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Http Out

Returns the response to an Http Request received from the Http In node.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Input​

  • Body - Response payload or data (in the format you specify in the Headers option).
  • Headers - HTTP response headers.
  • Custom Headers - Custom HTTP response headers.
  • Cookies - HTTP response cookies.
  • Custom Cookies - Custom HTTP response cookies.
  • Attachment Path - Path of the file to attach to the response.
  • Status Code - HTTP status code.

How It Works​

The HTTP Out node sends responses back to HTTP In requests:

  1. Request Correlation:

    • Retrieves the unique request ID from the message (set by HTTP In)
    • Looks up the response channel associated with that request
    • Validates that the request still exists and is waiting for a response

  2. Response Building:

    • Validates status code is provided and non-zero
    • Collects body data (JSON object or string)
    • Merges headers from Headers input and Custom Headers
    • Merges cookies from Cookies input and Custom Cookies
    • Validates attachment file if provided (must exist and be a file, not directory)

  3. Header and Cookie Processing:

    • Iterates through custom headers and adds them to the response
    • Iterates through custom cookies and adds them to the response
    • Filters out reserved headers (content-length, user-agent)

  4. Response Delivery:

    • If attachment is specified, sends file as response
    • If body is a string, sends as plain text
    • If body is an object, sends as JSON
    • Sets all headers and cookies
    • Returns response to the waiting HTTP client

Requirements​

  • HTTP In Node: Must be preceded by an HTTP In node in the flow
  • Request ID: Message must contain the ID from HTTP In (automatically included)
  • Status Code: Must be a valid, non-zero HTTP status code (e.g., 200, 404, 500)
  • Attachment File: If provided, must be a valid file path (not a directory)

Error Handling​

Error CodeDescriptionSolution
Core.Net.HttpOut.ErrOnCreateConfiguration parsing failed during node creationCheck node configuration in the flow
Core.Net.HttpOut.OnMessageMessage parsing errorVerify message format is valid JSON
Core.Net.HttpOut.ErrRequestRequest not found or already responded toEnsure HTTP In preceded this node and response wasn't already sent
Core.Net.HttpOut.ErrStatusInvalid status code (zero or missing)Provide a valid HTTP status code
Core.Net.HttpOut.InvalidHeaderCustom header configuration errorCheck custom headers format and values
Core.Net.HttpOut.InvalidCookieCustom cookie configuration errorCheck custom cookies format and values
Core.Net.HttpOut.ErrAttachmentAttachment file not found or is a directoryVerify file path exists and points to a file

Usage Examples​

Example 1: Simple JSON Response​

// Responding to an HTTP In request
msg.status = 200;
msg.body = {
  success: true,
  message: "User created successfully",
  userId: 12345
};
msg.headers = {
  "Content-Type": "application/json"
};
// After node execution:
// HTTP client receives 200 OK with JSON body

Example 2: Error Response with Custom Headers​

// Handle error case
msg.statusCode = 400;
msg.responseBody = {
  error: "Invalid input",
  details: "Email address is required"
};
msg.responseHeaders = {
  "Content-Type": "application/json",
  "X-Error-Code": "VALIDATION_ERROR"
};
// After node execution:
// HTTP client receives 400 Bad Request

Example 3: File Download Response​

// Send a file as response
msg.status = 200;
msg.attachmentPath = "/home/user/reports/monthly-report.pdf";
msg.headers = {
  "Content-Type": "application/pdf",
  "Content-Disposition": "attachment; filename=report.pdf"
};
// After node execution:
// HTTP client receives the PDF file for download

Usage Notes​

  • Status Code Required: Status code must be provided and cannot be zero
  • Response Types: Supports JSON objects, plain text strings, and file attachments
  • Header Filtering: content-length and user-agent headers are automatically filtered
  • Cookie Expiration: Cookies are set with 24-hour expiration by default
  • One Response Per Request: Each HTTP In request can only be responded to once
  • Request ID: The request ID is automatically carried through the message
  • Attachment Priority: If attachment is specified, body is ignored
  • Custom vs Regular: Custom headers/cookies are merged with regular headers/cookies
  • Header Case: Header names preserve their case as specified

Tips​

  • Always set appropriate Content-Type headers for your response
  • Use standard HTTP status codes (200 for success, 4xx for client errors, 5xx for server errors)
  • Set CORS headers if needed for browser-based clients
  • Use file attachments for large binary data instead of encoding in JSON
  • Combine with HTML Template node for dynamic HTML responses
  • Set descriptive error messages in response body
  • Include request tracking IDs in responses for debugging
  • Use cookies for session management and authentication tokens
  • Clean up request ID after sending response (automatically handled)
  • Test different status codes to ensure proper error handling
  • HTTP In - Required preceding node to receive requests
  • HTML Template - Generate HTML content for responses
  • JSON - Format response data as JSON
  • File Operations - Read files before sending as attachments
  • Conditional - Route to different responses based on request data