API Call
The API Call action allows chatbot builders to connect Ownchat with external systems and APIs to send, retrieve, update, or delete data in real time.
This connection-based action helps businesses integrate chatbot workflows with:
CRMs
Payment systems
Order management systems
Inventory platforms
Third-party applications
Custom backend services
The walkthrough demonstrates configuring API methods, request URLs, headers, query parameters, JSON request bodies, response variables, and publishing the workflow.
When to Use API Call
Use the API Call action whenever your chatbot needs to communicate with an external server or service.
Common Use Cases
Creating customer orders
Retrieving product information
Updating CRM records
Fetching delivery status
Sending payment requests
Synchronizing chatbot data with external systems
Example Interaction
Bot: ✅ Your order has been placed successfully.
The chatbot sends the order details to an external API and receives a response in real time.
How to Add API Call
Follow these steps to add the API Call action to your bot workflow.
Open Bot Builder
Click the Add Node button
Open the Connections tab
Select API Call
Configure the API request settings
Configure the response storage variable
Click Create
Click Publish to deploy the workflow
The walkthrough demonstrates selecting the API Call action from the Connections section.
Accessing the Connections Section
To access the API Call action:
Click Add Node
Open the action selection panel
Click the Connections tab
The walkthrough specifically notes:
Connection is used to link the bot to external services for real-time data and actions.
Selecting API Call
Inside the Connections tab:
Locate API Call
Click the action to open the configuration panel
The walkthrough describes the API Call action as:
API Call Action – to send requests to external APIs and get or update data in real time for your bot actions.
API Call Configuration
When configuring the API Call action, several fields must be completed.
Action Name
The Action Name identifies the API request workflow inside the bot builder.
This name is visible only within the workflow editor.
Example
Create Order API Update Customer API Get Product Details
The walkthrough demonstrates renaming the default action to:
API call
before saving the configuration.
HTTP Methods
The Method field defines the type of API request being performed.
Available methods shown in the walkthrough include:
GET
POST
PUT
PATCH
DELETE
GET Method
Used to retrieve data from the server.
Example
GET /products
The walkthrough specifically notes:
GET method is used to retrieve data from the server.
POST Method
Used to create new data on the server.
Example
POST /create-order
The walkthrough selects:
POST
as the active request method.
PUT Method
Used to fully update an existing resource.
Example
PUT /customer/101
PATCH Method
Used to partially update an existing resource.
Example
PATCH /customer/status
DELETE Method
Used to remove data from the server.
Example
DELETE /order/1001
URL
The URL field specifies the API endpoint where the request should be sent.
Example
https://api.example.com/create-order
The walkthrough specifically notes:
Enter the URL, which is the address where the bot sends the request to access or update data.
Content Type
The Content Type field defines the request payload format.
The walkthrough specifies:
JSON
as the mandatory content type selection.
Headers
The Headers section allows additional request information to be sent with the API request.
Headers are commonly used for:
Authentication
Content type validation
API access tokens
To configure:
Enter the header key
Enter the corresponding value
Example
Key: Content-Type Value: application/json
The walkthrough demonstrates configuring the Content-Type header.
Query Parameters
The Query Parameters section allows additional URL parameters to be sent with the request.
To configure:
Enter the parameter key
Enter the corresponding value
Example
store_id = 123456 source = Chatbot
The walkthrough demonstrates adding multiple query parameters to the API request.
Request Body
The Body section contains the API request payload in JSON format.
The walkthrough specifically notes:
The API Call body is used to define the action in JSON format.
Example JSON Body
{ "customer_name": "{{customer.name}}", "phone": "{{customer.phone}}", "order_item": "{{bot.selected_item}}", "quantity": "{{bot.quantity}}", "address": "{{bot.delivery_address}}" }
The walkthrough demonstrates dynamically inserting chatbot variables into the JSON request body.
Variable Type
The Variable Type field defines how the API response should be stored.
Available types shown include:
Object
Array
The walkthrough specifically selects:
Array
when the API response contains multiple items or values.
Store Response Variable
The Store Response Variable field defines where the API response should be saved.
To configure:
Select an existing variable or
Create a new variable
The walkthrough demonstrates creating:
order_response
as the API response variable.
Creating the API Call Action
After configuring all API request settings:
Review the request configuration
Click the Create button
The API Call node will now appear inside the workflow canvas.
Workflow Behavior
Once triggered, the API Call action:
Sends requests to external APIs
Retrieves or updates real-time data
Supports all major HTTP methods
Stores API responses dynamically
Enables third-party workflow integrations
The walkthrough demonstrates creating an order request and storing the response dynamically inside the chatbot workflow.
Example Workflow
Example Chatbot Workflow
Collect Order Details ↓ API Call ↓ Send Order Data to Server ↓ Receive API Response ↓ Send Confirmation Message
Example Interaction
Bot: Your order has been submitted successfully ✅ Order ID: 45872
The chatbot sends customer data to the API and receives a confirmation response.
Publishing the Bot Changes
After configuring the API Call workflow:
Review the request configuration
Click the Publish button
Deploy the updated workflow to production
The walkthrough concludes by publishing the API-integrated chatbot workflow successfully.
Best Practices
Follow these recommendations when using API Call.
Use meaningful action names
Clearly identify the purpose of each API request.
Validate API endpoints
Ensure the API URL is correct and accessible.
Use proper HTTP methods
Choose GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, or DELETE appropriately.
Secure sensitive data
Avoid exposing API tokens or confidential credentials.
Test API responses before publishing
Verify that the chatbot handles successful and failed responses correctly.
Summary
The API Call action allows chatbot builders to connect Ownchat with external APIs and third-party systems in real time.
With API Call, you can:
Send and retrieve real-time data
Integrate external platforms and services
Use all major HTTP request methods
Send dynamic JSON request payloads
Store API responses in chatbot variables
This connection action helps businesses create powerful integrated chatbot workflows and real-time automation experiences within Ownchat
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