REST Patch

Reference documentation for using the REST Patch action with a REST API

Written By Support Channel

Last updated Over 1 year ago

Overview of the REST Patch action

The REST Patch action allows a workflow to send an HTTP PATCH request to a RESTful API endpoint to partially update a resource.

Purpose	To send a partial update to an external REST API endpoint using the HTTP PATCH method.
Parameters	Headers 1 URL 1 Body
Output	Status, OK, Error, Client error, Server error, Accepted, No Content, Bad Request, Not Authorised, Not Acceptable, Not Found, Forbidden, Text, Body, Type, Char Set

Understanding the REST Patch action

The REST Patch action is used when you need to update part of a resource rather than replacing the entire object (REST Put/REST Post). This action sends a HTTP PATCH request with a body that specifies the fields to be updated.

Headers

A list of header names and values for the API request. For example:

Content-Type: “application/json”
Authorisation: “rest_api_key=1234”

URL

Specify the endpoint where the PATCH request should be sent.

Body

Specify the content the PATCH request will be sending.

Working with the REST Patch action

The REST Patch action is ideal for updating only specific fields of an object without overwriting the entire data record. Ensure that the API endpoint supports PATCH requests, and that your body only includes valid fields allowed for updates.

This action is particularly useful in systems where you want to avoid overwriting existing data unintentionally. For example, if you're only updating a user's status but leave out other fields like email or username, REST Patch ensures those untouched fields remain unchanged.

Output Variables

Output	Code	Type	Description
Status	—	Text	Shows the HTTP Status Code of request.
OK	200	Boolean	The request was successful, and the response contains the expected data.
Accepted	202	Boolean	The request was accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed.
No Content	204	Boolean	The request was successful, but there is no content in the response.
Bad Request	400	Boolean	The server could not understand the request due to invalid syntax or parameters.
Not Authorised	401	Boolean	The request was denied due to invalid or missing authentication credentials.
Forbidden	403	Boolean	The request is valid, but the server is refusing to fulfil it.
Not Found	404	Boolean	The resource requested could not be found on the server.
Not Acceptable	406	Boolean	The requested format is not supported by the server.
Client Error	4xx	Boolean	Any status in the 400–499 range indicating a client-side error.
Server Error	5xx	Boolean	Any status in the 500–599 range indicating a server-side error.
Error	—	Text	A general error occurred, such as connection failure or timeout.
Text	—	Text	Plain text of the body of the the request
Body	—	Text	Data received in response to request sent
Type	—	Text	Media type of the response body. For example `application/json`
Char Set	—	Text	The character encoding used in the response. For example `UTF-8`

Create and manage a REST Patch action

Add a REST Patch action

Add the action

Use the following steps to add the action to your workflow.

How to add an action to a workflow

Click the ‘plus’ symbol on the workflow path at the point you want to insert the action. This opens the action menu slide-over.
Either:
- Search for the action using the Search field above the actions in the menu.
- Locate a Recently Used action in the top section of the menu.
- Navigate to the action within menu: Core actions are listed under Actions, while Plugin actions are contained within their associated integration.
Select the desired action to insert it. This reveals the action’s configuration panel.
Use the Name field to name the action. This can help users to understand your workflow at a glance. (optional)
Use the Description field to add information describing the action. This can help users wanting to understand how your workflow functions. (optional)

Configure the action

Use the following steps to configure the action.

Click Add Header to create a new header entry. This reveals the Header popup.
Select Header and type the name of the header.
Select Value and input the value of the header
Click OK to complete setup of your new field value.
Repeat the above steps for any addition additional headers needed.
Set a value for the URL and Body.
Click back in the main view to hide the slide-over.

Edit the action

Use the following steps to make changes to the action.

Edit an existing Header entry by clicking on it. This displays the Edit Header popup and allows you to make changes.
Remove an unwanted entry by clicking the red cross toward its right-side.
Click back in the main view to hide the slide-over.

Delete a REST Patch action

Use the following steps to remove the action from your workflow:

How to remove an action from a workflow

Access the workflow in draft mode to edit it.
Either:
- hover your mouse cursor over the action, and then click the red cross that appears over the top-right corner of the action to delete it. Or:
- click on the action to open the action slide-over. Click the red 'Delete Step’ button to remove the action from your workflow.
Click Publish in the top-right to commit your changes.

Take care when deleting an action to also remove any logic using its outputs: workflow steps may function incorrectly or break if they attempt to evaluate an output of a deleted action.

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