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HTTP: Connecting to your application's API

Modified on: Fri, Nov 18, 2016 at 6:57 AM


Connecting to your application's API using HTTP

How to create a secure connection to your application data using Workato


HTTP connector allows users to connect to their favourite application's API to extend the usage of Workato recipe. Users can do so with Workato's HTTP Connector.

HTTP_action_1.png


Connecting APIs

In order to send and receive data to your application, you will first need to create a connection to your account's data via the application's API. This requires you to understand and decipher the methods of connection. 

Workato provides two types of Connectors, HTTP and HTTP (OAuth2).  This article will focus on the HTTP Action that is non-OAuth2


To learn more about determining the method of connection for your application, check out this tutorial on determining which action should you use.


Establishing the non-OAuth2 connection is slightly more complex - you would have to select the authentication type specific to the application you're attempting to integrate with. 


The following options are available: 

  • None
  • Basic 
  • Header Auth
  • Query Params
  • Custom




  1. None

    None allows you to create a connection without providing any authentication details.



This is usually the case when the action is used for setting up a webhook trigger where Workato would just listen for webhooks sent to a specific URL and retrieve information from the webhook payload. 
However, in the most usual scenarios, it is necessary for you to provide authentication credentials..


  1. Basic
    Basic authentication usually requires your username and password. An alternative to this would be using API key or API token - where this key or token should be placed would depend on the application you're connecting to - some apps specify that the API key be placed in the user field, some apps specify that the API key be placed in the password field. This is encoded with Base64 in transit.

Example of using Basic authentication method for connecting API is JIRA. Here's a snapshot from JIRA's API documen
tation : 

auth_jira_basic.PNG


     One way to identify a Basic authentication is looking out for terms such as API Key, Username:Password, API User + API Key combinations. Here is an example of how you can connect to JIRA using Basic Authentication as their method of authentication.

Things to look out for to determine if basic authentication method is correct : 
  • The term : "Basic Authentication"
  • Keywords such as "username and passwords", "username and API-Key", "user-ID and user Key" or something similar.

  1. Header Auth

    Header auth authentication type is for applications which require additional headers outside of the usual username and password or API key, or if you want to customize the headers sent in the request. Header authentication can be used when you have a generated token ready for use. All you'll need to do is add this token to the Header authorization field with the appropriate key name, one per line as the hint specified.


  2. Query params

    This connection type is useful when the authentication structure is based on validating an API key as a parameter. What you need to do is to add the parameter key/value pair in the params authorization field and you are good to go.


     



  3. Custom
    Custom authentication is when none of the above fits your application's connection requirements, or if you wish to have more flexibility over the authentication request sent to the application, as it exposes all the different fields available. 


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