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http-request

Make HTTP requests to external APIs and services.

http-request
output v1.0.0

Make HTTP requests to external APIs. Supports all methods, authentication, custom headers, and file uploads.

http api rest request fetch
Inputs
1
Outputs
1

Overview

The http-request node makes HTTP requests to external services. Use it to:

  • Call REST APIs - Fetch data, post updates, integrate with services
  • Send webhooks - Notify external systems of events
  • Download files - Fetch firmware, configurations, images
  • Upload data - Send sensor data to cloud platforms

Unlike http-in (which creates endpoints), http-request is for making outgoing requests to other servers.

Properties

Property Type Required Default Description
name string - - Display name for this node in the editor.
method string - GET HTTP method: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, HEAD, OPTIONS. Can be overridden by msg.method.
url string - - URL to request. Can be overridden by msg.url. Supports mustache templates.
tls config - - TLS configuration for HTTPS requests with custom certificates.
persist boolean - false Use persistent HTTP connections (keep-alive).
insecure boolean - false Allow connections to servers with invalid TLS certificates.
authType string - - Authentication type: "basic", "digest", "bearer", or empty.
senderr boolean - false Send errors as output instead of throwing.
headers object - {} Default headers to include in requests.
ret string - txt Response body format: "txt" (string), "bin" (buffer), "obj" (parsed JSON).

Inputs

Configure the request dynamically using message properties:

Property Type Description
msg.url string Request URL (overrides node config)
msg.method string HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.)
msg.payload any Request body (for POST, PUT, PATCH)
msg.headers object HTTP headers to include
msg.cookies object Cookies to send with request
msg.followRedirects boolean Whether to follow HTTP redirects
msg.requestTimeout number Request timeout in milliseconds

Outputs

The node outputs the HTTP response:

Output Message Format

{`{
  "payload": ,
  "statusCode": 200,
  "headers": {
    "content-type": "application/json",
    "x-ratelimit-remaining": "99"
  },
  "responseUrl": "https://api.example.com/data",
  "redirectList": [],
  "_msgid": ""
}`}

Authentication

The node supports several authentication methods:

Basic Username & Password

HTTP Basic authentication. Credentials are base64-encoded in the Authorization header. 

Authorization: Basic dXNlcm5hbWU6cGFzc3dvcmQ=
Bearer Token Authentication

OAuth 2.0 or API token authentication. Set token in node config or msg.headers. 

Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs...
API Key Header or Query Parameter

Pass API keys in headers or URL query parameters. 

// Header
msg.headers = { "X-API-Key": "your-api-key" };

// Query parameter
msg.url = "https://api.example.com/data?api_key=your-key";

Examples

GET Request - Weather API

Fetch current weather data from an external API.

Weather API

Fetches weather data and extracts temperature.

View Flow JSON 
[
  {
    "id": "inject1",
    "type": "inject",
    "name": "Get Weather",
    "payload": "",
    "repeat": "300",
    "wires": [["http1"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "http1",
    "type": "http-request",
    "name": "Weather API",
    "method": "GET",
    "url": "https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=London&appid={{env.WEATHER_API_KEY}}&units=metric",
    "ret": "obj",
    "wires": [["function1"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "function1",
    "type": "function",
    "name": "Extract Data",
    "func": "msg.payload = {\n  temperature: msg.payload.main.temp,\n  humidity: msg.payload.main.humidity,\n  description: msg.payload.weather[0].description,\n  city: msg.payload.name\n};\nreturn msg;",
    "wires": [["debug1"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "debug1",
    "type": "debug",
    "name": "Weather"
  }
]

POST JSON - Send Sensor Data

Post sensor readings to a cloud API.

Cloud Data Upload

Sends sensor data to a REST API endpoint.

