REST Helper

Make API requests

Overview

The REST Helper enables quick and flexible RESTful API connections using GET, PUT, POST, DELETE and PATCH requests.

What is essential for you to understand

A RESTful API stands for

• REST = Representational State Transfer

• API = Application Programming Interface

It can be used to share resources and information between servers in a secure and structured manner. REST means that it follows an architectural style that promotes a simple and efficient way of providing and connecting web services. This architectural style includes several rules, such as the use of standard HTTP verbs and responses or the use of URI's (Uniform Resource Identifier).

REST Helper in 6 steps

1. Select a desired Action

Connect to any API and perform a desired task by using one of the following request methods:

• A PUT request can be used to update a resource in the targeted server.

• A GET request can be used to retreive a desired resource

• A POST request can be used to insert a new resource (called request body) into a defined location

• A DELETE request can be used to delete a desired resource

• A PATCH request is similar to the PUT method and can be used to update a resource in the targeted server.

2. Add your Connector Auth

The Connector Auth will let you access the target server. Learn how to set up your Connector Authentication here.

The Authentication will be rendered in the header in the following format:

"Authorization": "{{ auth_token }}"

Thus if the target API uses e.g. a Bearer token, the Auth Token should be filled with Bearer your_api_key.

3. Define your Endpoint URL

Here you define your mandatory URL that gives the location to which the API will send the request. The URL Endpoint is where the desired resource is located.

4. Headers

At this point you can define a request header. Request headers provide context information for the server. They can be used to indicate what kind of response format is expected or can serve as authentification.

5. Content Type

In the content type field, you can specify the type of the content of your request.

6. Error Handling

Finally, you have to decide how to handle request errors. If the button is set to false, the flow stops for any code other than 200, 201, 202, 204 (successful server answers). If set to true it continues even on a 404, 500 (error message), etc.

Example: