# HTTP Blockly help and clarification **URL:** \ **Category:** Off-Topic\ **Tags:** rules, blockly\ **Created:** [January 22, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071 "2026-01-22T18:48:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/dfb087/32.png) [@kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/u/kjknauss)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/1 "2026-01-22T18:48:28Z")
Long story short, I created a simple device based on ESP8266 to control my Somfy RTS awning. The device responds to: ```yaml http://192.168.30.209/stop http://192.168.30.209/up http://192.168.30.209/down ``` I worked a bit with the HTTP binding to get the correct commands sent via a rollershutter item, but never got it to work. I ended up creating 3 unlinked switch items that trigger the commands via rule. Which leads to creating a simple rule with Blockly to execute. Since all 3 switches are part of group, I wanted one rule to iterate through status of each and send commands (and also update a UI widget). The only HTTP block is: ![image](https://community-openhab-org.s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/e/1/e1202513e2d85692072922e1970308376422a6ae.png) or ![image](https://community-openhab-org.s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/3/8/385d10384a2507e5278d220a03402d57fa119abb.png) The inline script stack block of course fits into the Logic block, but the HTTP does not. This lead to playing around to create a few blocks: ![image](https://community-openhab-org.s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/9/e/9e328e417c0a970fe5432e1bfba591555f831478.png) ![image](https://community-openhab-org.s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/6/7/67333f5e68d714fd822e23263e8237f81d66a35c.png) Both the inline script block and the blocks I created work fine, just wondering if there is a proper way to get the stock HTTP Block to work in my scenerio (asking as a JS novice). Here is the final generated rule: ```javascript if (items.getItem('DeckAwningStopRTS').state == 'ON') { if (items.getItem('DeckAwningDownRTS').state == 'ON') { items.getItem('DeckAwningDownRTS').sendCommand('OFF'); } if (items.getItem('DeckAwningUpRTS').state == 'ON') { items.getItem('DeckAwningUpRTS').sendCommand('OFF'); } actions.HTTP.sendHttpGetRequest('http://192.168.30.209' + '/' + 'stop', 3000); items.getItem('DeckAwningStopRTS').sendCommand('OFF'); } else if (items.getItem('DeckAwningDownRTS').state == 'ON') { if (items.getItem('DeckAwningUpRTS').state == 'ON') { items.getItem('DeckAwningUpRTS').sendCommand('OFF'); } actions.HTTP.sendHttpGetRequest('http://192.168.30.209' + '/' + 'down', 3000); } else if (items.getItem('DeckAwningUpRTS').state == 'ON') { if (items.getItem('DeckAwningDownRTS').state == 'ON') { items.getItem('DeckAwningDownRTS').sendCommand('OFF'); } actions.HTTP.sendHttpGetRequest('http://192.168.30.209' + '/' + 'up', 3000); } ``` Again, some of these commands drive widget behavior, but I’m sure as they change within the group they are triggering the rule multiple times. Doesn’t seem to be a problem as it works fine. Just feels like there is a more elegant way. ---
**Author:** ![rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/rlkoshak/32/75251_2.png) [@rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/u/rlkoshak)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/2 "2026-01-22T20:03:54Z")
The HTTP block doesn’t click in because it’s not a standalone block. It returns something, namely what ever was pulled from the HTTP GET request. Assign that to a variable and then it should click in place. ![image](https://community-openhab-org.s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/f/b/fbb7e170c03786bbb922fb6c6cc8b0524a725769.png) But something simple like this should be relatively trivial to set up with the HTTP binding. That should be the simplest approach. But you’ll want to be careful to configure it as a command only channel, meaning you do not fill in any of the state properties. ---
**Author:** ![Tschetan](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/tschetan/32/116608_2.png) [@Tschetan](https://community.openhab.org/u/Tschetan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/3 "2026-01-22T21:19:16Z")
> [@kjknauss](#): > > Just feels like there is a more elegant way. With the 3 switches, it seems exhausting. You can also use widget to directly trigger urlActions or pass an argument to Script.`actionRuleContext: "{'cmd':'up'}"` ![Screenshot 2026-01-22 221645](https://community-openhab-org.s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/4/0/4081f07fd03b04e4920a24b8dc9c723fcce8b7c8.png) ---
**Author:** ![rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/rlkoshak/32/75251_2.png) [@rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/u/rlkoshak)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/4 "2026-01-22T22:01:24Z")
> [@Tschetan](#): > > With the 3 switches I wouldn’t use three switches. I’d use one String Item and command “stop”, “up”, and “down” to it. Or maybe use a Rollershutter Item since that takes STOP/UP/DOWN as a command already. But then there’d need to be a MAP transformation to convert from STOP to stop. The transformed command will be included in the URL using `%2$`. So the base URL for the HTTP Thing would be `http://192.168.30.209` and the commandExtension would be `%2$`. Everything else should work as the default. If using a Roillershutter Item and a rollershutter Channel type, you’d additionally fill in the upValue with “up”, downValue with “down” and stopValue with “stop”. Then yo9u’d have just the one Item, no rules and it should just work. ---
