Product Information

Peter Engel

August 25, 2022 3 minute read

SAP Process Automation: How to test the API trigger with postman

In my last blog post I explained how to design a process with an API based trigger. Many of you are curious about how you can test this new feature.

I will describe the technical implementation and the testing procedure in this blog post.

Technical prerequisite

To use the API trigger you need a service instance with a service key in your sub-account where you are using SAP Process Automation.

Service instance

In your subaccount a service instance should be already exist. You can find the service instance in the Instances and Subscriptions section.

If you have no service instance please create a service instance by following the guided procedure after the click on the Create button.

Service key

If you have already the service instance or just created it, check if you have also created a service key.

If not please create a service key using the icon with three dots.

Using Postman

All information to call the API trigger are available in the service key. Therefor open the service key and use the following information:

endpoints api url
clientid
clientsecret
uaa url

Create a new post request in postman with the endpoints api url and add /workflow/rest/v1/workflow-instances to the url.

To get a token select Client Credentials as Grant Type, use the uaa url plus /oauth/token for the Access Token URL and fill in Client ID and the Client Secret.

For the Client Authentication use “Send as Basic Auth header”.

After maintaining the data click on Get New Access Token and use the token.

After this you switch to the Body tab and maintain the payload.

You can find the definition ID in the Monitoring section of SAP Process Automation. Go there to Manage and then to Processes and Workflows.

Copy the ID and paste the value into the payload. In the “context” of your payload you have to maintain all the fields you need.

Now you can execute the post request and you successfully create your first process instance via the API trigger.

Conclusion

You learned now how to test the API trigger in SAP Process Automation and you can start now integrate processes designed in SAP Process Automation in your applications.

Next Steps

You are curious now but do not how to start? Try it out now using our Free Tier offering.

You are interested in the bigger picture of LCNC?

To see LCNC in action, check out the SAP Low-Code/No-Code Learning Journey – designed to increase low-code/no-code skills and teach citizen developers the basic concepts of software development including SAP AppGyver, SAP Process Automation, and SAP Work Zone and learn how to build mobile apps for free. Check out LCNC and plus much more free learning for developers at SAP Learning site.

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11 Comments

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Antonio Maradiaga

September 1, 2022 at 8:05 pm

In case anyone is interested in a Postman collection and environment that can help you get started.... see the examples below. The collection includes OAuth 2.0 authentication. All you will need to update is the Postman environment details.

sample.postman_collection.json

{
	"info": {
		"_postman_id": "56c8577c-c9c9-4e6f-b08f-bd46892efe11",
		"name": "Process Automation - Trigger API",
		"schema": "https://schema.getpostman.com/json/collection/v2.1.0/collection.json",
		"_exporter_id": "372207"
	},
	"item": [
		{
			"name": "Trigger process",
			"request": {
				"method": "POST",
				"header": [],
				"body": {
					"mode": "raw",
					"raw": "{\n    \"definitionId\": \"region.yourinstance-spa.triggerapitest.myprocess\",\n    \"context\": {\n        \"field_1\": \"1007895\",\n        \"field_2\": \"Penn and Teller show\",\n        \"field_3\": 20\n    }\n}",
					"options": {
						"raw": {
							"language": "json"
						}
					}
				},
				"url": {
					"raw": "{{endpoint.api}}/workflow/rest/v1/workflow-instances",
					"host": [
						"{{endpoint.api}}"
					],
					"path": [
						"workflow",
						"rest",
						"v1",
						"workflow-instances"
					]
				}
			},
			"response": []
		}
	],
	"auth": {
		"type": "oauth2",
		"oauth2": [
			{
				"key": "clientSecret",
				"value": "{{uaa.clientsecret}}",
				"type": "string"
			},
			{
				"key": "clientId",
				"value": "{{uaa.clientid}}",
				"type": "string"
			},
			{
				"key": "accessTokenUrl",
				"value": "{{uaa.url}}/oauth/token",
				"type": "string"
			},
			{
				"key": "tokenName",
				"value": "spa-api-token",
				"type": "string"
			},
			{
				"key": "challengeAlgorithm",
				"value": "S256",
				"type": "string"
			},
			{
				"key": "grant_type",
				"value": "client_credentials",
				"type": "string"
			},
			{
				"key": "addTokenTo",
				"value": "header",
				"type": "string"
			},
			{
				"key": "client_authentication",
				"value": "header",
				"type": "string"
			}
		]
	},
	"event": [
		{
			"listen": "prerequest",
			"script": {
				"type": "text/javascript",
				"exec": [
					""
				]
			}
		},
		{
			"listen": "test",
			"script": {
				"type": "text/javascript",
				"exec": [
					""
				]
			}
		}
	]
}

