4. HTTP Request & API Nodes

Connect to any API.

20m Lesson 4 of 6

The HTTP Request node is arguably the most powerful node in n8n. It lets you connect to any REST API, even if n8n doesn't have a dedicated integration.

Capabilities

- All HTTP methods: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE
- Authentication: API Key, OAuth2, Bearer Token, Basic Auth
- Request body: JSON, Form Data, Binary
- Response handling: JSON, text, binary (files)
- Pagination: Built-in support for cursor and offset pagination

Code Examples

POST Request with JSON Body

json

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/contacts",
  "authentication": "predefinedCredentialType",
  "body": {
    "contentType": "json",
    "jsonBody": {
      "name": "={{ $json.full_name }}",
      "email": "={{ $json.email }}",
      "source": "n8n_automation"
    }
  }
}

Pro Tips

💡Enable "Batch Size" in the HTTP Request node to avoid rate limiting when processing many items

Comprehension Quiz

Answer 2 of 2 correctly to unlock lesson completion.

1. What makes the HTTP Request node especially powerful?

2. Which authentication method does the HTTP Request node NOT support?

Pass the quiz above to unlock lesson completion

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All lessons in this chapter

1. Trigger Nodes20m 2. Action Nodes & Integrations20m 3. Logic & Flow Control20m 4. HTTP Request & API Nodes20m 5. Code & Function Nodes20m 6. Community Nodes & Sub-Workflows20m