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Validate XML using schemas in B2B workflows with Azure Logic Apps

Applies to: Azure Logic Apps (Consumption + Standard)

In enterprise integration business-to-business (B2B) scenarios, trading partners that communicate with each other based on an agreement need to make sure their messages are valid before any data processing can start.

This guide shows how your logic app workflow can validate XML messages and documents using a predefined schema and the XML Operations action that validates XML.

Prerequisites

  • An Azure account and subscription. Get a free Azure account.

  • The logic app resource and workflow where you want to validate XML.

    Your workflow must start with a trigger, but you can use any trigger that works for your scenario. For more information, see these general steps to add any trigger you want.

    The examples in this guide use the Request trigger named When an HTTP request is received, which waits until an external caller sends a request to the trigger. Alternatively, you can use the Schedule trigger named Recurrence.

  • An integration account resource to define and store artifacts for use in your enterprise integration and B2B workflows across multiple logic app resources.

    • Both your integration account and logic app resource must exist in the same Azure subscription and Azure region.

    • The schema to use for validating XML content.

  • Before you start working with XML operations that use artifacts such as schemas in an integration account, you must link your Consumption logic app or link your Standard logic app to the integration account. You can then use the artifacts across workflows in multiple logic app resources.

    You can optionally add specific artifacts directly to a Standard logic app resource. However, only workflows in the same resource can work with those artifacts.

  • Install or use a tool that can send HTTP requests to test your solution, for example:

    Caution

    For scenarios where you have sensitive data, such as credentials, secrets, access tokens, API keys, and other similar information, make sure to use a tool that protects your data with the necessary security features. The tool should work offline or locally, and not require sign in to an online account or sync data to the cloud. When you use a tool with these characteristics, you reduce the risk of exposing sensitive data to the public.

If you use a trigger that waits for a request to start the workflow, you need an HTTP request tool to test the trigger and workflow.

Add a validate XML action

  1. In the Azure portal, open the logic app resource. Open your workflow in the designer.

  2. On the designer, follow these general steps to add the XML Operations action with the name that matches your workflow type:

    Workflow Action name
    Consumption XML Validation
    Standard Validate XML

  3. To view the source options for your XML content, follow these steps:

    1. Select inside the Content box, then select an option:

      XML content source Select Description
      Output from a previous workflow operation Lightning icon Open the dynamic content list so you can select the output from the trigger or a previous action.
      Output from an expression Function icon Open the expression editor so you can use an expression function or build an expression to produce the XML content.

      This example continues with the dynamic content list, for example:

      Screenshot shows the Azure portal, workflow designer, selected validate XML action, cursor in Content box, and opened dynamic content list.

    2. From the dynamic content list, select the output with the XML content from the operation you want.

      This example selects the Body output from the trigger named When an HTTP request is received.

  4. To specify the schema for validation, follow the steps for your workflow type:

    • Consumption

      From the Schema Name list, select the schema from the linked integration account.

    • Standard

      1. From the Schema source list, select IntegrationAccount or LogicApp.

        This example selects IntegrationAccount.

      2. From the Schema name list, select the schema.

  5. When you're done, save your workflow.

You're now finished with setting up your validate XML action. In a real world app, you might want to store the validated data in a line-of-business (LOB) app such as SalesForce. To send the validated output to Salesforce, add a Salesforce action.

Test your workflow

Confirm that the workflow works the way that you expect.

  1. On the designer, select the trigger named When an HTTP request is received.

  2. From the HTTP URL property, copy and save the endpoint URL for the trigger.

  3. On the designer toolbar, select Run > Run.

  4. To fire the Request trigger, use your preferred HTTP request tool to send a request with the XML content to the trigger's endpoint URL.

    The validate XML action runs after the trigger fires and XML content is available for validation.

  5. To review the status for each operation, inputs, and outputs, follow the steps in Review workflow run history.

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