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Convex HTTP Actions

Build HTTP endpoints for webhooks, external API integrations, and custom routes in Convex applications.

Documentation Sources

Before implementing, do not assume; fetch the latest documentation:

Instructions

HTTP Actions Overview

HTTP actions allow you to define HTTP endpoints in Convex that can:

  • Receive webhooks from third-party services
  • Create custom API routes
  • Handle file uploads
  • Integrate with external services
  • Serve dynamic content

Basic HTTP Router Setup

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";

const http = httpRouter();

// Simple GET endpoint
http.route({
  path: "/health",
  method: "GET",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    return new Response(JSON.stringify({ status: "ok" }), {
      status: 200,
      headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    });
  }),
});

export default http;

Request Handling

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";

const http = httpRouter();

// Handle JSON body
http.route({
  path: "/api/data",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    // Parse JSON body
    const body = await request.json();
    
    // Access headers
    const authHeader = request.headers.get("Authorization");
    
    // Access URL parameters
    const url = new URL(request.url);
    const queryParam = url.searchParams.get("filter");

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify({ received: body, filter: queryParam }),
      {
        status: 200,
        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
      }
    );
  }),
});

// Handle form data
http.route({
  path: "/api/form",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const formData = await request.formData();
    const name = formData.get("name");
    const email = formData.get("email");

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify({ name, email }),
      {
        status: 200,
        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
      }
    );
  }),
});

// Handle raw bytes
http.route({
  path: "/api/upload",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const bytes = await request.bytes();
    const contentType = request.headers.get("Content-Type") ?? "application/octet-stream";
    
    // Store in Convex storage
    const blob = new Blob([bytes], { type: contentType });
    const storageId = await ctx.storage.store(blob);

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify({ storageId }),
      {
        status: 200,
        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
      }
    );
  }),
});

export default http;

Path Parameters

Use path prefix matching for dynamic routes:

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";

const http = httpRouter();

// Match /api/users/* with pathPrefix
http.route({
  pathPrefix: "/api/users/",
  method: "GET",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const url = new URL(request.url);
    // Extract user ID from path: /api/users/123 -> "123"
    const userId = url.pathname.replace("/api/users/", "");

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify({ userId }),
      {
        status: 200,
        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
      }
    );
  }),
});

export default http;

CORS Configuration

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";

const http = httpRouter();

// CORS headers helper
const corsHeaders = {
  "Access-Control-Allow-Origin": "*",
  "Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS",
  "Access-Control-Allow-Headers": "Content-Type, Authorization",
  "Access-Control-Max-Age": "86400",
};

// Handle preflight requests
http.route({
  path: "/api/data",
  method: "OPTIONS",
  handler: httpAction(async () => {
    return new Response(null, {
      status: 204,
      headers: corsHeaders,
    });
  }),
});

// Actual endpoint with CORS
http.route({
  path: "/api/data",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const body = await request.json();

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify({ success: true, data: body }),
      {
        status: 200,
        headers: {
          "Content-Type": "application/json",
          ...corsHeaders,
        },
      }
    );
  }),
});

export default http;

Webhook Handling

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";
import { internal } from "./_generated/api";

const http = httpRouter();

// Stripe webhook
http.route({
  path: "/webhooks/stripe",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const signature = request.headers.get("stripe-signature");
    if (!signature) {
      return new Response("Missing signature", { status: 400 });
    }

    const body = await request.text();

    // Verify webhook signature (in action with Node.js)
    try {
      await ctx.runAction(internal.stripe.verifyAndProcessWebhook, {
        body,
        signature,
      });
      return new Response("OK", { status: 200 });
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Webhook error:", error);
      return new Response("Webhook error", { status: 400 });
    }
  }),
});