**Author:** ![kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/dfb087/32.png) [@kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/u/kjknauss)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/5 "2026-01-22T22:47:30Z")
> [@rlkoshak](#): > > The transformed command will be included in the URL using `%2$`. So the base URL for the HTTP Thing would be `http://192.168.30.209` and the commandExtension would be `%2$`. Everything else should work as the default This was my expectation, and drove the design of the ESP8266. Unless I set it up incorrectly, this method doesn’t work. ```javascript version: 1 things: http:url:1b43efadca: label: Deck Awning RTS config: baseURL: http://192.168.30.209/ refresh: 30 timeout: 3000 delay: 0 bufferSize: 2048 authMode: BASIC stateMethod: GET commandMethod: GET contentType: application/json ignoreSSLErrors: false channels: last-failure: type: request-date-time label: Last Failure last-success: type: request-date-time label: Last Success DeckAwningRollershutterRTS: type: rollershutter label: Deck Awning Rollershutter RTS description: "" config: commandExtension: '%2$' upValue: up downValue: down stopValue: stop mode: READWRITE ``` Event log when rollershutter item is activated: ```yaml 2026-01-22 14:43:26.832 [INFO] [penhab.event.ItemStatePredictedEvent] - Item 'DeckAwningRollershutterRTS' predicted to become UP 2026-01-22 14:43:26.833 [INFO] [openhab.event.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Item 'DeckAwningRollershutterRTS' changed from UNDEF to 0 (source: org.openhab.core.autoupdate.optimistic) 2026-01-22 14:43:34.752 [INFO] [openhab.event.ItemStateChangedEvent] - Item 'DeckAwningRollershutterRTS' changed from 0 to UNDEF (source: org.openhab.core.thing$http:url:1b43efadca:DeckAwningRollershutterRTS) ``` ---
**Author:** ![rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/rlkoshak/32/75251_2.png) [@rlkoshak](https://community.openhab.org/u/rlkoshak)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/6 "2026-01-22T22:58:21Z")
Does the Thing not make the HTTP call? That’s the only thing that I’d expect to happen and the only thing that I’d expect to work. The events.log is kind of irrelevant because the device doesn’t report its current state. There is no way to sync up the actual state of the Item with the device so what I see in events.log is what I would expect. I’d probably set autoupdate=false on that Item so there is no longer that “predeicted to become”. Just leave the Item as `UNDEF` because the actual state of the Item will never have any meaning anyway. If your device does report its current state, that needs to be on a different URL endpoint that returns an integer between 0 and 100. Something like `http://192.168.30.209/state` and then you’d configure the stateExtension to `state`. Then the binding will update the Item based on what ever number is returned. But without that, this Item’s state will always be UNDEF. ---
**Author:** ![kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/dfb087/32.png) [@kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/u/kjknauss)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/7 "2026-01-22T23:23:14Z")
> [@rlkoshak](#): > > Does the Thing not make the HTTP call? The awning isn’t moving, so either there is no call or it isn’t formatted correctly. With Binding in TRACE: ```yaml 2026-01-22 15:18:03.258 [TRACE] [nding.http.internal.HttpThingHandler] - Sending to 'http://192.168.30.209/%252$': Method = {GET}, Headers = {Accept-Encoding: gzip, User-Agent: Jetty/9.4.57.v20241219}, Content = {null} 2026-01-22 15:18:03.380 [TRACE] [p.internal.http.HttpResponseListener] - Received from 'http://192.168.30.209/%252$': Code = {404}, Headers = {Content-Type: text/plain, Content-Length: 183, Connection: keep-alive, Keep-Alive: timeout=2000}, Content = {Not Found Available endpoints: / - Web interface /up - Open awning /down - Close awning /stop - Stop awning /prog - Pair mode /status - JSON status } ``` > [@rlkoshak](#): > > The events.log is kind of irrelevant because the device doesn’t report its current state Agree. State is not important. UP, DOWN, STOP are what RTS accepts, and it is one way. My device only (by design) converts the http call to RTS. ---
**Author:** ![JustinG](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/justing/32/55948_2.png) [@JustinG](https://community.openhab.org/u/JustinG)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 12:39am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/8 "2026-01-23T00:39:23Z")
> [@kjknauss](#): > > `Received from 'http://192.168.30.209/%252`: Code = {404}` You’re getting a 404 error back from the request because your command extension is not being properly parsed (`/%252` is not one of your endpoints). You need to add the javaformat that you want to the injected string variable. In this case just `s`: ```yaml commandExtension: '%2$s' ``` should do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/dfb087/32.png) [@kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/u/kjknauss)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/9 "2026-01-23T00:40:49Z")
Missed a simple line in the HTTP binding docs. Instead of %2$, use %2$s. Rollershutter works fine now. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/dfb087/32.png) [@kjknauss](https://community.openhab.org/u/kjknauss)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/10 "2026-01-23T00:43:51Z")
Posted about the same time. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Larsen](https://community.openhab.org/user_avatar/community.openhab.org/larsen/32/95475_2.png) [@Larsen](https://community.openhab.org/u/Larsen)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 5:15am UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/11 "2026-01-23T05:15:34Z")
> [@kjknauss](#): > > State is not important. UP, DOWN, STOP are what RTS accepts, and it is one way. My device only (by design) converts the http call to RTS. maybe of interest: You can use the great rollershutter-profile from the marketplace to enable the position-state for your stateless shutters. [https://www.openhab.org/addons/transformations/rollershutterposition/](https://www.openhab.org/addons/transformations/rollershutterposition/) You just have to enter the up- and down-duration in the profile and the rest is handled by the profile. The shutter behaves like a two-way shutter that you can send to any position. With a small rule the position even survives system reboots. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community-openhab-org.s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/6/6a52f2ac5d00e4c7b50471a354b3a9221188be90.png) [@system](https://community.openhab.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:16pm UTC](https://community.openhab.org/t/http-blockly-help-and-clarification/168071/12 "2026-03-05T21:16:05Z")
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