How to Fix JSONDecodeError in Python Requests When Consuming an API

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Understanding JSONDecodeError in Python Requests

If you are working with APIs in Python, particularly using the requests library, you might have encountered the frustrating JSONDecodeError. This error is typically thrown when Python attempts to decode a response that it expects to be JSON but is actually in another format, such as HTML. In this guide, we will explore a specific scenario where an API response fails to return valid JSON and how to resolve this issue effectively.

The Problem

While trying to fetch a list of Latin words from an API, the following error message was encountered:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This error suggests that the program is receiving an unexpected response format. Upon checking, it was found that the API was returning HTML instead of JSON. The relevant code is shown below:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The critical observation here is that the content printed appears to be HTML, indicating that our requests were not being interpreted correctly by the API.

The Solution

Understanding User-Agent

Many APIs employ measures to determine the source of incoming requests. If the request is identified as coming from a script or bot (like the default User-Agent in the requests library), the API may deny access or serve an unexpected response type.

To overcome this restriction, we can manually set the User-Agent header, making it look like the request is coming from a standard web browser.

Implementing the Fix

Here’s how you can modify the original function to include a custom User-Agent header:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Key Changes Explained

User-Agent Header: This header simulates a request from a common browser, tricking the API into thinking it’s processing a regular user request.

Testing Your Changes

To ensure everything is functioning as expected, test the modified function with various Latin words.

Confirm that the retrieved content is in JSON format.

Conclusion

Receiving a JSONDecodeError can be a tedious issue to troubleshoot, especially when consuming APIs. However, by setting the User-Agent header, we can effectively communicate with most APIs that impose restrictions on automated requests.

Feel free to share your experiences or ask questions in the comments below! Happy coding!