# Username and password as a input for Http Request basic authentication

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [30 June 2020 09:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208 "2020-06-30T09:08:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mchrusto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@mchrusto](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mchrusto)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/1 "2020-06-30T09:08:51Z")

</div>

Hello  
I am just starting with node-red. I am trying to build a Dashboard where user will need to enter IP address, username and password - these parameters will be than use to connect to other system via Http Request and required data will be collected.

![Node-Red- Basic_Auth1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/0/b/0b76157b78c571ef41a5eaf935e456836f7d85af.png)

Using template I am able to build URL link with entered IP address and passt it over to the input of the http request node. Things are working fine if I type manually username and password into the http request node and enable TLS.

 ![Node-Red- Basic_Auth](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/0/6/0691bf4dccd62ccdfd924530a58bbdce416b4994.png)

I am trying to find out the way how to pass a username and password in to http request node as a input parameters, so they do not have to be entered manually.

Some how I couldn't find the answer on the forum.  
It will be great if somebody could point me the right direction how to do this.

Thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/2 "2020-06-30T09:14:26Z")

</div>

I don't think I can hep, but reading your post, I am not certain **which** node you are using, so it is not conducive for me to try and help.

I searched `http-request` and there is more than one, so..... which one?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mchrusto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@mchrusto](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mchrusto)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/3 "2020-06-30T09:20:57Z")

</div>

It is HTTP Request node

 ![Node-Red- Basic_Auth3](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/e/8/e8b0b69499ca123dff523bb9cdf98641fbf38aab.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/4 "2020-06-30T09:28:32Z")

</div>

Again: I am not expert.

But is what you are wanting to do allowed by the node?

I can sort of get the idea you have a _list of users_ and so what to allow them all access.

But .....

Nah.

I get what you mean now - I think.

You won't send the node the _list of users_. That is done after the node.  
Though how, I can't say.

If the node accepted a _list_: you would have to constantly send the list to the node because you don't know when/who is logging in.

Maybe you are not using the right node for what you want to do.

Shrug.

BTW, how do you _invoke_ the node? It isn't like other `dashboard` nodes, so I can't see how to get the GUI side of it working.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mchrusto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@mchrusto](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mchrusto)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/5 "2020-06-30T09:38:07Z")

</div>

Hi thx - here is what I try to do - I have multiple systems (each one has it's own IP address and username/password) that are providing data via Restful Web-Services. I am trying to create a flow with dashboard that will allow me to enter a IP address, username and password (via ui\_text\_input node) and passt this information to http request node as a input. In this way I want to connect to different systems and don't have to each time edit nodes in the flow to enter username and password.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/6 "2020-06-30T09:43:34Z")

</div>

Ah, so the _GUI_ thing you showed was the `ui_text_input` node.

For the fun of it, post the bit of the flow that requests the log in and the connection to this node.  
(code)

When you post the code, first click the `</>` button at the top of the input window. (look up)  
Or if you want to do it the _long_ way: press \< enter \> (new line) then press the `key 3 times. That key is the one to the left of the`1` key.  
Paste the code.  
Press \< enter \> then press that key 3 times again.

That formats it as code and allows me (and others) to copy the code.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mchrusto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@mchrusto](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mchrusto)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/7 "2020-06-30T09:52:20Z")

