AJAX POST with jQuery and Node/Express sends empty object

Question

Client:

$('#send-button').on('click', () => {
  $.post('/send-data', JSON.stringify({ a: 10, b: 20 }), (data, status) => {
    console.log(data)
  })
})

Server:

const express = require('express')
const app = express()
app.use(express.json())

app.use(express.static(__dirname))

app.post('/send-data', (req, res) => {
  console.log(req.body)
  res.send(JSON.stringify(req.body))
})

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log(`Listening on port 3000...`)
})

Expected result:

On button click, both client and server print { a: 10, b: 20 } to the console.

Actual result:

On button click, both client and server print {} to the console.

Why am I getting this result?

EDIT: I am not using body-parser. app.use(bodyParser.json()) is no longer needed as of Express 4.16. The proposed duplicate question asks about express pre-4.16 using body-parser, and the answers do not work for my use-case.

Does this answer your question? [req.body empty on posts](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24543847/req-body-empty-on-posts) — ggorlen, Nov 05 '19 at 04:03
@MichaelDorst `axios` is more advanced, i see people usually use `axios`or `fetch`..not `jquery` — Donald Wu, Nov 07 '19 at 02:20

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 05 '19 at 05:38

0

import body-parser and add to your middleware like:

const bodyParser = require('body-parser');

app.use(bodyParser.json());

app.post('/send-data', (req, res) => {
  console.log(req.body)
  res.send(JSON.stringify(req.body))
})

Haven't used jQuery for a bit, but pretty sure you don't think you need to stringify when posting:

$.post( "/send-data", { a: 10, b: 20 })
  .done(function( data ) {
    console.log(data)
  });

answered Nov 05 '19 at 05:38

Samuel Goldenbaum

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[Since Express 4.16 `body-parser` is built in.](https://stackoverflow.com/a/49943829/1291990) – Michael Dorst Nov 05 '19 at 18:03

AJAX POST with jQuery and Node/Express sends empty object

Client:

Server:

Expected result:

Actual result:

1 Answers1