How is an HTTP POST request made in node.js?

Better Stack Team
Updated on March 11, 2024

In Node.js, you can make an HTTP POST request using the http or https modules that come with Node.js, or you can use a more user-friendly library like axios or node-fetch. Here, I'll provide examples for both the core modules and the axios library.

Using http Module (Core Module)

 
const http = require('http');

// Example POST data (can be a JSON object or any data)
const postData = JSON.stringify({
  key1: 'value1',
  key2: 'value2'
});

// Options for the HTTP request
const options = {
  hostname: 'example.com',
  port: 80,
  path: '/path/to/api',
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Content-Length': Buffer.byteLength(postData)
  }
};

// Create the HTTP request
const req = http.request(options, (res) => {
  let responseData = '';

  // A chunk of data has been received.
  res.on('data', (chunk) => {
    responseData += chunk;
  });

  // The whole response has been received.
  res.on('end', () => {
    console.log('Response:', responseData);
  });
});

// Handle errors
req.on('error', (error) => {
  console.error('Error:', error.message);
});

// Send the POST data
req.write(postData);
req.end();

Using axios Library

First, you need to install axios using:

 
npm install axios

Then, you can use it in your Node.js script:

 
const axios = require('axios');

// Example POST data (can be a JSON object or any data)
const postData = {
  key1: 'value1',
  key2: 'value2'
};

// Make a POST request using axios
axios.post('<https://example.com/path/to/api>', postData)
  .then((response) => {
    console.log('Response:', response.data);
  })
  .catch((error) => {
    console.error('Error:', error.message);
  });

Using a library like axios simplifies the process and provides additional features like automatic JSON parsing and promise-based syntax.

Choose the approach that fits your requirements and coding style.

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