Making HTTP Callouts with HttpRequest
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:
- Build and send an HTTP callout using HttpRequest and Http
- Add authentication headers and a timeout to a callout
Prerequisites: None — this is the first lesson in the course.
The three callout classes
Every outbound callout in Apex follows the same three-class shape: HttpRequest (configure the method, endpoint, headers, and body), Http (actually sends the request), and HttpResponse (read back the status code and body).
Endpoints, headers, and timeouts
The endpoint must be registered as a Remote Site in Setup (or reached via a Named Credential — covered in a later lesson) before Salesforce allows the callout at all. setTimeout() caps how long Apex waits, in milliseconds (default 10 seconds, max 120). setHeader() adds authentication tokens or a content type.
A basic authenticated GET callout
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setEndpoint('https://api.example.com/v1/weather');
req.setMethod('GET');
req.setHeader('Authorization', 'Bearer ' + apiToken);
req.setTimeout(10000);
Http http = new Http();
HttpResponse res = http.send(req);
if (res.getStatusCode() == 200) {
System.debug(res.getBody());
}setTimeout() takes milliseconds — 10000 here means 10 seconds, matching Apex's default.
Exercise
Write Apex that sends a POST request to https://api.example.com/v1/orders with a JSON body and checks for a 201 status code.
Show hint
req.setMethod('POST'); req.setBody(jsonString); req.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');
Making HTTP Callouts with HttpRequest — Quick Check
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Summary
Apex makes outbound HTTP callouts using the HttpRequest, Http, and HttpResponse classes — set a method, endpoint, and headers, send it, and read back the status code and body.