Airflow: 3 ways to call a REST API

Learn how to use HttpOperator, PythonOperator, and BashOperator to call a REST API in your DAG

Welcome to this extensive guide on how to call REST APIs in Airflow! In this blog post, we will discuss three effective techniques — HttpOperator, PythonOperator, and BashOperator — for smoothly incorporating REST API requests into your Airflow DAGs. No matter if you’re new to Airflow or have experience using it, this tutorial will give you the knowledge and tips you need to make the most of these operators.

ARV Original Creation, Airflow: 3 ways to call a REST API

Note: This blog is intended for technical readers who are familiar with Airflow and have a basic understanding of REST APIs.

Table of contents

· REST API example
· Use HttpOperator to call a REST API endpoint
∘ Advantages of HttpOperator:
∘ Disadvantages of HttpOperator:
· Use PythonOperator to call a REST API endpoint
∘ Advantages of PythonOperator
∘ Disadvantages of PythonOperator
· Use BashOperator to call a REST API endpoint
∘ Advantages of BashOperator
∘ Disadvantages of BashOperator
· Airflow Native way of making an API call: HttpHook
· Conclusion