sample.postman_environment.json

{
	"id": "e051fa16-0620-4d86-a9dd-0e8aed9047d7",
	"name": "process-automation-region-sk",
	"values": [
		{
			"key": "endpoint.api",
			"value": "https://the-endpoint-api-url-in-sk.cfapps.region.hana.ondemand.com",
			"type": "default",
			"enabled": true
		},
		{
			"key": "uaa.clientid",
			"value": "sb-btc564fq-u6xo-8063-h6cu-58ws3538201t!v808583|xsuaa!q467428",
			"type": "default",
			"enabled": true
		},
		{
			"key": "uaa.clientsecret",
			"value": "mEf2s0ldQbaqhVH/vmriBjBSO/Q=",
			"type": "default",
			"enabled": true
		},
		{
			"key": "uaa.url",
			"value": "https://yourinstance-spa.authentication.region.hana.ondemand.com",
			"type": "default",
			"enabled": true
		}
	],
	"_postman_variable_scope": "environment",
	"_postman_exported_at": "2022-09-01T19:54:10.857Z",
	"_postman_exported_using": "Postman/9.29.1"
}

Raghuraman Ramakrishnan

September 9, 2022 at 4:09 am

Great Blog Peter Engel . Thank you Antonio Maradiaga for thoughtfully sharing the postman collections

Nils Mentzel

September 27, 2022 at 7:01 am

Hello, is it possible to use a service instance of the service "ABAP environment" or any other environment, or is it only possible to generate a valid service key with a service instance of the type "SAP Process Automation"?

I'm asking this because I only have an Instance of the type "ABAP environment" installed on my subaccount and when I try to set up one for Process Automation, it won't let me, for the reason that I am subscribed to it already.

Peter Engel

Blog Post Author

November 2, 2022 at 7:24 am

Hi Nils,

you ned a process instance for SAP Process Automation. If you cannot create a service instance go to the entitlement section in menu -> configure entitlements -> add service plans. Search for SAP Process Automation and add the plan "standard" to your sub-account and save the new settings. Now you are able to add the service instance This plan is without any charges.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Br,

Peter

Nick Yang

November 2, 2022 at 6:54 am

Hi Peter,

Free tier SPA doesn't allow us to trigger automation via API from external.

Only SPA with standard edition can, it's also shown in your screenshot.

Any chance to lift the limitation?

Thanks.

Regards,

Nick

Peter Engel

Blog Post Author

November 2, 2022 at 7:25 am

Hi Nick,

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Br,

Peter

Nilesh Shah

December 8, 2022 at 5:42 am

Peter Engel Very informative blog.

I tried to execute API trigger with SAP Build Process Automation. The Trigger has worked and showing "Running Status"

In my workflow I have created a form which shows only information of received payload. However, I have not received anything in the inbox which displays this information.

Peter Engel

Blog Post Author

December 8, 2022 at 7:10 am

Hi Nilesh,

so you see no task in your inbox even not an empty one?

Do you see the created task in the log?

Br,

Peter

Nilesh Shah

December 8, 2022 at 12:00 pm

Peter Engel I don't see any task in my inbox. However, under Manage->Processes and workflow, definition ID is generated (which i have used it in postman payload)

Under Trigger option -> I can see trigger entry

My workflow is simple, I am receiving payload and displaying it on the form fields.

Am I missing any step?

Wilyereny Lorenzo Placencio

March 17, 2023 at 1:52 pm

Hello,

I tried using the APIHUB but my token expired, does the token created with Postman expire too?

Peter Engel

Blog Post Author

March 22, 2023 at 7:38 am

Hi,

yes the token created with postman will expire too.

Br,

Peter

Product Information

SAP Process Automation: How to test the API trigger with postman

Technical prerequisite

Service instance

Service key

Using Postman

Conclusion

Next Steps

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