Enterprise Routing Contact Center The web request feature allows you to create advanced integrations with third-party applications using HTTP requests from directly within a workflow, without needing external automation tools like Power Automate. This helps you to connect your workflow to external systems (such as CRMs, databases, or notification services) faster and more efficiently.
Authentication
You may need to provide authentication when accessing external systems or services (e.g. a CRM). The available authentication options use tokens, so credentials don’t need to be entered manually each time the workflow runs.
The following authentication methods are currently supported:
- API Key
- OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials
💡 Authentications can be configured in the Authentication configuration item.
Configuring Web Requests
In the configuration item you can define and test web requests independently of the workflows they will later be used in.
💡Note that web requests cannot be deleted while they are in use. In the Web Request list, you can see which workflows are using each web request.
General
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Name of the web request. |
| Organization Unit | Organization Unit under which this web request will be visible. |
| Description | A short description that explains what this web request does. |
Request
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Web Request Method |
The following web requests methods are available:
|
| Authentication |
The credentials or token needed to access the service. You can select your previously set up Authentication from the dropdown. 💡 If there is no authentication needed for your request, you can leave it blank. |
| URL | The web address (endpoint) where your request is sent. |
| Headers |
Headers are extra information sent along with the web request. They tell the server how to handle your request or give it additional context.
|
| Body | The main content of your request if you selected either POST, PUT, or PATCH. |
Response
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Wait for Response |
Default: false 💡The rest of the controls is only visible if enabled. |
| Wait Timeout (ms) |
The time in milliseconds the workflow will wait for a response before stopping the request.
|
| Response Mappings |
Response mapping lets you save parts of a web request’s response (like the status, headers, or body) into workflow parameters, so you can use them later in your workflow.
|
Test
In the Test tab, you can test if your request is working correctly.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Parameters | List of Custom and System Parameters used in the Request tab. You can set a temporary value for each for testing purposes. |
| Request URL | The web address (endpoint) where your test request is sent. |
| GET/POST | Clicking the button sends the request as a test, with the provided temporary values for the parameters. |
| Response area |
Once the response is received, you will get the following information in the response area:
If no response is received in the configured time, a timeout error in shown. |
Web Request vs. Power Automate
Whether Web Requests or Power Automate is more efficient depends on where and how the requests are executed.
Web Requests run directly inside the Nimbus workflow engine, giving low latency per request (since there’s no external call to Power Automate). However, if a workflow contains many Web Requests, it may slow down the overall workflow execution.
Power Automate flows run outside Nimbus. When you trigger a Power Automate flow, Nimbus sends one request to Power Automate. From there, all individual API calls (to CRM, Outlook, etc.) are handled within Power Automate. This allows Power Automate to process many requests internally without affecting Nimbus performance, making it more scalable for large-volume integrations. However, each call to Power Automate introduces some startup delay (latency), so it’s not as fast for just a few quick calls.
Performance Considerations
Web Requests are generally faster than Power Automate because they are executed directly within Nimbus, without relying on external services. This makes them suitable for workflows that send a few individual requests (for example, updating a single CRM record).
Power Automate is better suited for integrations with Microsoft apps using predefined connectors, or for handling larger volumes of requests, though performance can vary depending on your Power Automate license and flow design.
Using Web Requests in a Workflow
You can find the Web Request Workflow Activity in Conversation Handling Activities. The related Use Case - Using Web Requests to Block Callers on a Blacklist shows a scenario step-by-step on how to set up and use a Web Request in a workflow.
Limitations
INC Web Request Limitations
Web Requests - KNOWN LIMITATIONS
Please note the following limits when using Web Requests:
- Requests can be up to 1 MB in size (after all parameters are filled in).
- Responses can be up to 2 MB in size.
- A maximum of 100 requests can be sent per service session.
If any of these limits are exceeded, the workflow activity will take the Error exit.
Web Requests - KNOWN ISSUE
There is a known issue which causes the duplication of “Content-Type” when using JSON. The issue will be resolved in the next release.
Temporary workaround: If a JSON endpoint is used, the "Content-Type Header" should be left out when building the Web Request in Nimbus. This will prevent duplication of "Content-Type" which might cause the API call to fail.