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Overview

The Invoke Web API action allows your agents to make RESTful API calls to external systems and services. This enables access to third-party data sources, submission of information to web services, and integration with existing infrastructure.

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Use Cases

  • External Data Retrieval: Connect to public or private APIs to fetch real-time data 

  • Data Querying: Search external databases or services using specific parameters 

  • Third-Party Integrations: Access services that expose information via REST APIs 

  • Enriching Workflows: Incorporate external data sources into your agent’s processing

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How to Configure Web API Calls

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Add the Action

  1. In the Actions tab, click “Add action”

  2. Select the “Advanced” category

  3. Choose “Invoke Web API”

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Configuration Fields

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URL

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Method

  • Description: Choose how you want to interact with the API

  • Options: 

    • GET: Retrieve information (most common) 

    • POST: Send information to create something new 

    • PUT: Update existing information 

    • HEAD: Check if a resource exists without retrieving it

  • Required: Yes

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Headers (JSON)

  • Description: Think of these as your “ID card” when talking to an API..

  • Example: Many APIs need to know who you are before giving you information. For instance, for the X (Twitter) API, you’d need: {“Authorization”: “Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN”}. The API’s documentation will usually tell you exactly what to put here.

  • Required: No

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Body (JSON)

  • Description: This is the information you want to send to the API. 

    • Only needed when you’re sending data (POST or PUT methods). 

  • Example: when posting a tweet with the X API, you’d include: {“text”: “Hello world!”}. 

    • When using GET requests (just retrieving information), you typically leave this empty.

    • The API’s documentation will specify exactly what format to use

  • Required: No

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Output Variable Name

  • Description: Assign a variable name to store the API response.

  • Example: “api_response” or “rest_data.”

  • Validation: Only letters, numbers, and underscores (_) are allowed.

  • Required: Yes

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Using API Responses

The API response will be stored in your specified output variable. You can access specific data points using dot notation:

  • {{variable_name.property}} 

  • {{variable_name.nested.property}}

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Example: RESTful API Example Agent

See this simple Grant Search Agent that demonstrates API usage:

  1. Step 1: Collects a research focus from the user

  2. Step 3: Makes a REST API call to a government grants database with these keywords

  3. Step 5: Presents the information to the user as a formatted output

This workflow shows how external APIs can significantly expand an agent’s capabilities by providing access to specialized data sources that aren’t available within the Agent.ai platform itself.