How to Handle Failed Requests with Axios in Node.js

When using the popular Axios library in Node.js to make network requests, you may encounter a problem where the Node.js process crashes when the request fails. This can be unexpected and frustrating, but fortunately, there is a simple solution.

The Issue: Crash on Failed Requests

Let’s take a look at some code that uses Axios to make a POST request:

axios({
  method: 'post',
  url: 'https://...',
  data: JSON.stringify({
    ...
  })
});

In this example, we are making a POST request to a specified URL. However, if the request fails for any reason (such as a network error or server issue), the Node.js process will crash abruptly. This can disrupt the functionality of your application and cause unnecessary downtime.

The Solution: Adding a Catch Block

To prevent the Node.js process from crashing on failed requests, we need to add a catch block to handle any errors that may occur. Here’s how you can modify the code to include error handling:

axios({
  method: 'post',
  url: 'https://...',
  data: JSON.stringify({
    ...
  })
}).catch((err) => {
  console.error(err);
});

By adding the catch block, we can catch any errors that may occur during the request and handle them gracefully. In this example, we simply log the error to the console using console.error(), but you can customize the error handling to fit your specific needs.

Conclusion

Using Axios in Node.js is a powerful way to make network requests, but it’s important to handle failed requests properly to avoid crashing the Node.js process. By adding a catch block to your code, you can catch and handle any errors that occur during the request, ensuring that your application remains stable and reliable.