Using GuzzleHTTP in ThinkPHP to Call WeChat API: GET Access Token and Create Custom Menu

Background : When a ThinkPHP application needs to call WeChat's API, it must obtain an access_token and send HTTP requests to configure the public account menu.

Why Choose GuzzleHTTP?

Guzzle is a PHP HTTP client that simplifies sending requests, supports query building, POST data, file uploads, cookies, JSON payloads, and works with both synchronous and asynchronous calls via a unified interface. It follows the PSR‑7 standard, abstracts the underlying transport, and provides a middleware system for extending client behavior.

Installation of GuzzleHTTP

1. Ensure Composer is installed (ThinkPHP6 uses Composer, so it is assumed to be present).

2. Install Guzzle via Composer: composer require guzzlehttp/guzzle 3. Enable the OpenSSL extension in php.ini:

extension=php_openssl.dll

HTTP GET Example (Retrieve WeChat Access Token)

In a controller, import the Guzzle classes:

use GuzzleHttp\Client;
use GuzzleHttp\Exception\GuzzleException;

Then use the following code to request the token:

// WeChat API URL for access token
$url = 'https://api.weixin.qq.com/cgi-bin/token?';
// Parameters required by the API
$params = array(
    'grant_type' => 'client_credential',
    'appid'      => config('app.WECHAT.APPID'),
    'secret'     => config('app.WECHAT.SECRET')
);
$resp = null;
try {
    $client = new Client();
    $resp = $client->request('GET', $url . http_build_query($params));
} catch (GuzzleException $e) {
    print($e);
}
if (empty($resp)) {
    return null;
}
$data = json_decode($resp->getBody(), true);
if (isset($data['errcode']) && $data['errcode'] != 0) {
    throw new \think\Exception($data['errmsg'], $data['errcode']);
}

HTTP POST Example (Create Custom Menu)

The following method builds a JSON payload for a custom menu and posts it to the WeChat API:

/**
 * Create custom menu
 */
public function menu()
{
    require __DIR__ . '/../../vendor/autoload.php';
    // Build menu structure
    $data = array(
        'button' => array(
            array(
                'type' => 'click',
                'name' => '主菜单1',
                'sub_button' => array(
                    array('type' => 'click', 'name' => '子菜单1', 'key' => self::MENU_MAIN_1_CHILD_1),
                    array('type' => 'view',  'name' => '百度',   'url' => 'https://www.baidu.com')
                )
            ),
            array(
                'type' => 'click',
                'name' => '主菜单2',
                'sub_button' => array(
                    array('type' => 'click', 'name' => '子菜单1', 'key' => self::MENU_MAIN_2_CHILD_1),
                    array('type' => 'view',  'name' => 'QQ',    'url' => 'http://www.qq.com')
                )
            ),
            array('type' => 'click', 'name' => '主菜单3', 'key' => self::MENU_MAIN_3)
        )
    );
    $options = json_encode($data, JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE);
    $jsonData = [
        'body'    => $options,
        'headers' => ['content-type' => 'application/json']
    ];
    $resp = null;
    try {
        $client = new Client();
        $url = 'https://api.weixin.qq.com/cgi-bin/menu/create?access_token=' . $this->_getAccessToken();
        $resp = $client->post($url, $jsonData);
    } catch (GuzzleException $e) {
        print($e);
    }
    if (empty($resp)) {
        return null;
    }
    echo $resp->getBody();
}

These examples show how GuzzleHTTP can be integrated into a ThinkPHP6 project to interact with external services such as WeChat, handling both GET and POST requests with proper error handling.