The /http/import Robot

We are happy to import from whatever storage solution suits you best.

The /http/import Robot imports any file that is publicly available via a web URL into Transloadit.

Parameters

Name	Type	Default	Description
`url`	(required) String / Array of Strings		The URL from which the file to be imported can be retrieved. You can also specify an array of URLs or a string of `\|` delimited URLs to import several files at once. Please also check the `url_delimiter` parameter for that.
`url_delimiter`	String	`"\|"`	Provides the delimiter that is used to split the URLs in your `url` parameter value.
`headers`	Array of Strings	`[]`	Custom headers to be sent for file import. This is an empty array by default, such that no additional headers expect the necessary ones (e.g. Host) are sent.
`force_name`	String / Null	`null`	Custom name for the imported file. Defaults to `null`, which means the file name is derived from the supplied URL.
`ignore_errors`	Boolean	`false`	There might be an error coming up when importing files or trying to extract meta data from them. Setting this to `true` will cause the Robot to not stop the import (and the entire Assembly) when that happens. This is especially useful when you use an array of URLs for the `url` parameter and thereby import several files at once.

See full docs

Live demos

Our /http/import Robot can be used in combination with other Robots, to create powerful workflows unique to your use case.
Here are a few example scenarios, and the required the Assembly Instructions to implement them.
You can also try demos of these examples right here, live on our website.

Concatenate two audio files

{
  "steps": {
    ":original": {
      "robot": "/upload/handle"
    },
    "imported_postroll": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/german-anthem.mp3"
    },
    "concatenated": {
      "use": {"steps":[{"name":":original", "fields":"file", "as":"audio_1"},{"name":"imported_postroll", "as":"audio_2"}]},
      "robot": "/audio/concat",
      "result": true,
      "ffmpeg_stack": "v3.3.3"
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["imported_postroll", "concatenated", ":original"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials",
      "path": "${unique_prefix}/both-anthems.${file.ext}"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Add watermark to a song

{
  "steps": {
    ":original": {
      "robot": "/upload/handle"
    },
    "audio_imported": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "result": true,
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/powered-by.mp3"
    },
    "merged": {
      "use": {"steps":[{"name":"audio_imported", "as":"audio"},{"name":":original", "as":"audio"}]},
      "robot": "/audio/merge",
      "result": true,
      "preset": "mp3"
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["audio_imported", "merged", ":original"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Insert cover art into an audio file

{
  "steps": {
    ":original": {
      "robot": "/upload/handle"
    },
    "imported_image": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/chameleon.jpg"
    },
    "inserted_artwork": {
      "use": {"steps":[{"name":":original", "as":"audio"},{"name":"imported_image", "as":"image"}],"bundle_steps":true},
      "robot": "/audio/artwork",
      "method": "insert"
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["imported_image", "inserted_artwork", ":original"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Import files over HTTP

{
  "steps": {
    "imported": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/chameleon.jpg"
    },
    "resized": {
      "use": ["imported"],
      "robot": "/image/resize",
      "result": true,
      "height": 130,
      "imagemagick_stack": "v2.0.3",
      "width": 130,
      "zoom": false
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["imported", "resized"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Concatenate video files

{
  "steps": {
    ":original": {
      "robot": "/upload/handle"
    },
    "preroll_imported": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "result": true,
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/waves10.mp4"
    },
    "preroll_resized": {
      "use": ["preroll_imported"],
      "robot": "/video/encode",
      "result": true,
      "background": "#000000",
      "ffmpeg_stack": "v3.3.3",
      "height": 270,
      "preset": "ipad-high",
      "resize_strategy": "pad",
      "width": 480
    },
    "original_resized": {
      "use": [":original"],
      "robot": "/video/encode",
      "result": true,
      "background": "#000000",
      "ffmpeg_stack": "v3.3.3",
      "height": 270,
      "preset": "ipad-high",
      "resize_strategy": "pad",
      "width": 480
    },
    "concatenated": {
      "use": {"steps":[{"name":"original_resized", "as":"video_1"},{"name":"preroll_resized", "as":"video_2"}]},
      "robot": "/video/concat",
      "result": true,
      "ffmpeg_stack": "v3.3.3",
      "preset": "ipad-high"
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["preroll_imported", "preroll_resized", "original_resized", "concatenated", ":original"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Generate a video from an image sequence

{
  "steps": {
    ":original": {
      "robot": "/upload/handle"
    },
    "imported_chameleon": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "result": true,
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/chameleon.jpg"
    },
    "imported_prinsengracht": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "result": true,
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/prinsengracht.jpg"
    },
    "imported_snowflake": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "result": true,
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/desert.jpg"
    },
    "resized": {
      "use": ["imported_chameleon", "imported_prinsengracht", "imported_snowflake"],
      "robot": "/image/resize",
      "result": true,
      "height": 768,
      "imagemagick_stack": "v2.0.3",
      "resize_strategy": "fit",
      "width": 1024,
      "zoom": false
    },
    "merged": {
      "use": {"steps":[{"name":":original", "as":"audio"},{"name":"resized", "as":"image"}],"bundle_steps":true},
      "robot": "/video/merge",
      "result": true,
      "duration": 9,
      "ffmpeg_stack": "v3.3.3",
      "framerate": "1/3",
      "preset": "ipad-high",
      "resize_strategy": "fit"
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["imported_chameleon", "imported_prinsengracht", "imported_snowflake", "resized", "merged", ":original"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Merge an audio and a video file

{
  "steps": {
    ":original": {
      "robot": "/upload/handle"
    },
    "imported_video": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/big-buck-bunny-10s.mp4"
    },
    "replaced_audio_track": {
      "use": [{"name":":original", "as":"audio"},{"name":"imported_video", "as":"video"}],
      "robot": "/video/merge",
      "result": true,
      "ffmpeg_stack": "v3.3.3",
      "preset": "iphone-high"
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["imported_video", "replaced_audio_track", ":original"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Merge an audio file and an image to generate a video

{
  "steps": {
    ":original": {
      "robot": "/upload/handle"
    },
    "imported_image": {
      "robot": "/http/import",
      "url": "http://demos.transloadit.com/inputs/chameleon.jpg"
    },
    "resized_image": {
      "use": ["imported_image"],
      "robot": "/image/resize",
      "result": true,
      "height": 768,
      "imagemagick_stack": "v2.0.3",
      "resize_strategy": "fit",
      "width": 1024,
      "zoom": false
    },
    "merged": {
      "use": {"steps":[{"name":":original", "as":"audio"},{"name":"resized_image", "as":"image"}]},
      "robot": "/video/merge",
      "result": true,
      "ffmpeg_stack": "v3.3.3",
      "preset": "ipad-high",
      "resize_strategy": "pad"
    },
    "exported": {
      "use": ["imported_image", "resized_image", "merged", ":original"],
      "robot": "/s3/store",
      "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials"
    }
  }
}

Try the live demo

Blog posts about our /http/import Robot

Over the years we wrote the following posts about our /http/import Robot on our blog:

Two Small Feature Updates February 11, 2012
Adding Support for Audio Encoding November 21, 2011

Did you know?

You can easily combine Robots to create powerful workflows, unique to your business.
This is the power of Transloadit.