---
title: How to Send Requests to a MicroVM (public)
description: Find a MicroVM's HTTPS endpoint and send authenticated requests to its HTTP port.
product: Microvms
url: https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/microvms/how-to/send-requests/
last_updated: "2026-10-09"
---

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# How to Send Requests to a MicroVM (public)

DigitalOcean MicroVMs are lightweight virtual machines that run a container image in an isolated kernel, pause automatically when idle, and resume on the next request with memory, files, and processes intact.

Each DigitalOcean MicroVM serves its container over an authenticated HTTPS endpoint. A request to the endpoint resumes a paused MicroVM when auto-resume is on.

## Prerequisites

- A running or paused MicroVM. See [How to Create a MicroVM](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/microvms/how-to/create/index.html.md).
- A [personal access token](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/api/create-personal-access-token/index.html.md) with only the `microvm:access` scope, exported as the `DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN` environment variable. Use this token only for endpoint requests.

## Find the MicroVM’s Endpoint

A MicroVM’s endpoint has the following form:

```text
https://<your-microvm-id>.<region>.microvm.ondigitalocean.com
```

You can find the endpoint’s hostname in any of the following places:

- **Control Panel**: Under **Endpoint** on the MicroVM’s **Overview** tab.
- **doctl**: In the **Endpoint** column of `doctl compute microvm get <your-microvm-id>`.
- **API**: In the response’s `urls` array, in the entry with `default` set to `true`.

The hostname is empty, and the API entry’s `status` is `PENDING`, until provisioning finishes. The endpoint is ready when `status` is `ACTIVE`.

## Send a Request to the HTTP Port

Send the request with your API token in the `Authorization` header. This example requests the default page of a MicroVM running `nginx` in MKC1:

```shell
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
  "https://<your-microvm-id>.mkc1.microvm.ondigitalocean.com"
```

If the MicroVM is paused and auto-resume is on, the request resumes it and waits until it is running. If auto-resume is off, [resume the MicroVM](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/microvms/how-to/pause-resume/index.html.md) before you send requests.

The endpoint reaches only the HTTP port. Other ports you declare at creation are not reachable during the public preview.