SFMC JB Custom Activity | Access inArgs from activity backend to send in POST to another endpoint

Question

I need to learn how to work some data in my custom activity backend. - The issue is that I'm not sure how to grab the data in backend once activity has posted data to my execute endpoint.

My backend activity js is below. - If you scroll down to my execute function you will see what I am trying to do.

I simply want to take the data from my inArguments[0] and then post them to another endpoint.

So far I have been unsuccessful in figuring out how to grab the data once it's been posted to /execute endpoint. I can confirm the client side of my activity is working properly because I am able to post the payload from JB to postBin, however, when I send it to my own endpoint e.g. (https://someactivityurl.herokuapp.com/journeybuilder/execute) I have no idea how to grab the data from there.

Any advice here would be greatly appreciated!

"use strict";
  var util = require("util");

  // Deps
  const Path = require("path");
  const JWT = require(Path.join(__dirname, "..", "lib", "jwtDecoder.js"));
  var util = require("util");
  var http = require("https");
  var request = require("request");

  exports.logExecuteData = [];

  function logData(req) {
    exports.logExecuteData.push({
      body: req.body,
      headers: req.headers,
      trailers: req.trailers,
      method: req.method,
      url: req.url,
      params: req.params,
      query: req.query,
      route: req.route,
      cookies: req.cookies,
      ip: req.ip,
      path: req.path,
      host: req.host,
      fresh: req.fresh,
      stale: req.stale,
      protocol: req.protocol,
      secure: req.secure,
      originalUrl: req.originalUrl,
    });
    console.log("body: " + util.inspect(req.body));
    console.log("headers: " + req.headers);
    console.log("trailers: " + req.trailers);
    console.log("method: " + req.method);
    console.log("url: " + req.url);
    console.log("params: " + util.inspect(req.params));
    console.log("query: " + util.inspect(req.query));
    console.log("route: " + req.route);
    console.log("cookies: " + req.cookies);
    console.log("ip: " + req.ip);
    console.log("path: " + req.path);
    console.log("host: " + req.host);
    console.log("fresh: " + req.fresh);
    console.log("stale: " + req.stale);
    console.log("protocol: " + req.protocol);
    console.log("secure: " + req.secure);
    console.log("originalUrl: " + req.originalUrl);
  }

  /*
   * POST Handler for / route of Activity (this is the edit route).
   */
  exports.edit = function (req, res) {
    // Data from the req and put it in an array accessible to the main app.
    //console.log( req.body );
    logData(req);
    res.send(200, "Edit");
  };

  /*
   * POST Handler for /save/ route of Activity.
   */
  exports.save = function (req, res) {
    // Data from the req and put it in an array accessible to the main app.
    //console.log( req.body );
    logData(req);
    res.send(200, "Save");
  };

  /*
   * POST Handler for /execute/ route of Activity.
   */

     exports.execute = function (req, res) {
    // example on how to decode JWT
    JWT(req.body, process.env.jwtSecret, (err, decoded) => {
      // verification error -> unauthorized request
      if (err) {
        console.error(err);
        return res.status(401).end();
      }

      if (decoded && decoded.inArguments && decoded.inArguments.length > 0) {
        // decoded in arguments
        var decodedArgs = decoded.inArguments[0];

        var options = {
          method: "POST",
          url: "https://someapi",
          headers: {
            Authorization:
              "Bearer somekey",
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
          },
          body: JSON.stringify(decodedArgs),
        };
        request(options, function (error, response) {
          if (error) throw new Error(error);
          console.log(response.body);
        });

        logData(req);
        res.send(200, "Execute");
      } else {
        console.error("inArguments invalid.");
        return res.status(400).end();
      }
    });
  };

  /*
   * POST Handler for /publish/ route of Activity.
   */
  exports.publish = function (req, res) {
    // Data from the req and put it in an array accessible to the main app.
    //console.log( req.body );
    logData(req);
    res.send(200, "Publish");
  };

  /*
   * POST Handler for /validate/ route of Activity.
   */
  exports.validate = function (req, res) {
    // Data from the req and put it in an array accessible to the main app.
    //console.log( req.body );
    logData(req);
    res.send(200, "Validate");
  };

jwtDecoder.js file

'use strict';

  module.exports = (body, secret, cb) => {
    if (!body) {
      return cb(new Error('invalid jwtdata'));
    }

    require('jsonwebtoken').verify(body.toString('utf8'), secret, {
      algorithm: 'HS256'
    }, cb);
  };

Answer 1

Your execute logic doesn't make sense. You're attempting to make a request before you've decoded your JWT and retrieved the necessary value. At the beginning of your execute script, you should decode the JWT and access the arguments there. Then nest any of your calls within that portion and make your API call.

exports.execute = function (req, res) {
  JWT(req.body, process.env.jwtSecret, (err, decoded) => {
    if (err) {
      console.error(err);
      return res.status(401).end();
    }
    if (decoded && decoded.inArguments && decoded.inArguments.length > 0) {
      var decodedArgs = decoded.inArguments[0];
      logData(req);
      // do something
    }
  });
};