Post to an XML-RPC API via the HTTP Request Node

This n8n workflow demonstrates how to interact with an XML-RPC API using the standard HTTP Request node, along with preparing and parsing XML data. It provides a foundational example for sending structured XML requests and handling the responses.

What it does

1. Triggers Manually: The workflow starts when manually executed.
2. Prepares XML-RPC Request: A "Code" node constructs the XML payload required for an XML-RPC call. This includes defining the method name and parameters.
3. Sets HTTP Request Headers: An "Edit Fields (Set)" node configures the necessary HTTP headers, specifically setting the Content-Type to text/xml for the XML-RPC request.
4. Sends HTTP Request: An "HTTP Request" node sends the prepared XML-RPC request to a specified endpoint (e.g., https://rpc.pingomatic.com/).
5. Parses XML Response: An "XML" node parses the XML response received from the API into a structured JSON format.
6. Checks for Errors: An "If" node evaluates the parsed XML response to determine if the API call was successful or if an error occurred.
7. Handles Success/Failure:
   • If the API call was successful, the workflow proceeds through the "True" branch (currently a "No Operation" node).
   • If an error occurred, the workflow proceeds through the "False" branch (currently a "No Operation" node).

Prerequisites/Requirements

• An n8n instance.
• Access to an XML-RPC API endpoint. The example uses https://rpc.pingomatic.com/, but you can modify it for any other XML-RPC service.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the workflow:
   • Copy the JSON content of the workflow.
   • In your n8n instance, click "New Workflow".
   • Go to the "Workflows" menu, select "Import from JSON", and paste the copied JSON.
2. Configure the "Code" node (Prepare XML-RPC Request):
   • Open the "Code" node.
   • Review the xmlRpcRequest variable. This is where you define the XML-RPC method name and its parameters.
   • Modify the methodName and the params array to match the XML-RPC method you intend to call and the data you want to send.
3. Configure the "HTTP Request" node:
   • Open the "HTTP Request" node.
   • Set the URL to your target XML-RPC API endpoint (e.g., https://rpc.pingomatic.com/).
   • Ensure the Method is set to POST.
   • The Headers are already configured by the preceding "Edit Fields (Set)" node to Content-Type: text/xml.
   • The Body Content is set to Raw and uses an expression to pull the XML payload from the "Code" node: {{ $('Code').item.json.xmlRpcRequest }}.
4. Configure the "If" node (Check for Errors):
   • Open the "If" node.
   • Review the condition. The example checks if faultCode exists in the response. Adjust this condition based on how your XML-RPC API indicates errors in its response.
5. Activate the workflow: Once configured, activate the workflow to make it ready for execution.
6. Execute the workflow: Click "Execute Workflow" in the "Manual Trigger" node to run it. Observe the output in the "XML" and "If" nodes to see the parsed response and the error check.