Connecting to HTTP Request as an External Data Source

Like other external data sources, HTTP request allows you to automate the creation of message content. This request uploads and sends contact data from Reteno to other systems, and vice versa, transfers data from third-party systems to Reteno. With its help, you can refer to your API, which will process the request and return personalization data to the message, for example, a personal promo code. The Velocity language is used to transfer data.

Creating Data Source

  1. In your account settings, open the Data Sources tab, click on the New data source button and select External data source.
Data sources page showing the account Settings menu open and the New data source dropdown with External data source highlighted.
  1. In the pop-up window, select HTTP request.
Where is your data? popup listing BigQuery, PostgreSQL, Google Sheets, and HTTP request, with HTTP request highlighted.

Setting Up Connection

  1. Give an arbitrary name to the data source.
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Important

  • The name may contain only Latin letters (A–Z, a–z), digits (0–9), and the underscore _.
  • The name cannot start with a digit.
  • The use of spaces or special characters is not allowed.
  1. Add a description if necessary.
  2. Select the type of request: GET or POST.
  3. Enter the URL to be requested (HTTPS only). You can refer to contact fields and event parameters.
Data source setup form with numbered name, description, and request type fields, showing the GET/POST dropdown and URL field.
  1. If your application reads parameters from headers, activate the corresponding switcher. Then specify the required parameters and their values.
Data source form with the Pass parameters in headers switch enabled and a contactID parameter mapped to $CONTACT_ID.
  1. To configure authentication, activate the corresponding switcher. There are four types of authentication available:
  • Basic,
  • Bearer token,
  • API key (in headers or the query string),
  • OAuth 2.0.

Specify the connector name. Select the authentication type. Enter your credentials (login and password/token/key). Click on the Done button.

Authentication connector setup form with connector name, Basic authentication type, login, and password fields.
  1. If your application reads parameters from the request body, activate the corresponding switcher, enter the request body in the text area and specify the format: JSON, XML or text.
Data source form with API key authentication enabled and the Pass JSON in request body switch turned on.

Testing Connection

Select an event from the history or manually paste the request body for testing.

Sending POST request dialog with the Dynamic data step set to Select event instead of Paste request body.

More on adding data to a message >


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