REST API Call

Estimated reading: 4 minutes

The REST API Call component is a mechanism for executing HTTP requests to external service APIs, enabling workflows to communicate with third-party applications, retrieve data, submit information, and trigger actions across distributed systems. It provides a standardized interface for integrating external services into Robility workflows using industry-standard REST protocols.

Functionality

HTTP Method Purpose Behavior When to Use
GET Retrieve data Requests information from a specified resource without modifying it (read-only operation). Fetching records, querying databases, retrieving status information, downloading files.
POST Create new resource Submits data to create a new resource on the server. Creating new records, submitting forms, uploading files, initiating processes.
PUT Replace resource Replaces an existing resource entirely with new data. Updating complete records, replacing configurations, overwriting files.
PATCH Modify resource Updates specific fields of an existing resource without replacing the entire object. Partial updates, changing specific attributes, incremental modifications.
DELETE Remove resource Permanently removes the specified resource from the server. Deleting records, removing files, canceling subscriptions, cleanup operations.
HEAD Retrieve headers Requests only the response headers without the body content. Checking resource availability, validating URLs, verifying metadata without downloading content.
OPTIONS Query capabilities Requests information about available communication methods and options for the target resource. Discovering API capabilities, CORS preflight checks, identifying supported methods.

Parameters

Controls Description
Endpoint Specifies the complete URL endpoint for the API call, including the base URL, path, and any resource identifiers (e.g., https://api.example.com/v1/users).
Tool Request (JSON String) Specifies the complete API request configuration in JSON format. Useful when AI agents dynamically construct API calls or when defining all request parameters in a single structured format.
HTTP Method Specifies the HTTP method defining the type of API operation.

Available methods:
• GET
• POST
• PUT
• DELETE
• PATCH
• HEAD
• OPTIONS
Headers Provide custom HTTP headers in JSON format (key-value pairs) used to send metadata such as Content-Type, Authorization, and Accept.
Request Body Format Specifies the format of the data sent in the request body.

None – No body content; typically used for GET, DELETE, or HEAD requests.
JSON – Structured key-value data; most common for modern APIs.
XML – Tag-based structured data; often used in legacy systems.
Form-data – Simple key-value pairs for form submissions.
x-www-form-urlencoded – URL-encoded key-value pairs used in traditional forms.
Binary – Raw file data (e.g., images, PDFs, videos).
Query Parameters Parameters in JSON format appended to the endpoint URL (e.g., ?page=1&limit=10). Used for filtering, sorting, pagination, or passing additional options.
Output Type Specifies the expected API response format parsed for downstream components:

• Auto-detect
• JSON
• XML
• HTML
• Plain Text
Auth Type Specifies the authentication method used to secure the API call.

Available options:
• None
• Basic Auth
• Bearer Token
• JWT Token
• Digest Auth
• API Key
• OAuth 2.0
Timeout (seconds) Maximum wait time before the API request is cancelled if no response is received (default: 30 seconds).
Verify SSL When enabled, validates the server’s SSL certificate for HTTPS endpoints. Disable only for testing with self-signed certificates.
Follow Redirects Determines whether HTTP redirect responses (3xx status codes) are automatically followed.

• Enabled – Automatically follows redirects and retrieves the final response.
• Disabled – Stops at the redirect and returns that response for manual handling.
Save to File Stores the full API response in a temporary file instead of workflow memory. Useful for large responses, downloads, or binary data.
Include Request Metadata Includes additional technical details in the output, such as:

• HTTP method used
• Request headers
• Execution time
• Other request metadata
Max Retries Maximum number of retry attempts for failed API requests before marking as failed (default: 0).
Retry Count Number of retry attempts after initial failure (default: 2).
Delay Between Retries (seconds) Wait time between consecutive retry attempts (default: 1 second).
Delay Before Execution (seconds) Wait time before initiating the API call after the component is triggered.
Delay After Execution (seconds) Wait time after the API call completes before moving to the next workflow step.
Continue on Error Determines workflow behavior when an error occurs:

Stop Workflow – Halts execution immediately.
Continue – Skips the failed component and proceeds.
Continue Using Error Output – Continues execution while capturing error details for logging or conditional handling.

Output Format

The output will be returned in two formats:

API Response – Returns the complete response including status code, headers, execution metadata, and timing information.

Response Body – Returns only the actual data content returned by the API, formatted according to the Output Type specified in the Controls section (JSON, XML, HTML, Plain Text, etc.).

Share this Doc

REST API Call

Or copy link

CONTENTS