---
title: Use of HttpClient in Activate
slug: use-of-httpclient-in-activate
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-07-28T20:21:45.797Z
---

HttpClient has superseded HttpWebRequest and should be used in all new projects requiring an HTTP client.

See attached script for an example of recommended usage

Dos 

- Use ProvisioningSystem.ObjectCache to reuse a single instance.
- Take advantage of the BaseAddress property, remember that this is persistent per instance
- Read HttpClient guidelines for .NET - .NET | Microsoft Learn

Don'ts

- Create and dispose with each request as each instance contains a connection pool.



# Example Script

```csharp
//@import System.Web;
//@import System.Linq.Expressions
//@import System.Private.Uri
//@import System.Net.Requests
//@import System.Net.WebHeaderCollection
//@import System.Collections.Specialized
//@import System.Text.Json
//@import System.Net.Http
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text.Json;
using Innovation.Activate;
using Innovation.Activate.Utilities;



class Script : ScriptBase
{
	string _baseUrl = "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com";
	string _getPostsUrl = "posts/1";
	string _updatePostsUrl = "posts";

	public void main()
	{
		RunModernExample();
		//	RunLegacyExample();
	}

	public void RunModernExample()
	{
		// Create the http client, or get it from the cache
		HttpClient http = ProvisioningSystem.ObjectCache.GetOrCreate<HttpClient>("MY_CONNECTION",
			() =>
		{
			var handler = new HttpClientHandler();

			//Set Auth settings here
			//handler.Credentials = ;

			return new HttpClient(handler) { BaseAddress = new Uri(_baseUrl) };
		});

		// Call our endpoint
		HttpResponseMessage response = AsyncUtils.ExecSync(() => http.GetAsync(_getPostsUrl));
		if (!response.IsSuccessStatusCode) { return; } // Do something if the response is not successful

		// Read the response to a string
		string jsonString = AsyncUtils.ExecSync(() => response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync());
		Trace.WriteLine(jsonString);

		// Deserialise the string to an object
		MyCustomResponseObject jsonObject = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<MyCustomResponseObject>(jsonString, new JsonSerializerOptions { PropertyNameCaseInsensitive = true });
		Trace.WriteLine($"The user id is {jsonObject.UserId}");

		// Update the object
		jsonObject.Title = $"Updated: {jsonObject.Title}";

		// Sent the updated object to the save enpoint
		var body = new StringContent(JsonSerializer.Serialize(jsonObject), System.Text.Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");
		HttpResponseMessage postResponse = AsyncUtils.ExecSync(() => http.PostAsync(_updatePostsUrl, body));
		Trace.WriteLine($"The updated status code was {postResponse.StatusCode}");
	}

	public void RunLegacyExample()
	{
		HttpWebRequest request = WebRequest.Create(_baseUrl + _getPostsUrl) as HttpWebRequest;

		request.Method = "GET";

		//Send the request
		WebResponse ws = request.GetResponse();

		//Read the response
		using (Stream stream = ws.GetResponseStream())
		{
			//Read the stream in the response
			using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8))
			{
				//Save all of the response to a string
				string result = reader.ReadToEnd();

				Trace.WriteLine(result);

			}
		}
	}
}

public class MyCustomResponseObject
{ 
	public int UserId { get; set; }
	public int Id { get; set; }
	public string Title { get; set; }
	public string Body { get; set; }
}

```