---
title: "http: Post messages over HTTP without Java"
url: "https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-destinations/configuring-destinations-http-nonjava/"
description: "Send log messages to web services over HTTP or HTTPS with the http() destination."
last_modified: "2026-09-23T14:21:26+02:00"
---

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/llms.txt).

# http: Post messages over HTTP without Java

Send log messages to web services over HTTP or HTTPS with the http() destination.

New to AxoSyslog? AxoSyslog is a binary compatible `syslog-ng` replacement, from the original creator, developed by the same team.

Same architecture, same config files, same paths. Cloud-native images, fast releases, modern observability (OTel, K8s), and powerful data processing: read more about the [differences between AxoSyslog and `syslog-ng`](https://axoflow.com/axosyslog-vs-syslog-ng?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=banner).

Also, it’s super easy to [install](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/install/index.md), and you can [upgrade from `syslog-ng` in minutes](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/install/upgrade-syslog-ng/index.md).

AxoSyslog can directly post log messages to web services using the HTTP protocol, without having to use Java. The current implementation has the following limitations:

- Only the PUT and the POST methods are supported.

HTTPS connection, as well as password- and certificate-based authentication is supported.

If the server returns a status code beginning with 2 (for example, 200), AxoSyslog assumes the message was successfully sent. For other response codes, see [HTTP destination options](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-destinations/configuring-destinations-http-nonjava/reference-destination-http-nonjava/index.md). You can override the behavior of AxoSyslog using the `response-action()` option.

## Prerequisites

- AxoSyslog version 3.8 or later.
- This feature requires a separate module. Install the `axosyslog-mod-http` package on [Debian/Ubuntu](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/install/debian-ubuntu/index.md), or the `axosyslog-http` package on [RHEL and compatible distributions](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/install/rhel-fedora-almalinux/index.md). If the module isn’t installed, AxoSyslog fails to start with an [`unexpected LL_IDENTIFIER` error](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-troubleshooting-syslog-ng/unexpected-ll-identifier/index.md).

## Example: Client certificate authentication with HTTPS

```shell
   destination d_https {
        http(
            [...]
            tls(
            ca-file("/<path-to-certificate-directory>/ca-crt.pem")
            ca-dir("/<path-to-certificate-directory>/")
            cert-file("/<path-to-certificate-directory>/server-crt.pem")
            key-file("/<path-to-certificate-directory>/server-key.pem")
                )
            [...]
        );
    };
```

## Declaration:

```shell
   destination d_http {
        http(
            url("<web-service-IP-or-hostname>")
            method("<HTTP-method>")
            user-agent("<USER-AGENT-message-value>")
            user("<username>")
            password("<password>")
        );
    };
```

You can use the `proxy()` option to configure the HTTP driver in all HTTP-based destinations to use a specific HTTP proxy that is independent from the proxy configured for the system.

Alternatively, you can leave the HTTP as-is, in which case the driver leaves the default `http_proxy` and `https_proxy` environment variables unmodified.

For more detailed information about these environment variables, see [the libcurl documentation](https://curl.haxx.se/libcurl/c/CURLOPT_PROXY.html).

> **Note:**
> Configuring the `proxy()` option overwrites the default `http_proxy` and `https_proxy` environment variables.

## Example: Sending log data to a web service

The following example defines an `http` destination.

```shell
   destination d_http {
        http(
            url("http://127.0.0.1:8000")
            method("PUT")
            user-agent("syslog-ng User Agent")
            user("user")
            password("password")
            headers("HEADER1: header1", "HEADER2: header2")
            body("${ISODATE} ${MESSAGE}")
        );
    };

    log {
        source(s_file);
        destination(d_http);
        flags(flow-control);
    };
```

You can also use the http() destination to [forward log messages to Splunk using AxoSyslog](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-destinations/syslog-ng-with-splunk/index.md).

---

[Batch mode and load balancing](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-destinations/configuring-destinations-http-nonjava/http-batch-mode/index.md)

[HTTP destination options](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-destinations/configuring-destinations-http-nonjava/reference-destination-http-nonjava/index.md)

[The Azure auth header plugin](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-destinations/configuring-destinations-http-nonjava/plugin-azure-auth-header/index.md)

[The Python HTTP header plugin](https://axoflow.com/docs/axosyslog-core/4.28/chapter-destinations/configuring-destinations-http-nonjava/plugin-python-http-header/index.md)

Last modified September 23, 2026: [Adds frontmatter descriptions to top-level sections (a27cc77e)](https://github.com/axoflow/axosyslog-core-docs/commit/a27cc77e261c9a82032e3bd5eb4bb12b6cd51118)