contentType": "application/json"
       }
     },
     "type": "HTTP",
     "asyncComplete": true
   }
 ],
 "schemaVersion": 2,
 "ownerEmail": "devrel@orkes.io"
}

Now, let’s run this in the Playground.

Run in Orkes 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. There are various methods to update the task status to complete:

Using API

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

Utilize this workflowId along with the taskRefName to complete the task through the following API:

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

Another method is to directly update from the UI.

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.