HttpService.yaml

name: HttpService
type: class
category: Data
memory_category: Instances
summary: |
  Allows sending HTTP requests and provides various web-related functions,
  including JSON functions.
description: |
  **HttpService** allows HTTP requests to be sent from game servers using
  `Class.HttpService:RequestAsync()|RequestAsync`,
  `Class.HttpService:GetAsync()|GetAsync` and
  `Class.HttpService:PostAsync()|PostAsync`. This service allows games to be
  integrated with off-Roblox web services such as analytics, data storage,
  remote server configuration, error reporting, advanced calculations or
  real-time communication.

  You should only send HTTP requests to trusted third-party platforms to avoid
  making your experience vulnerable to security risks.

  ## Enabling HTTP Requests

  Request-sending functions aren't enabled by default: attempting to use them
  while disabled will result in the error "Http requests are not enabled. Enable
  via game settings". To send requests, set
  `Class.HttpService.HttpEnabled|HttpEnabled` to true through the Game Settings
  interface in Studio under the Security section, or use the Command Bar for
  unpublished experiences. This property cannot be interacted with at runtime.

  ```lua
  -- For unpublished games, use this in the Command Bar:
  game:GetService("HttpService").HttpEnabled = true
  ```

  ## Other Functions

  HttpService also houses the `Class.HttpService:JSONEncode()|JSONEncode` and
  `Class.HttpService:JSONDecode()|JSONDecode` functions, which are useful for
  communicating with services that use the [JSON](https://json.org) format. In
  addition, the `Class.HttpService:GenerateGUID()|GenerateGUID` function
  provides random 128-bit labels, which can be treated as probabilistically
  unique in a variety of scenarios.

  ## Use in Plugins

  HttpService can also be used by Roblox Studio plugins. They may do this to
  check for updates, send usage data, download content or other business logic.
  The first time a plugin attempts to do this, the user may be prompted to give
  the plugin permission to communicate with the particular web address. A user
  may accept, deny and revoke such permissions at any time through the Plugin
  Management window.

  Plugins may also communicate with other software running on the same computer
  through the `localhost` and `127.0.0.1` hosts. By running programs compatible
  with such plugins, you can extend the functionality of your plugin beyond the
  normal capabilities of Roblox Studio, such as interacting with your computer's
  file system. Beware that such software must be distributed separately from the
  plugin itself, and can pose security hazards if you aren't careful.

  ## Considerations

  - There are port restrictions. You cannot use port 1194 or any port below
    1024, except 80 and 443. If you try to use a blocked port, you will receive
    either a `403 Forbidden` or `ERR_ACCESS_DENIED` error.
  - For each Roblox game server, there is a limit of 500 HTTP requests per
    minute. Exceeding this may cause request-sending functions to stall entirely
    for about 30 seconds.
  - Requests cannot be made to any Roblox website, such as www.roblox.com.
  - Web requests can fail for many reasons, so it is important to "code
    defensively" (use `pcall`) and have a plan for when requests fail.
  - Although the `http://` protocol is supported, you should use `https://`
    wherever possible.
  - Requests sent should provide a secure form of authentication, such as a
    pre-shared secret key, so that bad actors cannot pose as one of your Roblox
    game servers.
  - Be aware of the general capacity and rate-limiting policies of the web
    servers to which requests are being sent.
code_samples:
  - Astronauts-in-Space
  - International-Space-Station
  - HttpService-Pastebin
inherits:
  - Instance
tags:
  - NotCreatable
  - Service
deprecation_message: ''
properties:
  - name: HttpService.HttpEnabled
    summary: |
      Indicates whether http request can be sent to external websites.
    description: |
      When set to true, you are able to send requests to other websites using
      `Class.HttpService:GetAsync()`, `Class.HttpService:PostAsync()`, and
      `Class.HttpService:RequestAsync()`.

