Port execution agent

Port's execution agent provides you with a secure and convenient way to listen and act on invocations of self-service actions, workflow runs, and changes in the software catalog.

By using the execution agent, you don't need to expose a public endpoint for Port to contact.

For GitLab pipelines, use a direct webhook when Port can reach the GitLab API. Use the agent when you need to forward requests to a private endpoint. Self-hosting GitLab alone does not require an agent.

Choose an event transport

Kafka is the default agent transport and requires a dedicated topic from Port support. If your network cannot connect to Kafka, use HTTP polling, which does not require a Kafka topic. Review the polling limitations before choosing this transport, including its lack of support for encrypted user inputs and organization secrets in the payload.

The data flow when using the Port execution agent is as follows:

• A new self-service action, workflow run, or change in the software catalog is invoked.
• Port sends the invocation event to your dedicated Kafka topic (or makes it available for polling).
• The execution agent pulls the new invocation event from your Kafka topic or via HTTP polling, and sends it to the URL you specified.

Next steps

• Explore How to install and use the agent
• Control the payload sent to your endpoint