How can I create a POST request to the Pastebin API using Code by Zapier and retrieve the response?

Other Questions Zapier
1

I’m attempting to create a POST request to interact with the Pastebin API in Code by Zapier using the fetch function. After several attempts, I’ve successfully sent the request using URL-encoded data. Here’s how I did it:

const { URLSearchParams } = require('url');
const parameters = new URLSearchParams();

parameters.set('api_paste_code', 'sample_text');
parameters.set('api_option', 'paste');
parameters.set('api_dev_key', 'your_api_key_here');

const apiUrl = 'https://pastebin.com/api/api_post.php';

const requestOptions = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'},
  body: parameters.toString()
};

const response = await fetch(apiUrl, requestOptions);

output = {output: response};

I receive a 200 response, but the content is quite unexpected. It looks something like this:

{ 
  url: 'https://pastebin.com/api/api_post.php',
  status: 200,
  statusText: 'OK',
  headers: {...},
  body: {...} 
}

The body contains numerous numeric rows, which extend for thousands of lines. I attempted to decode it using decodeURIComponent, but the result is ‘[object Object]’, making it impossible to convert into a string. I suspect that converting parameters to a string prior to sending might trigger this issue, as in my local Node environment and Postman, I don’t use toString() and receive the correct URL for my paste. However, in Zapier, I only receive a 200 response after using toString(), and I previously encountered a 422 “Unprocessable Entity” error without it. I’m feeling stuck.

This is my first time posting here, so I hope my question is structured correctly. Thank you!

2

It might be worth checking the API documentation to ensure that the parameters you’re using are correctly formatted and complete. Sometimes missing or incorrect parameters can lead to odd responses. Additionally, confirming that you’re using the correct API endpoint for the intended action is crucial. Lastly, you might consider adding more detailed logging inside your request - logging the status code and any error messages can be helpful in diagnosing whether the issue arises from your code or from the API’s side.

3

I had a similar issue before when dealing with APIs in environments like Zapier. It seems like what’s happening is the response body might not be fully processed or there might be a need to explicitly call a method to retrieve it. You can try using response.text() or response.json() depending on how the API is meant to send responses. Make sure you await that call as well, just like when you’re fetching the response. Something like:

const response = await fetch(apiUrl, requestOptions);
const responseBody = await response.text(); // or response.json()
output = {output: responseBody};

This should give you a more interpretable response. Also, ensure that Zapier Code integration supports whatever method you choose to interpret the data returned by the API. Sometimes it’s just about finding the correct way to parse the data within the limitations Zapier has.

4

yo! sometimes the issue with those numeric rows is that the api might be returning a gzip compressed response. Zapier’s fetch doesn’t automatically unzip like some other environments. try setting your headers to accept plain text or json to prevent this. hope this helps!

5

If you’re still running into those issues, consider checking if the Pastebin API requires specific headers for content type or authorization. In some cases, APIs ask for a token or key to be included in headers instead of or in addition to the request parameters. Another common point of failure with these APIs, especially in platforms like Zapier, is the need for an appropriate User-Agent in the request headers. Some APIs may not respond correctly if this isn’t set. So modify your headers to include something like 'User-Agent': 'Zapier-API' and see if that helps untangle the response issues you’re facing.

6

you could also try checking if there’s anything wrong with the body format. sometimes, missing required fields in the data can lead to odd responses from the api. double-check that you’re sending all the necessary information and that it follows the api’s format specs. good luck!