// GitHub webhook
http.route({
  path: "/webhooks/github",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const event = request.headers.get("X-GitHub-Event");
    const signature = request.headers.get("X-Hub-Signature-256");
    
    if (!signature) {
      return new Response("Missing signature", { status: 400 });
    }

    const body = await request.text();

    await ctx.runAction(internal.github.processWebhook, {
      event: event ?? "unknown",
      body,
      signature,
    });

    return new Response("OK", { status: 200 });
  }),
});

export default http;

Webhook Signature Verification

// convex/stripe.ts
"use node";

import { internalAction, internalMutation } from "./_generated/server";
import { internal } from "./_generated/api";
import { v } from "convex/values";
import Stripe from "stripe";

const stripe = new Stripe(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY!);

export const verifyAndProcessWebhook = internalAction({
  args: {
    body: v.string(),
    signature: v.string(),
  },
  returns: v.null(),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    const webhookSecret = process.env.STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET!;

    // Verify signature
    const event = stripe.webhooks.constructEvent(
      args.body,
      args.signature,
      webhookSecret
    );

    // Process based on event type
    switch (event.type) {
      case "checkout.session.completed":
        await ctx.runMutation(internal.payments.handleCheckoutComplete, {
          sessionId: event.data.object.id,
          customerId: event.data.object.customer as string,
        });
        break;

      case "customer.subscription.updated":
        await ctx.runMutation(internal.subscriptions.handleUpdate, {
          subscriptionId: event.data.object.id,
          status: event.data.object.status,
        });
        break;
    }

    return null;
  },
});

Authentication in HTTP Actions

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";
import { internal } from "./_generated/api";

const http = httpRouter();

// API key authentication
http.route({
  path: "/api/protected",
  method: "GET",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const apiKey = request.headers.get("X-API-Key");
    
    if (!apiKey) {
      return new Response(
        JSON.stringify({ error: "Missing API key" }),
        { status: 401, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
      );
    }

    // Validate API key
    const isValid = await ctx.runQuery(internal.auth.validateApiKey, {
      apiKey,
    });

    if (!isValid) {
      return new Response(
        JSON.stringify({ error: "Invalid API key" }),
        { status: 403, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
      );
    }

    // Process authenticated request
    const data = await ctx.runQuery(internal.data.getProtectedData, {});

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify(data),
      { status: 200, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
    );
  }),
});

// Bearer token authentication
http.route({
  path: "/api/user",
  method: "GET",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const authHeader = request.headers.get("Authorization");
    
    if (!authHeader?.startsWith("Bearer ")) {
      return new Response(
        JSON.stringify({ error: "Missing or invalid Authorization header" }),
        { status: 401, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
      );
    }

    const token = authHeader.slice(7);

    // Validate token and get user
    const user = await ctx.runQuery(internal.auth.validateToken, { token });

    if (!user) {
      return new Response(
        JSON.stringify({ error: "Invalid token" }),
        { status: 403, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
      );
    }

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify(user),
      { status: 200, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
    );
  }),
});

export default http;

Calling Mutations and Queries

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";
import { api, internal } from "./_generated/api";

const http = httpRouter();

http.route({
  path: "/api/items",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const body = await request.json();

    // Call a mutation
    const itemId = await ctx.runMutation(internal.items.create, {
      name: body.name,
      description: body.description,
    });

    // Query the created item
    const item = await ctx.runQuery(internal.items.get, { id: itemId });

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify(item),
      { status: 201, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
    );
  }),
});

http.route({
  path: "/api/items",
  method: "GET",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const url = new URL(request.url);
    const limit = parseInt(url.searchParams.get("limit") ?? "10");

    const items = await ctx.runQuery(internal.items.list, { limit });

    return new Response(
      JSON.stringify(items),
      { status: 200, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } }
    );
  }),
});

export default http;

Error Handling

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";

const http = httpRouter();

// Helper for JSON responses
function jsonResponse(data: unknown, status = 200) {
  return new Response(JSON.stringify(data), {
    status,
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  });
}

