URL node

The URL node lets you connect to any web-based data source — such as APIs, public datasets, or internal services — by simply providing a URL. It’s perfect for pulling live data directly into your flow, with full control over the request details.

What can it do?

• Connect to public or private APIs using GET, POST, or other methods.
• Include headers, body data, or authentication tokens in your request.
• Automatically parse the response into a structured dataset.
• Optionally use a proxy if you're running Datastripes locally and need to bypass CORS restrictions.

How to use it

1. Drag a URL node into your flow.
2. Enter the request details:
   • URL – the web address of the data source.
   • Method – choose GET, POST, PUT, etc.
   • Headers – add content-type, auth tokens, or other request headers.
   • Body – for POST or PUT methods, include your request payload (JSON, form data, etc.).
   • Proxy – enable this if you're using Datastripes locally and need CORS support.
3. Click Test to preview and validate the response.
4. The node will parse JSON, CSV, or plain text responses into usable datasets.

Example

Say you want to fetch data from a public API like this:

URL: https://api.example.com/products
Method: GET
Headers:
{
  "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN",
  "Accept": "application/json"
}

Paste these values into the node settings. If successful, the API’s response — a list of products — will be available for use in your flow.

Supported response formats

Format	Parsed automatically?
JSON	✅ Yes
CSV (text)	✅ Yes
Plain text	✅ Yes (as raw string)
XML	🔶 Not parsed, shown as raw

Tips for working with URLs

• Always double-check the URL — some APIs require trailing slashes or specific query parameters.
• Use Proxy = true if you’re running Datastripes on localhost and hit CORS issues.
• Use Headers for API keys, content types, or authorization.
• If using POST or PUT, make sure your body is properly formatted (e.g., valid JSON).

Use cases

• Pull product or sales data from internal APIs
• Connect to public APIs like weather, currency rates, or news
• Submit form data or trigger webhooks
• Load dynamic content without manual exports

Troubleshooting

• 🛑 CORS errors? Turn on the proxy setting if you’re running Datastripes locally.
• ❌ Bad request? Double-check your method, headers, and body format.
• 💡 No data? Make sure the API returns a valid response — try testing the URL in your browser or Postman.

With the URL node, any API can become part of your flow — no backend required.