# HTTP Request Action

The **HTTP Request Action** node is the Swiss-Army knife for integrating Helmut with third-party REST APIs. It can send HTTP requests to any REST-based system and returns the full response (status code, headers, and body) to the stream for further processing.

#### Input Parameters

**Domain Name**\
Base URL (scheme + host, optionally port) of the target API.\
Example: `https://api.example.com` or `http://192.168.1.10:8080`

**Path**\
Endpoint path appended to the domain name.\
Example: `/v1/users`

**Method**\
HTTP verb to use: **GET**, **POST**, **PUT**, **PATCH**, **DELETE**

**Headers**\
Optional list of request headers in `Key:Value` format.\
Example: `Content-Type:application/json`

**Body**\
Optional request payload (typically JSON) for methods that support a body (POST/PUT/PATCH).

**Skip SSL/TLS Verification**\
If enabled, certificate validation is disabled for HTTPS requests (useful for self-signed certificates).

**Timeout**\
Maximum time (in seconds) to wait for a response.

**Async**\
Enables or disables asynchronous execution.

<figure><img src="https://content.gitbook.com/content/cJYkTyk9qgh7aCR6dHIm/blobs/7rucs2zIiwFQ6jpke7Ct/image.png" alt="" width="346"><figcaption><p>HTTP Request Action</p></figcaption></figure>

#### Output and Wildcards

The node captures the complete response and makes it available via:

* [{node.result.?}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/result-or-return-wildcards-2/node-result)
* [{stream.last\_result}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/result-or-return-wildcards-2/stream-last_result)

The response object is structured into:

* `code` — HTTP status code (e.g., 200, 404, 500)
* `headers` — response headers
* `body` — response payload (parsed JSON when applicable)

This structure makes it easy to extract only what you need by using the [JSON Extract Action](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/nodes/actions/misc-21/json-related-nodes-2/json-extract-action) node.

#### Typical Use Cases

* creating or updating records in external systems (MAM, CMS, ticketing, etc.)
* triggering webhooks or automation endpoints
* fetching metadata for workflow decisions
* sending job or delivery status updates
* authenticating and retrieving session tokens

#### Example Response (simplified)

A successful request typically returns an object like:

* `code`: `200`
* `headers`: response header map
* `body`: JSON payload (e.g., user object, token, created resource)

#### Important Notes

* The **Headers** field must be formatted correctly (`Key:Value`). Incorrect formatting may cause the request to fail or be interpreted incorrectly.
* Use **Skip SSL/TLS Verification** only when necessary (e.g., internal endpoints with self-signed certs). Disabling verification reduces security.
* For long-running endpoints, increase the **Timeout** or move the call to an asynchronous workflow path (e.g., Split Stream).

#### Practical Tip

If you need to chain multiple API calls (login → token → next request), store the returned token from `body` and re-use it in the next node’s headers (e.g., `Authorization: Bearer <token>`).

<details>

<summary><strong>Example node output</strong></summary>

```json
{
   "code":200,
   "headers":{
      "Transfer-Encoding":[
         "chunked"
      ],
      "null":[
         "HTTP/1.1 200 OK"
      ],
      "Version":[
         "4.10.0"
      ],
      "Vary":[
         "Access-Control-Request-Headers",
         "Access-Control-Request-Method",
         "Origin"
      ],
      "Date":[
         "Tue, 06 May 2025 11:51:02 GMT"
      ],
      "Content-Type":[
         "application/json"
      ]
   },
   "body":{
      "id":"5e21ed926d44e10001fdd2e4",
      "username":"admin",
      "displayname":"admin",
      "email":"admin",
      "lastLogin":"2025-05-06T07:04:54.585Z",
      "isConnected":false,
      "isFlowUser":false,
      "isRenderNode":false,
      "isActiveDirectoryUser":false,
      "isOktaUser":false,
      "role":"ADMIN",
      "os":"mac",
      "hostname":"MacBook-Pro.local",
      "clientVersion":"4.10.0.8",
      "clientSessionToken":"1952e144-c358-46e9-af22-ca4a6f596a19",
      "issuer":"http://192.18.122.20",
      "failedLoginAttempts":0
   }
}
```

</details>