HTTP File Source

This guide walks you through connecting any existing HTTP-based file server to PixelFiddler as a media source. Use this when your images are already publicly or privately served over HTTP/HTTPS.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• A publicly reachable HTTP/HTTPS server that serves your media files
• A directory-style URL where your files are located (not a single file)
• (Optional) List of headers your server requires (e.g., Authorization)
• (Optional) Information on which client request headers you want forwarded

Step 1: Prepare Your HTTP Server

PixelFiddler can work with any HTTP server that makes assets accessible via predictable URLs.

Typical setups include:

• Static hosting (e.g., Nginx, Apache, Caddy)
• CDN endpoints (Cloudflare, Fastly, Akamai, etc.)
• Object storage with HTTP access (MinIO, NetApp, internal services)
• Custom application servers serving public images

Your server must

1. Allow GET requests to fetch files
2. Correctly serve binary content (images)

Step 2: Gather Required Information

Collect the following details before creating the media source:

Field	Description	Example	Required
Base URL	Root URL where your files are located	https://cdn.example.com/images/	Yes
Predefined Headers	Headers always included in outgoing requests	X-API-Key: secret123	No
Proxy Headers	Headers forwarded from client requests	Authorization	No
Follow Redirects	Whether PixelFiddler should follow 3xx responses	true	No

Important Notes About Base URL

• This must point to a directory, not a specific file. Good: https://example.com/assets/ Bad: https://example.com/assets/logo.png
• PixelFiddler will append filenames to this base path dynamically.
• The base URL must be reachable from PixelFiddler’s servers.

TODO Adding predefined headers

Step 3: Create a New HTTP Media Source in PixelFiddler

1. Navigate to your Sources page in the PixelFiddler dashboard
2. Click “Link new source”
3. Select Http as your source type
4. Fill in the connection details using the information from your Google Cloud setup

TODO screen

Required Configuration

Field	Description	Example
Name	Display name for your source	Product CDN
Alias	Unique identifier (kebab-case)	product-cdn
Base URL	Root location of your files	https://cdn.example.com/images/

Optional Configuration

Predefined Headers

Headers that PixelFiddler will always send with each request.

Example:

    [
      {
        "name": "X-API-Key",
        "value": "your-secret-key",
        "secret": true
      }
    ]

TODO screen

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Proxy Headers

Headers automatically forwarded from the client request to the HTTP source.

Example:

   [
      "Authorization",
      "X-Request-ID"
    ]

TODO screen

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Follow Redirects

If your server responds with 3xx:

• Enabled (default) --- PixelFiddler automatically follows the redirect
• Disabled --- redirect responses are returned as-is

TODO screen