How to Fix node-fetch Returning Empty Responses in Your JavaScript Code

Discover solutions for `node-fetch` issues where it returns empty responses, ensuring you can successfully retrieve OAUTH2 Access Tokens.
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Fixing node-fetch Empty Responses in JavaScript

The Problem: Empty Responses with node-fetch

You may have found yourself in a situation like the following:

You attempt to use node-fetch to request an OAUTH2 Access Token.

Your code successfully runs, but the response is empty.

Here’s an example of the initial code where the issue occurs:

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

In this code snippet, the fetch method is called with a JSON body. However, this can result in unsuccessful HTTP POST requests when the server expects data in a different format.

The Solution: Adjusting the Request Format

To resolve the issue, we need to send the request in the format that the server understands. Specifically, for OAUTH2, we should use application/x-www-form-urlencoded format instead of JSON. Here’s how to implement this:

Steps to Fix the Code

Use URLSearchParams for the Request Body:
Instead of creating a JSON object for the body, use the URLSearchParams constructor to format the data properly.

Add Appropriate Headers:
Specify the correct content type in the request headers.

Here's the revised code:

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

Explanation of the Changes

Using URLSearchParams: This change ensures that the body is formatted as key-value pairs, which is the expected format for OAUTH2 requests.

Setting the Content-Type Header: By specifying application/x-www-form-urlencoded, you inform the server of the request type.

Chaining Promises: The updated code ensures that the promise resolves correctly to access the token once fetched.

Conclusion

By making these adjustments to your node-fetch implementation, you can effectively retrieve OAUTH2 Access Tokens without encountering empty responses. Remember to always verify the format your target API expects to avoid similar issues in the future.