# API Call
**Action ID:** `api_call`
## Description
Call an API with custom headers, body, and request method. This node allows you to make HTTP requests to external APIs with full control over the request configuration.
## Input Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| -------------- | -------- | :------: | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| url | string | ✓ | - | The URL to call. |
| method | dropdown | ✓ | - | The method to call the API. Available options: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE |
| headers | object | - | - | The headers to send in the API call in JSON format. |
| body | object | - | - | The body to send in the API call. |
| timeout | integer | - | 30 | The timeout in seconds for the API call. Range: 1 to 599 |
| response\_type | dropdown | - | json | The response type of the API call. Available options: json, string |
View JSON Schema
```json
{
"description": "Input for API call node.",
"properties": {
"url": {
"title": "Url to call",
"type": "string",
"description": "The URL to call."
},
"method": {
"title": "Method",
"type": "string",
"enum": [
"GET",
"POST",
"PUT",
"PATCH",
"DELETE"
],
"description": "The method to call the API."
},
"headers": {
"default": null,
"title": "Headers",
"type": "object",
"description": "The headers to send in the API call in JSON format."
},
"body": {
"default": null,
"title": "Body",
"type": "object",
"description": "The body to send in the API call."
},
"timeout": {
"default": 30,
"minimum": 1,
"exclusiveMaximum": 600,
"title": "Timeout",
"type": "integer",
"description": "The timeout in seconds for the API call."
},
"response_type": {
"default": "json",
"enum": [
"json",
"string"
],
"title": "Response Type",
"type": "string",
"description": "The response type of the API call."
}
},
"required": [
"url",
"method"
],
"title": "ApiCallNodeInput",
"type": "object"
}
```
## Output Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
| -------------- | ---------------- | --------------------------------- |
| status\_code | integer | The status code of the API call |
| response\_body | object or string | The response body of the API call |
View JSON Schema
```json
{
"description": "Node output for API call node.",
"properties": {
"status_code": {
"title": "Status Code",
"type": "integer",
"description": "The status code of the API call."
},
"response_body": {
"title": "Response Body",
"description": "The response body of the API call."
}
},
"required": [
"status_code",
"response_body"
],
"title": "ApiCallNodeOutput",
"type": "object"
}
```
## How It Works
This node constructs an HTTP request with your specified method, URL, headers, and body, then sends it to the target API endpoint. It waits for the API to respond within the timeout period and captures the response status code and body. The response is returned as either JSON (parsed) or raw string text based on your response\_type setting.
## Usage Examples
### Example 1: Simple GET Request
**Input:**
```
url: "https://api.example.com/users/123"
method: "GET"
response_type: "json"
```
**Output:**
```
status_code: 200
response_body: {
"id": 123,
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john@example.com"
}
```
### Example 2: POST Request with Body and Headers
**Input:**
```
url: "https://api.example.com/users"
method: "POST"
headers: {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Authorization": "Bearer token123"
}
body: {
"name": "Jane Smith",
"email": "jane@example.com",
"role": "admin"
}
response_type: "json"
```
**Output:**
```
status_code: 201
response_body: {
"id": 456,
"name": "Jane Smith",
"email": "jane@example.com",
"created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}
```
### Example 3: DELETE Request with Authentication
**Input:**
```
url: "https://api.example.com/users/123"
method: "DELETE"
headers: {
"Authorization": "Bearer token123"
}
timeout: 15
response_type: "json"
```
**Output:**
```
status_code: 204
response_body: {}
```
## Common Use Cases
* **Third-Party Integrations**: Connect to external APIs like payment processors, shipping providers, or email services
* **Data Retrieval**: Fetch data from remote sources like weather APIs, databases, or content management systems
* **Creating Resources**: Send data to APIs to create new records in external systems
* **Data Updates**: Update information in external systems or databases through API calls
* **Webhook Notifications**: Send data to webhook URLs to notify external systems about workflow events
* **API Aggregation**: Combine data from multiple APIs in a single workflow
## Error Handling
| Error Type | Cause | Solution |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Connection Timeout | API didn't respond within the timeout period | Increase timeout value or check if the API server is reachable |
| Invalid URL | URL format is incorrect or malformed | Verify the URL format starts with http\:// or https\:// |
| Authentication Failed | Invalid or missing credentials in headers | Check your Authorization header and API key validity |
| Rate Limit | Too many requests sent to the API | Implement delays between calls or check API rate limit documentation |
| Malformed Body | JSON body has syntax errors | Validate JSON structure and ensure all required fields are present |
| Network Error | Cannot connect to the host or DNS resolution failed | Verify the domain is correct and the API endpoint is accessible |
## Notes
* **HTTP Methods**: Choose the appropriate HTTP method based on the API's requirements. GET is commonly used for fetching data, POST for creating resources, PUT for updating, and DELETE for removing.
* **Headers**: Include necessary headers such as Authorization, Content-Type, or custom headers required by the API.
* **Response Format**: Select "json" for APIs that return JSON objects or arrays. Use "string" for plain text responses.
* **Timeout**: Set an appropriate timeout based on the expected response time. The default 30 seconds works for most APIs.
* **Error Handling**: Check the status\_code in the response to handle errors. HTTP status codes 200-299 indicate success, while 400+ indicate errors.
* **Security**: Never include sensitive credentials directly in the URL; use headers like Authorization instead.
---
# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://docs.agenticflow.ai/reference/nodes/api_call.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.