Events node

The Events node lets you stream live data into your flow using WebSockets or server-sent events. It’s designed for real-time dashboards, monitoring tools, or any flow that reacts to updates as they happen.

What can it do?

• Connect to a WebSocket or event stream using a URL
• Continuously receive data as events occur
• Automatically emit a pulsating output — new data shows up live in your flow
• Supports optional headers, body content, and proxying for local setups

How to use it

1. Add an Events node to your flow.

2. Fill in the following settings:

   • URL – the WebSocket (ws:// or wss://) or event stream URL
   • Method – usually GET, but some event sources allow other methods
   • Headers – add auth tokens, custom headers, or content types
   • Body – optional; used if the event stream requires an initial payload
   • Proxy – enable this if you're running Datastripes locally and the source has CORS restrictions

3. Once connected, the node will start receiving data and output each event as it arrives — your flow reacts in real time.

Example

Imagine you're tracking live sensor data from a warehouse:

URL: wss://sensors.example.com/live
Method: GET
Headers:
{
  "Authorization": "Bearer abc123"
}

As sensor readings come in, they flow through the node as a pulsating stream, allowing you to filter, chart, or log them immediately.

Real-time output

• Each event is treated as a new row in your flow
• Works well with visual nodes (e.g., live charts or gauges)
• You can throttle, buffer, or transform the data downstream

Supported formats

Format	Parsed automatically?
JSON	✅ Yes
Text/event-stream	✅ Yes (if text payload is valid JSON)
XML/Text	🔶 Treated as raw string

Tips for using event streams

• Use WebSocket (ws:// or wss://) URLs for true bi-directional streaming
• Use Proxy = true for local development or CORS issues
• Many public services offer demo streams — try one to test (e.g., crypto price feeds, IoT simulators)
• Combine with filter or transform nodes to manage data volume

Use cases

• Real-time dashboards (metrics, logs, KPIs)
• Streaming stock prices or crypto data
• IoT devices or telemetry feeds
• Monitoring webhooks or event queues
• Chat messages, notifications, or social media feeds

Troubleshooting

• 🚫 Connection fails? Check the URL starts with ws://, wss://, or matches your event source format
• 🔄 No events? Some streams only send updates on change — try triggering an event manually
• 🔐 Auth problems? Make sure your headers are set correctly
• 🧪 Debugging? Test the stream URL in a tool like wscat or Postman

With the Events node, your flow becomes alive — always listening, always up-to-date.