Sending values as parameters in HTTP GET using VBA request

Question

So I am trying to send a basic request to a new API I'm testing out with the following script:

Sub CalcDemo()
    TargetURL = "https://my-api-url.com"
    Set HTTPReq = CreateObject("WinHttp.WinHttpRequest.5.1")
    HTTPReq.Open "GET", TargetURL, False
    HTTPReq.setRequestHeader "Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"

    postData = "user=myUsername&password=myPassword"
    HTTPReq.send (postData)
    MsgBox (HTTPReq.responseText)

End Sub

But I'm getting the following error message: HTTP Status 401 - user and password should be specified as parameters on the request. I was under the impression that the manner in which postData is being passed above meant they are sent as parameters, but I guess I am wrong. How can I send a string of parameters?

That is not a GET but a POST, so HTTPReq.Open "POST", TargetURL, False — Tim Williams
– Tim Williams, Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 0:36
To add - if it were a GET you'd be doing something like: TargetURL = "https://my-api-url.com?user=myUsername&password=myPassword" (ie. parameters are passed in the querystring portion of the URL). In a POST, the parameters are passed in the request body. — Tim Williams
– Tim Williams, Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 5:59

Rabindranath Andujar · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-08 22:03:39Z

2

It seems to me that the value of postData is not collecting the values of the variables myUsername or myPassword. you have to create the concatenated data like so:

postData = "user=" & myUsername & "&password=" & myPassword

I suppose that myUsername and myPassword are global variables. Otherwise you also need to pass them as arguments to your function.

Hope this helps!

answered Sep 8, 2016 at 22:03

Rabindranath Andujar

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2 Comments

weskpga Over a year ago

So I tried

postData = "user=" & "myUsername" & _         "&password=" & "myPassword" & _         "&param1=" & "param1val" & _         "&param2=" & "param2val" & _

.... But am still getting the same error. Just by a cursory check, the params look to be formatted properly.

weskpga Over a year ago

And yeah, I just changed the username and password to placeholders :)

m e · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-09 08:08:47Z

1

As one comment has suggested, you are trying to send a post string usin a GET command. If you replace the folowing line, it should work:

    HTTPReq.Open "GET", TargetURL, False

replaced by:

    HTTPReq.Open "POST", TargetURL, False

answered Sep 9, 2016 at 8:08

m e

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1 Comment

weskpga Over a year ago

Looks like this is the right answer. Interesting because I did the same thing as a GET request in python and it worked, but the POST request gave me this error.

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