</div>

Hi ok - here is the code - ok with dummy user & password

```auto
[{"id":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","type":"tab","label":"Flow 2","disabled":false,"info":""},{"id":"b50cf1c7.4b0cf","type":"ui_text_input","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","label":"IP Address","tooltip":"","group":"428dce81.ff2a","order":1,"width":0,"height":0,"passthru":true,"mode":"text","delay":"100","topic":"","x":290,"y":180,"wires":[["c7a9e037.2410b"]]},{"id":"c7a9e037.2410b","type":"change","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"textInput","pt":"flow","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":390,"y":240,"wires":[["b5792190.02991"]]},{"id":"b5792190.02991","type":"switch","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"is text empty?","property":"textInput","propertyType":"flow","rules":[{"t":"empty"},{"t":"else"}],"checkall":"true","repair":false,"outputs":2,"x":560,"y":300,"wires":[["b3a4b783.34fa38"],["6f01601.54167a"]]},{"id":"b3a4b783.34fa38","type":"change","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"enabled false","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"enabled","pt":"msg","to":"false","tot":"bool"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":770,"y":220,"wires":[["7a4e57d3.22c028"]]},{"id":"6f01601.54167a","type":"change","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"enabled true","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"enabled","pt":"msg","to":"true","tot":"bool"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":770,"y":300,"wires":[["7a4e57d3.22c028"]]},{"id":"f0e43f02.daf87","type":"inject","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"Empty string","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":true,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":150,"y":120,"wires":[["b50cf1c7.4b0cf"]]},{"id":"bbc2f278.f31f2","type":"ui_text_input","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","label":"User","tooltip":"","group":"428dce81.ff2a","order":2,"width":0,"height":0,"passthru":true,"mode":"text","delay":"100","topic":"","x":170,"y":480,"wires":[["a11d2c80.a64f7"]]},{"id":"5afc1824.5ae5a8","type":"ui_text_input","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","label":"Password","tooltip":"","group":"428dce81.ff2a","order":3,"width":0,"height":0,"passthru":true,"mode":"password","delay":"100","topic":"","x":180,"y":560,"wires":[["b73ff49a.063bc8"]]},{"id":"a11d2c80.a64f7","type":"change","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"username","pt":"flow","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":370,"y":480,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"b73ff49a.063bc8","type":"change","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"password","pt":"flow","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":370,"y":560,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"7a4e57d3.22c028","type":"ui_button","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","group":"428dce81.ff2a","order":4,"width":0,"height":0,"passthru":false,"label":"Connect","tooltip":"","color":"","bgcolor":"","icon":"","payload":"textInput","payloadType":"flow","topic":"","x":1000,"y":220,"wires":[["6f7015ca.3df55c"]]},{"id":"6f7015ca.3df55c","type":"change","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"myserver","pt":"flow","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":1050,"y":340,"wires":[["a9f6946f.3300d8"]]},{"id":"a9f6946f.3300d8","type":"template","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"U-SAPCE","field":"payload","fieldType":"msg","format":"handlebars","syntax":"mustache","template":"https://{{flow.myserver}}/api","output":"str","x":1040,"y":460,"wires":[["7897f57f.060e2c"]]},{"id":"7897f57f.060e2c","type":"change","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"url","pt":"msg","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":950,"y":580,"wires":[["fce0eeb8.b48e3"]]},{"id":"fce0eeb8.b48e3","type":"http request","z":"69d0a2fd.2852bc","name":"HTTP Request","method":"GET","ret":"obj","paytoqs":false,"url":"","tls":"610d97c4.ffa868","persist":false,"proxy":"","authType":"basic","x":1160,"y":580,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"428dce81.ff2a","type":"ui_group","z":"","name":"Authentication","tab":"bf5e28db.e3f7b8","order":1,"disp":true,"width":"6","collapse":false},{"id":"610d97c4.ffa868","type":"tls-config","z":"","name":"","cert":"","key":"","ca":"","certname":"","keyname":"","caname":"","servername":"","verifyservercert":false},{"id":"bf5e28db.e3f7b8","type":"ui_tab","z":"","name":"ITA Colo","icon":"dashboard","order":1,"disabled":false,"hidden":false}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 09:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/8 "2020-06-30T09:56:54Z")

</div>

Nearly.

Please include the `http-request` node how you have it. Just stick some _dummy_ values in for the username and password.

(When I use the node you posted, I only get a `connect` button. Nothing asking for IP, name and password.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 10:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/9 "2020-06-30T10:02:48Z")

</div>

Trying stuff, I am getting a message:

```auto
Error: connect ECONNREFUSED 192.168.0.6:80 : http://192.168.0.6

```

Which makes sense.

So, looking at the error, I think you will have to have one of these `http-request` nodes per machine.

Each node storing the name/password for **that** machine.

So you will have to _route_ the message depending on the `IP` address.  
I say _route_ but it is something else in `Node-Red`. We will get to that later.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![afelix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/afelix/32/9743_2.png) [@afelix](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/afelix)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 10:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/10 "2020-06-30T10:13:19Z")

</div>

If you tick the `use authentication` box it requires those to be set in the interface. The alternative is looking at the node's help text, and see that you can pass parameters in the `msg` object entering it. For authentication, you can set `msg.headers` with an `Authorization` header, and use a function node to prepare the header.  
See this example for a quick instruction on how to use `msg.headers` with the http request node. [https://cookbook.nodered.org/http/set-request-header](https://cookbook.nodered.org/http/set-request-header)  
For the value you can use the following basis:  
`Basic <base64 encoded "username:password">`  
As the function node uses NodeJS internally rather than browser based javascript, the common functions to pick such as `atob` and `btoa` won't work here, but you can use a change node instead. If you set it to the `expression` type with the large `J` icon, it uses JSONata, wich is a query language and perfect for this goal:  
[https://docs.jsonata.org/string-functions#base64encode](https://docs.jsonata.org/string-functions#base64encode)

Assuming you have a payload that looks like