      To enable HTTP requests, the `Class.HttpService` must be enabled in
      Studio's [Game Settings](../../../studio/game-settings.md) through the
      **Security** → **Allow HTTP Requests** toggle.
    code_samples:
    type: bool
    tags: []
    deprecation_message: ''
    security:
      read: None
      write: LocalUserSecurity
    thread_safety: ReadSafe
    category: Data
    serialization:
      can_load: true
      can_save: true
methods:
  - name: HttpService:GenerateGUID
    summary: |
      Generates a UUID/GUID random string, optionally with curly braces.
    description: |
      The GenerateGUID function randomly creates a [universally unique
      identifier (UUID)][1] string.

      The sixteen octets of a UUID are represented as 32 hexadecimal (base 16)
      digits, displayed in 5 groups separated by hyphens in the form
      `8-4-4-4-12` for a total of 36 characters. For example:
      `123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000`.

      The _wrapInCurlyBraces_ argument determines whether the returned string is
      wrapped in curly braces `{}`. For instance:

      - `true` - `{94b717b2-d54f-4340-a504-bd809ef5bf5c}`
      - `false` - `db454790-7563-44ed-ab4b-397ff5df737b`

      [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universally_unique_identifier
    code_samples:
      - HttpService-GenerateGUID
    parameters:
      - name: wrapInCurlyBraces
        type: bool
        default: true
        summary: |
          Whether the returned string should be wrapped in _{curly braces}_.
    returns:
      - type: string
        summary: |
          The randomly generated UUID.
    tags: []
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Safe
  - name: HttpService:GetSecret
    summary: |
      Returns a `Datatype.Secret` from the secrets store.
    description: |
      This method returns a value previously added to the secrets store for the
      experience. The secret content is not printable and, for security reasons,
      secrets are not available when the experience runs locally.

      The returned `Datatype.Secret` can be transformed using built-in methods
      such as `Datatype.Secret:AddPrefix()`. It is expected to be sent as a part
      of the HTTP request.

      Note that a secret may have an associated domain name. If the domain name
      is empty, the secret cannot be sent over the network and therefore could
      not be used as an API key. To allow sending the secret anywhere, set the
      domain name to `*`. You can also limit the URL to a specific domain name
      such as `apis.myservice.com` or to subdomains of a domain, for example
      `*.myservice.org`.
    code_samples: []
    parameters:
      - name: key
        type: string
        default:
        summary: ''
    returns:
      - type: Secret
        summary: ''
    tags: []
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Safe
  - name: HttpService:JSONDecode
    summary: |
      Decodes a JSON string into a Lua table.
    description: |
      The JSONDecode function transforms a JSON object or array into a Lua
      [table](../../../luau/tables.md) with the following characteristics:

      - Keys of the table are strings or numbers but not both. If a JSON object
        contains both, string keys are ignored.
      - An empty JSON object generates an empty Lua table `{}`.
      - If the _input_ string is not a valid JSON object, this function will
        throw an error.

      To encode a Lua table into a JSON object, you can use the
      `Class.HttpService:JSONEncode()` function.

      Many web endpoints use JSON, as it is commonly used on the Internet. Visit
      [JSON.org](https://www.json.org) to become more familiar with the format.

      This method can be used regardless of whether HTTP Requests are
      `Class.HttpService.HttpEnabled|enabled`.
    code_samples:
      - HttpService-JSONDecode
    parameters:
      - name: input
        type: string
        default:
        summary: |
          The JSON object being decoded.
    returns:
      - type: Variant
        summary: |
          The decoded JSON object as a Lua table.
    tags:
      - CustomLuaState
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Safe
  - name: HttpService:JSONEncode
    summary: |
      Generate a JSON string from a Lua table.
    description: |
      The JSONEncode function transforms a Lua [table](../../../luau/tables.md)
      into a JSON object or array based on the following guidelines:

      - Keys of the table must be either strings or numbers. If a table contains
        both, an array takes priority (string keys are ignored).
      - An empty Lua table `{}` generates an empty JSON array.
      - The value `nil` is never generated.
      - Cyclic table references cause an error.

        This function allows values such as `inf` and `nan`, which are not valid
        JSON. This may cause problems if you want to use the outputted JSON
        elsewhere.

      To reverse the encoding process, and decode a JSON object, you can use the
      `Class.HttpService:JSONDecode()` function.

      Many web endpoints use JSON, as it is commonly used on the Internet. Visit
      [JSON.org](https://www.json.org) to become more familiar with the format.

