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axios, cookies & more

axios

axios - promise-based HTTP client for node.js

  • when used in node.js axios uses http module (https://nodejs.org/api/http.html)
  • in node axios does not support cookies by itself (https://github.com/axios/axios/issues/5742)
    • there are npm packages that add cookies support to axios
  • when used in browsers it uses XMLHttpRequest
  • when used in browsers cookies work by default

Why would you use axios over plain http module from node?

Axios makes http requests much easier. Try using plain http and you'll convince your self.

Are there other packages like axios?

Yes - for example node-fetch https://github.com/node-fetch/node-fetch

When making a request axios creates a default http and https agent - https://axios-http.com/docs/req_config (axios probably uses global agents). You can specify custom agents for a specific request or set custom agents as default agents to use with an axios instance.

const a = require('axios');
const http = require('node:http');

(async () => {
    // configure your agent as needed
    const myCustomAgent = new http.Agent({ keepAlive: true });

    // use your custom agent for a specific request
    const x = await a.get('https://example.com/', { httpAgent: myCustomAgent });
    console.log(x);

    // set you agent as default for all requests
    a.default.httpAgent = myCustomAgent;
})();

What are http/s agents responsible for?

http/s agents handle creating/closing sockets, TCP, etc. They talk to the OS, manage connection to hosts.

cookies

Without extra packages you need to code reading response headers, look for Set-Cookie headers. Store cookies somewhere. Code adding cookie headers to subsequent request.

https://www.npmjs.com/package/http-cookie-agent

Manages cookies for node.js HTTP clients (e.g. Node.js global fetch, undici, axios, node-fetch). http-cookie-agent implements a http/s agent that inspects request headers and does cookie related magic for you. It uses the class CookieJar from package tough-cookie to parse&store cookies.

import axios from 'axios';
import { CookieJar } from 'tough-cookie';
import { HttpCookieAgent, HttpsCookieAgent } from 'http-cookie-agent/http';

const jar = new CookieJar();

const a = axios.create({
  httpAgent: new HttpCookieAgent({ cookies: { jar } }),
  httpsAgent: new HttpsCookieAgent({ cookies: { jar } }),
});
// now we have an axios instance supporting cookies
await a.get('https://example.com');

axios-cookiejar-support

https://www.npmjs.com/package/axios-cookiejar-support

Depends on http-cookie-agent and tough-cookie. Does the same as http-cookie-agent but you don't have to create http/s agents yourself. This is a small package that just intercepts axios requests and makes sure custom http/s agents are used source.

Saves you a bit of typing but you can't use your own custom agents. If you need to configure your http/s agents (ex. with a certificate) - use http-cookie-agent (see github issue and github issue)

import axios from 'axios';
import { wrapper } from 'axios-cookiejar-support';
import { CookieJar } from 'tough-cookie';

const jar = new CookieJar();
const client = wrapper(axios.create({ jar }));

await client.get('https://example.com');

https://www.npmjs.com/package/tough-cookie

npm package - cookie parsing/storage/retrieval (tough-cookie itself does nothing with http request).

A bit about cookies

https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265 - RFC describing cookies.

https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265#page-28 - concise paragraph on Third-party cookies.

Servers responds with a Set-Cookie header. Client can set the requested cookie. Cookies have a specific format described in this document.

Random stuff

https://npmtrends.com/cookie-vs-cookiejar-vs-cookies-vs-tough-cookie

interesting - cookie for servers are more popular than tough-cookie for clients since ~2023.

Is this due to more serve side apps being written in node?

Packages we don't use

  • cookie - npm package - cookies for servers
  • cookies - npm package - cookies for servers (different then cookie)
  • cookiejar - npm package - a different cookie jar for clients

fetch & fetch & node-fetch

fetch - standard created by WHATWG meant to replace XMLHttpRequest - https://fetch.spec.whatwg.org/

fetch - an old npm package to fetch web content - don't use it

node-fetch - community implemented fetch standard as a npm package - go ahead and use it

fetch - node's native implementation of the fetch standard - https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v21.x/docs/api/globals.html#fetch

Since fetch standard is the standard for both browsers and node chrome has a neat feature to export requests to fetch

chat-gpt crap

When researching I came across some chat-gpt generated content. You read it thinking it will be something but it's trash.

https://www.dhiwise.com/post/managing-secure-cookies-via-axios-interceptors -> this article from 2024 that tell you to implement cookies your self, doesn't even mention the word "package", "module"

https://medium.com/@stheodorejohn/managing-cookies-with-axios-simplifying-cookie-based-authentication-911e53c23c8a -> doesn't mention that cookies don't work in axios run in node without extra packages (at least this one mentions that chat-gpt helped, thought I bet it's fully written by chat-gpt)

inco note - our http client is misleading, it uses same agent for http and https, it should maybe be called customAgent

axios and fiddler

Using a request interceptor (proxy) like fiddler helps during development and debugging.

To make fiddler intercept axios request we have to tell axios that there is a proxy where all requests from should go. The proxy forwards those requests to the actual destination.

http_proxy=... // set proxy for http requests
https_proxy=... // set proxy for https requests
no_proxy=domain1.com,domain2.com // comma separated list of domains that should not be proxied

The proxy for both http and https can be the same url.

Read more - https://axios-http.com/docs/req_config

When using fiddler on windows I suggest going to Network & internet > Proxy and disableing proxies there (fiddler by default sets this). This way fiddler will only receive requests from the process where we set http(s)_proxy env vars.

fiddler and client certificates

I was not able to make fiddler work with client certificates. It should be done like this - https://docs.telerik.com/fiddler/configure-fiddler/tasks/respondwithclientcert but I couldn't get it to work

honorable mentions

I would like to try out - https://www.npmjs.com/package/proxy-agent at some point

I don't fully understand withCredentials

axios & cookies demo

> npm i
> node server.mjs
open browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:3000
cookies are supported
> node test.js (from another console)
cookies are not supported

axios, certificates, etc

To use axios with a client certificate you need to configure the https agent with the key and cert. the key and cert need to be in pem format. They both can be in the same pem file, or in separate pem files. (did not try it) but you should be able to merge and split your pem.

https://nodejs.org/api/tls.html#tlscreatesecurecontextoptions

to try out - https://www.npmjs.com/package/proxy-agent