---
title: "Get the binary data for a variable instance"
method: GET
path: "/cmmn-runtime/variable-instances/{varInstanceId}/data"
tags: ["Runtime"]
---

# Get the binary data for a variable instance

`GET /cmmn-runtime/variable-instances/{varInstanceId}/data`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://developer-docs.flowable.com/cmmn-api`
- URL: `https://developer-docs.flowable.com/cmmn-api/cmmn-runtime/variable-instances/{varInstanceId}/data`
- Auth: HTTP basic
- TypeScript: <https://skmtc.dev/flowable/apis/flowable-cmmn-rest-api/docs/cmmn-runtime/variable-instances/:varInstanceId/data/get.ts> (a function with typed inputs; its response is checked against the schema)

The response body contains the binary value of the variable. When the variable is of type binary, the content-type of the response is set to application/octet-stream, regardless of the content of the variable or the request accept-type header. In case of serializable, application/x-java-serialized-object is used as content-type.

## Path parameters

- `varInstanceId` string, required

## Response `200`

Indicates the variable instance was found and the requested variable data is returned.

- string[]

## Other responses

- `404`: Indicates the requested variable instance was not found or the variable instance does not have a variable with the given name or the variable does not have a binary stream available. Status message provides additional information.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/flowable/apis/flowable-cmmn-rest-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/flowable/apis/flowable-cmmn-rest-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/flowable/apis/flowable-cmmn-rest-api/revisions/afdfa1fcacd0?raw)