Table of Contents
API request node overview
06. February 2026
Table of Contents
The API request node enables Flow to communicate with external systems by making HTTP API calls. By configuring API calls and mapping responses into variables, you can build dynamic workflows that enrich metadata, validate conditions, and automate communication with external tools.
You can include asset metadata as parameters in the request. For example, the ID in an HTTP POST request can be generated from the asset’s metadata.
Typical use cases include metadata enrichment using an external system, validation before continuing the workflow, and triggering remote actions such as notifications, updates, or lookups.
Example - metadata enrichment using an external collection system
For each new image during workflow processing, you can add an API node to make a request to a third party API system to find out :
- Who is the artist?
- Is the work under copyright?
- Which department owns this image?
Based on the data returned, Flow can map to API variables which can be used to fill in the copyright and usage metadata fields, and determine whether or not the image can be published.
What the API request node does
When added to a workflow, the node can:
- Request data from external APIs
- Send information from Flow to other systems
- Map parts of the API response into variables
- Use these variables later in the workflow (e.g., update metadata)
How the API request node works
The API request node sends an HTTP request to an external API. When the external API returns a response, you can extract specific values using JSONPath. Variables created in the API request node can be used in subsequent nodes, like Edit Metadata.
For more information, see Using the API request node.