API Task FAQs

Review the FAQs to learn more about API Tasks.

How does an API Task execute compared to a Task Bot?

API Tasks execute in the Automation 360 Cloud, unlike Task Bots, which use the bot runner devices on the customer's infrastructure. API Tasks do not perform desktop interactions like Task Bots and can start quickly and potentially run faster than Task Bots.

In addition, the product is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) compliant. API Task is also part of the platform that is SOC 2 compliant. All API Task data is encrypted and we also provide encryption for both moving and static data.

Is it possible to read or write to a file in API Tasks?
Yes, you can read or write to a file stream within API Tasks. The REST Web Service package now supports reading a FileStream through a variable, allowing you to seamlessly interact with files stored in online storage like OneDrive. While we currently only support OneDrive, our roadmap includes plans to integrate with other popular cloud storage services.
Do API Task support custom packages created using the Package SDK?
No, API Task does not currently support packages built using the Package SDK.
If one of the devices goes down in my API device pool, would another be spun up automatically?
Yes, everything is managed for you.
Can users create a device pool for API Tasks themselves and assign API tasks to it?
No, you cannot create your own device pool for API Tasks. The Automation Anywhere Cloud platform automatically provisions and manages API Task containers, scaling them dynamically to accommodate fluctuating workloads.
What happens if an API Task runs more than the session limit? Does it fail immediately or is it queued?
  • Real-time mode: If an API Task in the real-time mode (attended – called via forms) exceeds the session limit, it will fail immediately. This is because real-time mode tasks are pre-deployed and ready to execute immediately, and there is no queuing mechanism for tasks that cannot be executed due to concurrency constraints.
  • On-demand mode: If an API Task in on-demand mode (unattended – called via processes) exceeds the session limit, it will be queued and processed when a session becomes available. This means that the task will not fail immediately, but will wait until a session is freed up before it can be executed.
What is the lifespan of the devices that spin up?
Your API device pool's resources are available for the duration of your configuration.
Does anything need to be set up on the deployment machine?
API Tasks execute on the Automation 360 Cloud devices; therefore, no customer devices on their infrastructure need to be set up.
Do I need to perform any device installation?
Cloud devices run on clusters managed by Automation Anywhere. There is no device installation required by the customer.
Is there a timeout for the API Task execution?
For real-time API Tasks, the timeout is 1 minute. For on-demand API Tasks, the timeout is 15 minutes.
What kind of data and for how long does the information persist on the cloud devices?
Transient data does not persist; only the API Task metadata is saved.
Why the run option is not available in the API Task editor?
API Tasks cannot be deployed to your local PC. Therefore, the API Task editor does not include a run option. However, you can invoke API Tasks through forms, processes, endpoints, or by using the Run now option.
How do I find errors in my API Task?
To verify if your API Task logic is correct, you can use the debugger tool and watch the output variables. You can also use the error handler package actions to check for any errors in the API Task.
What is pre-warming?
Pre-warming is the process of pre installing the API Task logic and commands on Cloud devices preparing it to handle incoming requests. During warming, all API Task dependencies including libraries are installed beforehand. This is beneficial since it eliminates the need to check for dependencies before deploying the API Task. Hence, API Tasks run with very low latency. API Tasks that are invoked in a form must be pre-warmed on the Cloud device for it to execute successfully. Before you execute a process that has the form (API Task attached), you can check if the API Task is pre-warmed in the audit logs. For more details, see View API Task run time audit logs.
What is the license model for API Tasks?
Every cloud customer receives 100 API Task executions per Control Room as their free base entitlement. The base entitlement also includes two concurrent executions, meaning you can run two API Tasks simultaneously. For higher execution limits and additional concurrencies, you can purchase either the Enterprise Platform license or an API Task Overage SKU. Details are similar to the image below. For further assistance, contact your customer service manager.API Task license
Can I create a device pool for API Tasks and assign API Tasks to it?

No, you cannot create your own device pool for API Tasks. The Automation Anywhere cloud platform automatically provisions and manages API Task containers, scaling them dynamically to accommodate fluctuating workloads.

What happens if an API Task runs more than the session limit? Does it fail immediately or is it queued?

The behavior of API tasks that exceed the session limit depends on the API Task mode being used:

  • Real-time mode: If an API Task in the real-time mode (attended – called via forms) exceeds the session limit, it will fail immediately. This is because real-time mode tasks are pre-deployed and ready to execute immediately, and there is no queuing mechanism for tasks that cannot be executed due to concurrency constraints.
  • On-demand mode: If an API Task in on-demand mode (unattended – called via processes) exceeds the session limit, it will be queued and processed when a session becomes available. This means that the task will not fail immediately, but will wait until a session is freed up before it can be executed.
What are the supported variable types in API Tasks?
The following variable types are supported in API Tasks:
  • String
  • Number
  • Datetime
  • Boolean
  • Credential
  • List
  • Dictionary
  • Record
  • Table
  • Session
For more information on the variables, see Variables overview.
If I include 10 API calls within a single API Task, will it count as one or multiple executions?
It will count as a single execution.
When deploying an API Task on-demand within a process, you encounter the error "UNKNOWN: Unable to find the Bot Agent auto registration token." How can you resolve this?
The above error indicates that a registration key is not available for on-demand deployment of the API Task. To resolve this:
  • Navigate to Administration > Settings > Bot agent bulk install.
  • click Edit, the Generate a new key option is selected by default.
  • Click Save changes to generate a registration key.