HTTP Endpoints
Comparable to: Express, Fastify, Flask
Key Concepts
Use the concepts below when they fit the task. Not every HTTP endpoint needs all of them.
- Each route is a registered function bound to a path and method via an HTTP trigger
- The handler receives an ApiRequest object containing
body,path_params,headers, andmethod - Handlers return
{status_code, body, headers}to shape the HTTP response - iii-http serves all registered routes on port 3111
- Path parameters use colon syntax (e.g.
/users/:id) and arrive inpath_params - Middleware can run before handlers via
middleware_function_idsin the trigger config — seeiii-http-middlewarefor details
Architecture
HTTP request
→ iii-http (port 3111)
→ registerTrigger route match (method + path)
→ registerFunction handler (receives ApiRequest)
→ { status_code, body, headers } responseiii Primitives and HTTP Trigger Config Used
| Primitive | Purpose |
|---|---|
registerFunction | Define the handler for a route |
registerTrigger({type: 'http'}) | Bind a route path and method to a function |
config: {api_path: '/path', http_method: 'GET'} | Route configuration on the trigger |
config: {..., middleware_function_ids: [...]} | Optional middleware chain before the handler |
Reference Implementation
See ../references/http-endpoints.js for the full working example — a REST API with parameterized routes handling GET and POST requests.
Also available in Python: ../references/http-endpoints.py
Also available in Rust: ../references/http-endpoints.rs
Common Patterns
Code using this pattern commonly includes, when relevant:
registerWorker(url, {workerName})— worker initializationregisterFunction(id, handler)— define the route handlerregisterTrigger({type: 'http', config: {api_path, http_method}})— bind path and methodreq.body— parsed request body for POST/PUTreq.path_params— extracted path parametersreturn {status_code: 200, body: {data}, headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'}}— response shapeconst logger = new Logger()— structured logging per handler
Adapting This Pattern
Use the adaptations below when they apply to the task.
- Add more routes by registering additional functions and HTTP triggers with distinct paths or methods
- Use
path_paramsfor resource identifiers (e.g./orders/:orderId) - Return appropriate status codes (201 for creation, 404 for not found, 400 for bad input)
- For authenticated routes, use middleware (
middleware_function_ids) or inspectreq.headersfor tokens or API keys - Chain work behind an endpoint by enqueuing to a queue after returning a 202 Accepted
- For reusable auth, logging, or rate-limiting before handlers, prefer
iii-http-middleware
Pattern Boundaries
- If the task is about calling external HTTP APIs from iii functions, prefer
iii-http-invoked-functions. - If async processing is needed behind the endpoint, prefer
iii-queue-processingfor the background work. - If the task is specifically about middleware chains (auth, logging, rate-limiting), prefer
iii-http-middleware. - Stay with
iii-http-endpointswhen iii owns the route and handles the inbound request directly.
When to Use
- Use this skill when the task is primarily about
iii-http-endpointsin the iii engine. - Triggers when the request directly asks for this pattern or an equivalent implementation.
Boundaries
- Never use this skill as a generic fallback for unrelated tasks.
- You must not apply this skill when a more specific iii skill is a better fit.
- Always verify environment and safety constraints before applying examples from this skill.