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Form post

Function: Form post​

This action allows your application to send data to an external web service using a "Form Post" method. This is commonly used for submitting information, like filling out a web form, to another system. You can specify the destination, the data to send, and how to authenticate your request, then capture the response from the external service.

Input​

  • Authentication Method: Choose how your application will prove its identity to the external service.

    • Basic authentication: Requires a Username and Password.
    • Bearer Token: Requires a Token.
    • API Token: Requires a Token.
    • None: No authentication is used.
    • Default Value: None

  • Username: (Only visible if "Basic authentication" is selected) The username required for "Basic authentication" with the external service.

  • Password: (Only visible if "Basic authentication" is selected) The password required for "Basic authentication" with the external service.

  • Token: (Only visible if "Bearer Token" or "API Token" is selected) The security token or API key needed to authenticate with the external service.

  • Headers: Additional information sent with your request, often used for specifying content types or other metadata. This should be provided as a collection of key-value pairs.

  • Endpoint URL: The complete web address (URL) where the data will be sent. This is a required input.

  • Query parameters: Extra pieces of information that are appended to the Endpoint URL, typically used for filtering or identifying resources (e.g., ?id=123&category=books). This should be provided as a collection of key-value pairs.

  • Request body: The main data you want to send to the external service, structured as a form. This should be provided as a collection of key-value pairs.

  • Expected Response Type: Specify the format you expect the external service to send its reply in.

    • JSON: A structured data format commonly used for web services.
    • Text: Plain text.
    • List: A collection of items.
    • Default Value: JSON

Output​

  • Response Variable Name: The name of the variable where the reply from the external service will be stored. The content of this variable will match the "Expected Response Type" you selected.

  • Response Data Format: Describes the expected structure of the data returned by the external service. This helps the platform understand and work with the received data.

  • Status Variable Name: The name of the variable that will hold the outcome of this action. Possible values include:

    • SUCCESS: The data was sent successfully, and a response was received.
    • BAD_REQUEST: The data sent was invalid or malformed.
    • UNAUTHORIZED: The authentication credentials provided were incorrect or insufficient.
    • NOT_FOUND: The Endpoint URL could not be reached or does not exist.
    • Default Value: STATUS

Execution Flow​

Real-Life Examples​

Example 1: Submitting a New Customer Lead​

Imagine you have a form in your application where users can submit new customer leads. You want to send this information to your external Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

  • Inputs:

    • Authentication Method: Bearer Token
    • Token: your_crm_api_key_123
    • Endpoint URL: https://api.crmsystem.com/v1/leads
    • Request body: 
      \{
        "firstName": "Alice",
        "lastName": "Smith",
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "company": "Acme Corp"
      \}
    • Expected Response Type: JSON
    • Response Variable Name: crmResponse
    • Status Variable Name: leadSubmissionStatus

  • Result: A new lead for "Alice Smith" is created in your CRM system. The leadSubmissionStatus variable will be SUCCESS, and the crmResponse variable will contain the JSON response from the CRM, likely including the new lead's ID.

Example 2: Updating Product Inventory​

You need to update the stock quantity for a product in your e-commerce platform after a sale.

  • Inputs:

    • Authentication Method: API Token
    • Token: ecommerce_secret_token_xyz
    • Endpoint URL: https://api.ecommerce.com/products/update-inventory
    • Request body: 
      \{
        "productId": "PROD-001",
        "quantityChange": -1,
        "warehouseId": "WH-A"
      \}
    • Expected Response Type: Text
    • Status Variable Name: inventoryUpdateStatus

  • Result: The inventory for product "PROD-001" in warehouse "WH-A" is decreased by one unit in the e-commerce system. The inventoryUpdateStatus variable will be SUCCESS.

Example 3: Registering for an Event with Basic Authentication​

Your application allows users to register for events, and the event management system uses basic authentication.

  • Inputs:

    • Authentication Method: Basic authentication
    • Username: event_admin
    • Password: securePassword123
    • Endpoint URL: https://events.example.org/register
    • Request body: 
      \{
        "eventId": "EVT-2023-005",
        "attendeeName": "Bob Johnson",
        "attendeeEmail": "[email protected]"
      \}
    • Expected Response Type: JSON
    • Response Variable Name: eventRegistrationDetails
    • Status Variable Name: registrationOutcome

  • Result: Bob Johnson is successfully registered for event "EVT-2023-005". The registrationOutcome variable will be SUCCESS, and the eventRegistrationDetails variable will contain the JSON confirmation from the event system, such as a registration ID or confirmation message.