      This method can be used regardless of whether HTTP Requests are
      `Class.HttpService.HttpEnabled|enabled`.
    code_samples:
      - HttpService-JSONEncode
    parameters:
      - name: input
        type: Variant
        default:
        summary: |
          The input Lua table.
    returns:
      - type: string
        summary: |
          The returned JSON string.
    tags:
      - CustomLuaState
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Safe
  - name: HttpService:UrlEncode
    summary: |
      Replaces URL-unsafe characters with '%' and two hexadecimal characters.
    description: |
      The UrlEncode function [percent-encodes][1] a given string so that
      reserved characters properly encoded with '%' and two hexadecimal
      characters.

      This is useful when formatting URLs for use with
      `Class.HttpService:GetAsync()`/`Class.HttpService:PostAsync()`, or POST
      data of the media type `application/x-www-form-urlencoded`
      (`Enum.HttpContentType|Enum.HttpContentType.ApplicationUrlEncoded`).

      For instance, when you encode the URL
      ` https://www.roblox.com/discover#/`, this function returns
      `https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eroblox%2Ecom%2Fdiscover%23%2F`.

      [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percent-encoding
    code_samples:
      - HttpService-UrlEncode
      - HttpService-Pastebin
    parameters:
      - name: input
        type: string
        default:
        summary: |
          The string (URL) to encode.
    returns:
      - type: string
        summary: |
          The encoded string.
    tags: []
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Safe
  - name: HttpService:GetAsync
    summary: |
      Send an HTTP GET request.
    description: |
      The GetAsync function sends an HTTP GET request. It functions similarly to
      `Class.HttpService:RequestAsync()|RequestAsync` except that it accepts
      HTTP request parameters as method parameters instead of a single
      dictionary and returns only the body of the HTTP response. Generally, this
      method is useful only as a shorthand and
      `Class.HttpService:RequestAsync()|RequestAsync` should to be used in most
      cases.

      When true, the `nocache` parameter prevents this function from caching
      results from previous calls with the same `url`.
    code_samples:
      - Astronauts-in-Space
      - International-Space-Station
    parameters:
      - name: url
        type: Variant
        default:
        summary: |
          The web address you are requesting data from.
      - name: nocache
        type: bool
        default: false
        summary: |
          Whether the request stores (caches) the response.
      - name: headers
        type: Variant
        default:
        summary: |
          Used to specify some HTTP request headers.
    returns:
      - type: string
        summary: |
          The GET request's response body.
    tags:
      - Yields
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Unsafe
  - name: HttpService:PostAsync
    summary: |
      Performs a HTTP POST request.
    description: |
      The PostAsync function sends an HTTP POST request. It functions similarly
      to `Class.HttpService:RequestAsync()|RequestAsync` except that it accepts
      HTTP request parameters as method parameters instead of a single
      dictionary and returns only the body of the HTTP response. Generally, this
      method is useful only as a shorthand and
      `Class.HttpService:RequestAsync()|RequestAsync` should to be used in most
      cases.

      When true, the `compress` parameter controls whether large request bodies
      will be compressed using gzip.
    code_samples:
      - HttpService-Pastebin
    parameters:
      - name: url
        type: Variant
        default:
        summary: |
          The destination address for the data.
      - name: data
        type: string
        default:
        summary: |
          The data being sent.
      - name: content_type
        type: HttpContentType
        default: ApplicationJson
        summary: |
          Modifies the value in the _Content-Type_ header sent with the request.
      - name: compress
        type: bool
        default: false
        summary: |
          Determines whether the data is compressed (gzipped) when sent.
      - name: headers
        type: Variant
        default:
        summary: |
          Used to specify some HTTP request headers.
    returns:
      - type: string
        summary: |
          The HTTP response sent back indicating the request result.
    tags:
      - Yields
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Unsafe
  - name: HttpService:RequestAsync
    summary: |
      Sends an HTTP request using any HTTP method given a dictionary of
      information.
    description: |
      This method sends an HTTP request using a dictionary to specify the
      request data, such as the target URL, method, headers and request body
      data. It returns a dictionary that describes the response data received.
      Optionally, the request can be compressed using
      `Enum.HttpCompression|HttpCompression`.

