Registry / http-networking / forever-agent

forever-agent

JSON →
library0.6.1jsnpmunverified

forever-agent is a Node.js module that provides an HTTP Agent designed to maintain persistent socket connections between `http.request` calls, enabling HTTP keep-alive behavior. It was originally an internal component of the widely popular, but now deprecated, `request` HTTP client library. The current stable version, 0.6.1, was last published over 11 years ago in April 2015. With the official deprecation of its progenitor `request` library in 2020, forever-agent itself is considered unmaintained and has seen no significant updates for over a decade. Its key differentiator was offering direct control over connection pooling for keep-alive outside of the `request` library, at a time when native Node.js HTTP client features were less developed regarding persistent connections.

http-networking
npm install forever-agent
github ↗package ↗
INSTALL
IMPORT
SIG · FOREVER-AGENT
F
forever-agent
http-networkingjavascriptv0.6.1
Install
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Import
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Disk
—
Pass rate
0/ 6
Env Coverage0 / 6
glibc
18–22
musl
18–22
Install & Compatibility
Where this runs
tested against v? · npm install
Install × environment matrix
Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux
musl
node 18–226 runs
build_error
glibc
node 18–226 runs
build_error
Code
Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

ForeverAgent
✓ const ForeverAgent = require('forever-agent');
✗ import { ForeverAgent } from 'forever-agent';
This package is a CommonJS module from an older era. ESM `import` syntax will not work directly and attempting to use it may result in `ERR_REQUIRE_ESM`.
HTTP Agent Instance
✓ const agent = new ForeverAgent();
✗ const agent = ForeverAgent();
ForeverAgent is a constructor function and must be instantiated with the `new` keyword to create an agent instance.

This quickstart demonstrates how to instantiate `ForeverAgent` and use it with Node.js's native `http.request` to achieve persistent (keep-alive) connections across multiple requests to the same host.

const http = require('http'); const ForeverAgent = require('forever-agent'); const agent = new ForeverAgent(); // Define request options, ensuring 'Connection: keep-alive' is set. const options = { hostname: 'httpbin.org', // A public service for testing HTTP requests port: 80, path: '/get', method: 'GET', agent: agent, // Crucially, assign the forever-agent instance headers: { 'Connection': 'keep-alive' } }; function makeKeepAliveRequest(id) { return new Promise((resolve, reject) => { console.log(`[Request ${id}] Sending request...`); const req = http.request(options, (res) => { let data = ''; res.on('data', (chunk) => { data += chunk; }); res.on('end', () => { console.log(`[Request ${id}] Status: ${res.statusCode}, Socket Local Port: ${req.socket ? req.socket.localPort : 'N/A'}`); resolve(res.statusCode); }); }); req.on('error', (e) => { console.error(`[Request ${id}] Problem with request: ${e.message}`); reject(e); }); req.end(); }); } async function demonstrateKeepAlive() { console.log('Demonstrating HTTP keep-alive with forever-agent...'); await makeKeepAliveRequest(1); await makeKeepAliveRequest(2); await makeKeepAliveRequest(3); console.log('Multiple requests sent. Check console for repeated socket local ports to confirm keep-alive.'); } demonstrateKeepAlive();
Debug
Known issues
deprecatedThe `forever-agent` package is effectively abandoned, with its last publish over 11 years ago (April 2015). It was originally part of the `request` library, which itself was officially deprecated in 2020. Consider using built-in Node.js `http`/`https` agents with `keepAlive` options or modern, actively maintained HTTP client libraries like `axios`, `node-fetch`, or `undici` for better performance, security, and feature sets.
fix
Migrate to `undici` (Node.js 18+) or use the native `http.Agent`/`https.Agent` with `keepAlive: true` and `maxSockets` options for connection pooling. For example:
`const agent = new http.Agent({ keepAlive: true, maxSockets: 10 });`
affects: >=0.6.1
breakingDue to its age and lack of maintenance, `forever-agent` may not be compatible with newer Node.js versions, particularly regarding internal `http` module changes, TLS/SSL updates, or event loop behavior. Unexpected errors, memory leaks, or incorrect connection handling could occur.
fix
Update to an actively maintained HTTP client library or utilize Node.js's native `Agent` options for `keepAlive` functionality. Thoroughly test existing applications if upgrading Node.js versions while still relying on `forever-agent`.
affects: >=0.6.1
gotchaThis package has not received security updates for over a decade. It may contain unfixed vulnerabilities, especially concerning parsing HTTP headers, handling malformed responses, or TLS handshake issues, making it unsuitable for production environments where security is critical.
fix
Immediately replace `forever-agent` with a modern, actively maintained HTTP client library or the native `http.Agent`/`https.Agent` which receive regular security patches as part of Node.js core.
affects: >=0.6.1
Errors
Common errors & fixes
ERR_REQUIRE_ESM
Attempting to import `forever-agent` using ES Module `import` syntax in a JavaScript module that is treated as an ESM module (e.g., in a package with `"type": "module"` or a `.mjs` file).
fix
Use CommonJS `require` syntax instead: `const ForeverAgent = require('forever-agent');`
TypeError: ForeverAgent is not a constructor
Attempting to call `ForeverAgent` as a function without the `new` keyword, or a bundling/transpilation issue incorrectly exporting/importing it.
fix
Ensure you are instantiating it as a class: `const agent = new ForeverAgent();`
NPM WARN deprecated forever-agent@0.6.1: This package is very old and unmaintained.
This is a warning from `npm install` indicating that the package is no longer actively developed and may have security or compatibility issues.
fix
This is a warning, not an error. The fix is to acknowledge the deprecation and plan for migration to a modern, supported alternative like `undici` or the native Node.js `http.Agent` with `keepAlive`.
Upgrade
Version history
0.6.1latest on npm
Audit
Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity
4 hits · last 30 days
node
4
Resources
githubhttps://github.com/mikeal/forever-agent ↗
packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/forever-agent ↗
forever-agent — npm install forever-agent · libregistry