// Helper for error responses
function errorResponse(message: string, status: number) {
  return jsonResponse({ error: message }, status);
}

http.route({
  path: "/api/process",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    try {
      // Validate content type
      const contentType = request.headers.get("Content-Type");
      if (!contentType?.includes("application/json")) {
        return errorResponse("Content-Type must be application/json", 415);
      }

      // Parse body
      let body;
      try {
        body = await request.json();
      } catch {
        return errorResponse("Invalid JSON body", 400);
      }

      // Validate required fields
      if (!body.data) {
        return errorResponse("Missing required field: data", 400);
      }

      // Process request
      const result = await ctx.runMutation(internal.process.handle, {
        data: body.data,
      });

      return jsonResponse({ success: true, result }, 200);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Processing error:", error);
      return errorResponse("Internal server error", 500);
    }
  }),
});

export default http;

File Downloads

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";
import { Id } from "./_generated/dataModel";

const http = httpRouter();

http.route({
  pathPrefix: "/files/",
  method: "GET",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const url = new URL(request.url);
    const fileId = url.pathname.replace("/files/", "") as Id<"_storage">;

    // Get file URL from storage
    const fileUrl = await ctx.storage.getUrl(fileId);

    if (!fileUrl) {
      return new Response("File not found", { status: 404 });
    }

    // Redirect to the file URL
    return Response.redirect(fileUrl, 302);
  }),
});

export default http;

Examples

Complete Webhook Integration

// convex/http.ts
import { httpRouter } from "convex/server";
import { httpAction } from "./_generated/server";
import { internal } from "./_generated/api";

const http = httpRouter();

// Clerk webhook for user sync
http.route({
  path: "/webhooks/clerk",
  method: "POST",
  handler: httpAction(async (ctx, request) => {
    const svixId = request.headers.get("svix-id");
    const svixTimestamp = request.headers.get("svix-timestamp");
    const svixSignature = request.headers.get("svix-signature");

    if (!svixId || !svixTimestamp || !svixSignature) {
      return new Response("Missing Svix headers", { status: 400 });
    }

    const body = await request.text();

    try {
      await ctx.runAction(internal.clerk.verifyAndProcess, {
        body,
        svixId,
        svixTimestamp,
        svixSignature,
      });
      return new Response("OK", { status: 200 });
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Clerk webhook error:", error);
      return new Response("Webhook verification failed", { status: 400 });
    }
  }),
});

export default http;

// convex/clerk.ts
"use node";

import { internalAction, internalMutation } from "./_generated/server";
import { internal } from "./_generated/api";
import { v } from "convex/values";
import { Webhook } from "svix";

export const verifyAndProcess = internalAction({
  args: {
    body: v.string(),
    svixId: v.string(),
    svixTimestamp: v.string(),
    svixSignature: v.string(),
  },
  returns: v.null(),
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    const webhookSecret = process.env.CLERK_WEBHOOK_SECRET!;
    const wh = new Webhook(webhookSecret);

    const event = wh.verify(args.body, {
      "svix-id": args.svixId,
      "svix-timestamp": args.svixTimestamp,
      "svix-signature": args.svixSignature,
    }) as { type: string; data: Record<string, unknown> };

    switch (event.type) {
      case "user.created":
        await ctx.runMutation(internal.users.create, {
          clerkId: event.data.id as string,
          email: (event.data.email_addresses as Array<{ email_address: string }>)[0]?.email_address,
          name: `${event.data.first_name} ${event.data.last_name}`,
        });
        break;

      case "user.updated":
        await ctx.runMutation(internal.users.update, {
          clerkId: event.data.id as string,
          email: (event.data.email_addresses as Array<{ email_address: string }>)[0]?.email_address,
          name: `${event.data.first_name} ${event.data.last_name}`,
        });
        break;

      case "user.deleted":
        await ctx.runMutation(internal.users.remove, {
          clerkId: event.data.id as string,
        });
        break;
    }

    return null;
  },
});