      #### Request Dictionary Fields

      <table>
          <thead>
              <tr>
                  <th>Name</th>
                  <th>Type</th>
                  <th>Required</th>
                  <th>Description</th>
              </tr>
          </thead>
          <tbody>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Url</b></td>
                  <td>String</td>
                  <td>yes</td>
                  <td>The target URL for this request. Must use <code>http</code> or <code>https</code> protocols.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Method</b></td>
                  <td>String</td>
                  <td>no</td>
                  <td>The HTTP method being used by this request, most often GET or POST.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Headers</b></td>
                  <td>Dictionary</td>
                  <td>no</td>
                  <td>A dictionary of headers to be used with this request. Most HTTP headers are accepted here, but not all.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Body</b></td>
                  <td>String</td>
                  <td>no</td>
                  <td>The request body. Can be any string, including binary data. Must be excluded when using the GET or HEAD HTTP methods. It might be necessary to specify the <code>Content-Type</code> header when sending JSON or other formats.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Compress</b></td>
                  <td><code>Enum.HttpCompression</code></td>
                  <td>no</td>
                  <td>An optional compression field that will compress the data in the request. The value can either be <code>Enum.HttpCompression|None</code> or <code>Enum.HttpCompression|Gzip</code>.</td>
              </tr>
          </tbody>
      </table>

      #### HTTP Headers

      In the request dictionary, you can specify custom HTTP headers to use in
      the request. However, some headers cannot be specified. For example,
      `Content-Length` is determined from the request body. `User-Agent` and
      `Roblox-Id` are locked by Roblox. Other headers like `Accept` or
      `Cache-Control` use default values but can be overridden. More commonly,
      some REST APIs may require API keys or other service authentication to be
      specified in request headers.

      This method does not detect the format of body content. Many web servers
      require the `Content-Type` header be set appropriately when sending
      certain formats. Other methods of `Class.HttpService` use the
      `Enum.HttpContentType` enum; for this method set the `Content-Type` header
      appropriately: `text/plain`, `text/xml`, `application/xml`,
      `application/json` or `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` are replacement
      `Content-Type` header values for the respective enum values.

      #### Response Dictionary Fields

      The function returns a dictionary containing the following fields:

      <table>
          <thead>
              <tr>
                  <th>Name</th>
                  <th>Type</th>
                  <th>Description</th>
              </tr>
          </thead>
          <tbody>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Success</b></td>
                  <td>Boolean</td>
                  <td>The success status of the request. This is true if and only if the <b>StatusCode</b> lies within the range [200, 299].</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>StatusCode</b></td>
                  <td>Integer</td>
                  <td>The HTTP response code identifying the status of the response.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>StatusMessage</b></td>
                  <td>String</td>
                  <td>The status message that was sent back.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Headers</b></td>
                  <td>Dictionary</td>
                  <td>A dictionary of headers that were set in this response.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                  <td><b>Body</b></td>
                  <td></td>
                  <td>The request body (content) received in the response.</td>
              </tr>
          </tbody>
      </table>

      #### Error Cases

      This method raises an error if the response times out or if the target
      server rejects the request. If a web service goes down for some reason, it
      can cause scripts that use this method to stop functioning altogether. It
      is often a good idea to wrap calls to this method in `pcall` and
      gracefully handle failure cases if the required information isn't
      available.

      #### Limitations

      The current limitation for sending and receiving HTTP requests is 500
      requests per minute. Requests over this threshold will fail. Additionally,
      Roblox domains are excluded. This means that HTTP requests cannot be sent
      to any Roblox owned site, such as
      [www.roblox.com](https://www.roblox.com).
    code_samples:
      - sending-an-http-request
    parameters:
      - name: requestOptions
        type: Dictionary
        default:
        summary: |
          A dictionary containing information to be requested from the server
          specified.
    returns:
      - type: Dictionary
        summary: |
          A dictionary containing response information from the server
          specified.
    tags:
      - Yields
    deprecation_message: ''
    security: None
    thread_safety: Unsafe
events: []
callbacks: []