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post request python explained

Narkw Brahma

Narkw Brahma

• 2 min read

What is a POST request in Python and how it works?

POST request is a method of sending data to the server to update or create a resource. It is one of the most common HTTP methods used in web development.

How to make a POST request in Python?

In Python, we can use the requests library to make HTTP requests. To make a POST request, we need to use the post() method of the requests module.


    import requests
    
    # Define the URL
    url = 'https://example.com/api/v1/users'
    
    # Define the data to be sent
    data = {'name': 'John Doe', 'email': '[email protected]'}
    
    # Send the POST request
    response = requests.post(url, data=data)
    
    # Print the response content
    print(response.content)

In the above code, we first import the requests module. Then we define the URL and the data to be sent in the form of a dictionary. Finally, we send the POST request using the post() method and print the response content.

How to handle errors while making a POST request?

While making a POST request, we should always handle errors that may occur. We can do this using try-except blocks.


    import requests
    
    # Define the URL
    url = 'https://example.com/api/v1/users'
    
    # Define the data to be sent
    data = {'name': 'John Doe', 'email': '[email protected]'}
    
    try:
        # Send the POST request
        response = requests.post(url, data=data)
        response.raise_for_status()
    except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as err:
        print(err)
    else:
        # Print the response content
        print(response.content)

In the above code, we first define the URL and the data to be sent. Then we use a try-except block to handle any HTTP errors that may occur while sending the POST request. Finally, we print the response content if no errors occur.

How to send JSON data in a POST request?

Sometimes, we need to send JSON data instead of form data in a POST request. We can do this by using the json parameter of the post() method.


    import requests
    
    # Define the URL
    url = 'https://example.com/api/v1/users'
    
    # Define the JSON data to be sent
    json_data = {'name': 'John Doe', 'email': '[email protected]'}
    
    # Send the POST request with JSON data
    response = requests.post(url, json=json_data)
    
    # Print the response content
    print(response.content)

In the above code, we first define the URL and the JSON data to be sent. Then we use the json parameter of the post() method to send the POST request with JSON data. Finally, we print the response content.

Conclusion

In this post, we learned about making POST requests in Python using the requests module. We also learned how to handle errors and send JSON data in a POST request. POST requests are an essential part of web development, and knowing how to make them in Python is a valuable skill.

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