View Flow JSON 
[
  {
    "id": "sensor1",
    "type": "dht22",
    "name": "DHT22",
    "pin": 4,
    "wires": [["function2"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "function2",
    "type": "function",
    "name": "Prepare Request",
    "func": "msg.url = 'https://api.example.com/v1/readings';\nmsg.headers = {\n  'Content-Type': 'application/json',\n  'X-API-Key': env.get('API_KEY')\n};\nmsg.payload = {\n  device_id: 'rpi-001',\n  temperature: msg.payload.temperature,\n  humidity: msg.payload.humidity,\n  timestamp: new Date().toISOString()\n};\nreturn msg;",
    "wires": [["http2"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "http2",
    "type": "http-request",
    "name": "Upload",
    "method": "POST",
    "ret": "obj",
    "wires": [["switch1"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "switch1",
    "type": "switch",
    "name": "Check Status",
    "property": "statusCode",
    "rules": [
      {"t": "eq", "v": "200"},
      {"t": "eq", "v": "201"},
      {"t": "else"}
    ],
    "outputs": 3,
    "wires": [["debug2"], ["debug2"], ["error1"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "debug2",
    "type": "debug",
    "name": "Success"
  },
  {
    "id": "error1",
    "type": "debug",
    "name": "Error"
  }
]

API with Bearer Token

Call an authenticated API using Bearer token.

Authenticated API Call

Uses Bearer token to access protected API endpoint.

View Flow JSON 
[
  {
    "id": "inject2",
    "type": "inject",
    "name": "Fetch Data",
    "wires": [["function3"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "function3",
    "type": "function",
    "name": "Set Auth",
    "func": "msg.url = 'https://api.example.com/v1/devices';\nmsg.headers = {\n  'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + env.get('API_TOKEN'),\n  'Accept': 'application/json'\n};\nreturn msg;",
    "wires": [["http3"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "http3",
    "type": "http-request",
    "name": "API Call",
    "method": "GET",
    "ret": "obj",
    "wires": [["debug3"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "debug3",
    "type": "debug",
    "name": "Devices"
  }
]

File Upload

Upload a file using multipart form data.

Image Upload

Uploads an image file to a storage API.

View Flow JSON 
[
  {
    "id": "file1",
    "type": "file-in",
    "name": "Read Image",
    "filename": "/tmp/capture.jpg",
    "format": "buffer",
    "wires": [["function4"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "function4",
    "type": "function",
    "name": "Prepare Upload",
    "func": "msg.headers = {\n  'Content-Type': 'image/jpeg',\n  'X-Filename': 'capture_' + Date.now() + '.jpg'\n};\nmsg.url = 'https://storage.example.com/upload';\n// payload is already the file buffer\nreturn msg;",
    "wires": [["http4"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "http4",
    "type": "http-request",
    "name": "Upload",
    "method": "POST",
    "ret": "obj",
    "wires": [["debug4"]]
  },
  {
    "id": "debug4",
    "type": "debug",
    "name": "Result"
  }
]

Troubleshooting

Request times out
  • Check network connectivity to the target server
  • Increase timeout with msg.requestTimeout = 30000
  • Verify firewall allows outbound connections
  • Test the URL with curl or a browser first
Getting 401 Unauthorized
  • Verify credentials/tokens are correct
  • Check the Authorization header format
  • Ensure tokens haven't expired
  • Debug msg.headers before the request to verify
Response body is empty
  • Some APIs return 204 No Content - check statusCode
  • Verify the response format setting (txt/bin/obj)
  • Check if API requires specific Accept headers
  • Debug the full response including headers
SSL/TLS certificate errors
  • For self-signed certs, configure TLS settings or enable "ignore SSL"
  • Ensure system CA certificates are up to date
  • Check certificate hasn't expired
  • Verify hostname matches certificate
JSON parse error on response

If using "parsed JSON" return type and the response isn't valid JSON:

  • Change return type to "text" and parse manually
  • Check response content-type header
  • Server may be returning an error page instead of JSON

Related Nodes

http-in input

Create HTTP endpoints.
function logic

Process API responses.
change logic

Set headers and URL parameters.