```auto
{
    "username": "yourusername",
    "password": "yourpassword"
}

```

going into the change node, if you use a jsonata query of `'Basic ' & $base64encode(payload.username & ':' & payload.password)` to get the value of your authorization header. [https://try.jsonata.org/ZR\_E60T7w](https://try.jsonata.org/ZR_E60T7w)  
You can take that one step further and have the change node set `msg.headers` to

```auto
{
    "Authorization": 'Basic ' & $base64encode(payload.username & ':' & payload.password)
}

```

[https://try.jsonata.org/k-i06rjry](https://try.jsonata.org/k-i06rjry)

Good luck, and if you need any more guidance feel free to ask. It's been a while since I had to implement things this way, so if I made any errors please say so and I'll edit the post.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 11:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/11 "2020-06-30T11:07:10Z")

</div>

Just a little note about security. Obviously proxying security credentials that way is not terribly secure. Even if that isn't an issue for you, I would recommend that you don't connect that instance of Node-RED to the Internet 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mchrusto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@mchrusto](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mchrusto)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 12:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/12 "2020-06-30T12:48:22Z")

</div>

Hi Afelix thx a lot I think this is what I need. Can you help me and post some example of the code that will show how to use msg.headers for basic authentication?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 13:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/13 "2020-06-30T13:42:33Z")

</div>

eg see - [https://cookbook.nodered.org/http/set-request-header](https://cookbook.nodered.org/http/set-request-header)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![afelix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/afelix/32/9743_2.png) [@afelix](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/afelix)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2020 14:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/14 "2020-06-30T14:19:15Z")

</div>

Hi mchrusto. If you look at my post above you'll see I've linked an example on how to set msg.headers, from the Node-RED cookbook, helpfully linked by Dave again. Below that, I explain the format that the authorization header should have.  
To set this up, you need to wire a change node into your HTTP Request node. This change node gets the username and password for the ip address, and potentially other data needing to go into the HTTP Request node as well.

 ![Screenshot 2020-06-30 at 16.04.43](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/b/b/bbdd9aac923a9fb006b031a6a13d3f860171f9bf.png)  
You can use this `J:` format to enter a JSONata query. Assuming that your incoming msg.payload object into this change node has the format of an object with keys for username and password as shown above, you can use the query I showed. Otherwise it might take a little modification.

I see that I had a slight typo in my Authorization header above, I'll edit that post after I finish typing this one.  
`httpbin` is a useful tool to inspect your requests before you run them in production on your devices, to see how you flow is functioning. Here's a quick example using their basic auth testing endpoint ([http://httpbin.org/#/Auth/get\_basic\_auth\_\_user\_\_\_passwd\_](http://httpbin.org/#/Auth/get_basic_auth __user___ passwd_)), that shows how this would work.

```auto
[{"id":"3f9e3e09.472d92","type":"change","z":"1f20f9bb.524146","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"headers","pt":"msg","to":"{\t \"Authorization\": 'Basic ' & $base64encode(\t payload.username & ':' & payload.password\t ) \t}","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":250,"y":2160,"wires":[["82dad914.02fc98","e31babaf.7b1768"]]},{"id":"82dad914.02fc98","type":"http request","z":"1f20f9bb.524146","name":"","method":"GET","ret":"txt","paytoqs":false,"url":"https://httpbin.org/basic-auth/foo/bar","tls":"","persist":false,"proxy":"","authType":"","x":450,"y":2160,"wires":[["d6ff9b80.8c4648"]]},{"id":"de221008.e37e8","type":"inject","z":"1f20f9bb.524146","name":"","topic":"","payload":"{\"username\":\"foo\",\"password\":\"bar\"}","payloadType":"json","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":90,"y":2160,"wires":[["3f9e3e09.472d92","cbf9e639.64b038"]]},{"id":"d6ff9b80.8c4648","type":"debug","z":"1f20f9bb.524146","name":"HTTP Response","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":640,"y":2160,"wires":[]},{"id":"cbf9e639.64b038","type":"debug","z":"1f20f9bb.524146","name":"Input object","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","x":230,"y":2100,"wires":[]},{"id":"e31babaf.7b1768","type":"debug","z":"1f20f9bb.524146","name":"Message object with headers","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":470,"y":2220,"wires":[]}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [29 August 2020 14:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/username-and-password-as-a-input-for-http-request-basic-authentication/29208/15 "2020-08-29T14:19:17Z")

</div>

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