Schema for HTTP API

// convex/schema.ts
import { defineSchema, defineTable } from "convex/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";

export default defineSchema({
  apiKeys: defineTable({
    key: v.string(),
    userId: v.id("users"),
    name: v.string(),
    createdAt: v.number(),
    lastUsedAt: v.optional(v.number()),
    revokedAt: v.optional(v.number()),
  })
    .index("by_key", ["key"])
    .index("by_user", ["userId"]),

  webhookEvents: defineTable({
    source: v.string(),
    eventType: v.string(),
    payload: v.any(),
    processedAt: v.number(),
    status: v.union(
      v.literal("success"),
      v.literal("failed")
    ),
    error: v.optional(v.string()),
  })
    .index("by_source", ["source"])
    .index("by_status", ["status"]),

  users: defineTable({
    clerkId: v.string(),
    email: v.string(),
    name: v.string(),
  }).index("by_clerk_id", ["clerkId"]),
});

Best Practices

  • Never run npx convex deploy unless explicitly instructed
  • Never run any git commands unless explicitly instructed
  • Always validate and sanitize incoming request data
  • Use internal functions for database operations
  • Implement proper error handling with appropriate status codes
  • Add CORS headers for browser-accessible endpoints
  • Verify webhook signatures before processing
  • Log webhook events for debugging
  • Use environment variables for secrets
  • Handle timeouts gracefully

Common Pitfalls

  1. Missing CORS preflight handler - Browsers send OPTIONS requests first
  2. Not validating webhook signatures - Security vulnerability
  3. Exposing internal functions - Use internal functions from HTTP actions
  4. Forgetting Content-Type headers - Clients may not parse responses correctly
  5. Not handling request body errors - Invalid JSON will throw
  6. Blocking on long operations - Use scheduled functions for heavy processing

References

Source

git clone https://github.com/waynesutton/convexskills/blob/main/skills/convex-http-actions/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

Convex HTTP Actions lets you define HTTP endpoints inside Convex apps to receive webhooks, power custom API routes, and handle file uploads. It supports JSON payloads, form data, and raw bytes, plus dynamic routes and built-in support for authentication and CORS.

How This Skill Works

Use httpRouter to assemble routes and httpAction to implement the handler logic. Each route specifies a path and HTTP method, and returns a standard Response. Examples show parsing JSON bodies with request.json(), reading headers and query parameters, handling formData, and storing uploaded bytes in Convex storage, enabling end-to-end HTTP integrations.

When to Use It

  • Receive webhooks or event notifications from third-party services
  • Expose custom REST API endpoints for frontend or external apps
  • Handle file uploads or binary data and store it in Convex storage
  • Create dynamic routes with pathPrefix and extract parameters from the URL
  • Secure endpoints with authentication, CORS, and webhook signature validation

Quick Start

  1. Step 1: Create convex/http.ts and initialize httpRouter with a basic GET /health
  2. Step 2: Extend the router to add POST /api/data and demonstrate request.json(), headers, and query params
  3. Step 3: Deploy locally or to Convex and test endpoints with curl, inspecting JSON responses

Best Practices

  • Organize routes with httpRouter and keep handlers small using httpAction
  • Parse bodies explicitly: request.json(), request.formData(), or request.bytes()
  • Use URL and pathPrefix to support dynamic routes like /api/users/{id}
  • Validate incoming webhooks with signatures and enforce authentication and CORS
  • Return consistent JSON responses with proper Content-Type headers

Example Use Cases

  • Health check endpoint at /health returning { status: 'ok' }
  • Echo API at /api/data that returns the received JSON and a sample query param
  • Form submission at /api/form that reads name and email from form data
  • Binary upload at /api/upload that stores bytes in Convex storage and returns a storageId
  • Dynamic user route at /api/users/{id} that extracts the userId from the path

Frequently Asked Questions

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