Registry / http-networking / node-fetch-retry

node-fetch-retry

library2.0.1jsnpmunverified

node-fetch-retry is a lightweight wrapper library designed to enhance `node-fetch` with automatic retry capabilities. It enables developers to specify a fixed number of retry attempts for network requests, introduce a pause duration between retries, and execute a custom callback function before each attempt. The current stable version is 2.0.1. Its release cadence appears to be infrequent, with the last notable activity several years ago, suggesting it is in maintenance mode or effectively abandoned. This library differentiates itself by offering a straightforward, integrated retry mechanism directly within the `fetch` options, making it a simple choice for adding basic request resilience without complex configurations often found in more feature-rich alternatives. It's best suited for Node.js environments requiring basic retry logic for transient network failures.

http-networking

npm install node-fetch-retry

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · NODE-FETCH-RETRY

node-fetch-retry

http-networkingjavascriptv2.0.1

Install

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Import

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Disk

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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.

fetch

✓ const fetch = require('node-fetch-retry');

✗ import fetch from 'node-fetch-retry';

This library is primarily designed for CommonJS (`require`) environments. While Node.js supports ESM, the examples and common usage for this specific package are with `require`. Direct `import` might not work without specific ESM configuration or if the package itself does not provide an `exports` field for ESM.

fetch (async import)

✓ const fetch = (...args) => import('node-fetch-retry').then(({ default: fetch }) => fetch(...args));

✗ import { fetch } from 'node-fetch-retry';

For using `node-fetch-retry` in an ESM module or to dynamically load it in a CommonJS module that might interact with ESM-only dependencies, an async `import()` call is generally required. However, this pattern is typically used when the underlying `node-fetch` dependency is ESM-only (v3+), which may conflict with this wrapper's CJS nature.

Demonstrates fetching a URL with a specified number of retries and a pause between attempts, including a callback to log each retry attempt.

import * as process from 'process'; const fetch = require('node-fetch-retry'); async function fetchDataWithRetry() { const targetUrl = 'https://httpstat.us/503?sleep=1000'; // Example URL that returns 503 after a delay const retries = 3; const pauseMs = 1000; // 1 second pause console.log(`Attempting to fetch from ${targetUrl} with ${retries} retries...`); try { let opts = { method: 'GET', retry: retries, pause: pauseMs, callback: (retryAttempt) => { console.log(`Retry attempt: ${retryAttempt}. Waiting ${pauseMs}ms before next attempt.`); }, silent: false // Set to true to suppress pause messages }; // Make the fetch request with retry options const res = await fetch(targetUrl, opts); if (res.ok) { const text = await res.text(); console.log('Fetch successful after retries!'); console.log('Response:', text.substring(0, 100) + '...'); } else { console.error(`Fetch failed after all retries with status: ${res.status}`); } } catch (error) { console.error('An unhandled error occurred during fetch operation:', error.message); } } fetchDataWithRetry();

Debug

Known issues

gotchaThis library explicitly uses `require` in its examples and is likely a CommonJS module. If `node-fetch-retry` internally depends on `node-fetch` version 3 or higher, it might lead to `ERR_REQUIRE_ESM` errors when imported via `require` in a CommonJS context, as `node-fetch` v3+ is ESM-only. Users should ensure compatibility with `node-fetch` v2 if sticking to CommonJS.

fix

If encountering `ERR_REQUIRE_ESM`, ensure your project and `node-fetch-retry` are compatible with `node-fetch@2`. Alternatively, rewrite your application to use ESM and consider `node-fetch` directly with custom retry logic or an ESM-compatible retry wrapper.

affects: >=2.0.1

gotchaThe library's GitHub repository shows the last commit was several years ago. This indicates that the project is not actively maintained, which could mean no new features, bug fixes, or security patches. Users should consider this for long-term project stability and security.

fix

Assess the library's stability and feature set against your needs. For actively maintained alternatives with more advanced retry features (e.g., exponential backoff, retry on specific status codes), consider libraries like `fetch-retry` or `@adobe/node-fetch-retry`.

affects: >=2.0.1

gotchaRetrying non-idempotent HTTP methods (e.g., POST, PATCH) can lead to unintended side effects, such as duplicate resource creation or multiple charges, if the original request succeeded but the response was not received.

fix

Only use retry logic for idempotent methods like GET, PUT, and DELETE where repeating a request has no additional side effects. For non-idempotent requests, implement transactional logic or unique request IDs to ensure operations are only performed once.

affects: >=2.0.1

gotchaThis library provides basic retry capabilities (fixed retries, fixed pause). It lacks more advanced features like exponential backoff, configurable retry conditions based on HTTP status codes, or custom error handling for different failure types, which are common in more robust retry solutions.

fix

For complex retry scenarios, consider libraries like `fetch-retry` which offer configurable `retryDelay` functions (for exponential backoff) and `retryOn` options for specific status codes.

affects: >=2.0.1

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ReferenceError: require is not defined

Attempting to use `require('node-fetch-retry')` in an ECMAScript Module (ESM) file (e.g., a file with `"type": "module"` in `package.json` or a `.mjs` extension).

fix

Either convert your project or the specific file to CommonJS (`.js` extension without `"type": "module"`) or use dynamic `import()` if `node-fetch-retry` supports it, or use an alternative library designed for ESM.

TypeError: fetch is not a function

The `node-fetch-retry` package or its underlying `node-fetch` dependency was not correctly installed, resolved, or imported, leading to the `fetch` symbol being undefined.

fix

Ensure `node-fetch-retry` is correctly installed (`npm install node-fetch-retry`) and that the `require` statement is at the top level of your CommonJS module. Verify `node-fetch` is a compatible version with `node-fetch-retry` (likely `node-fetch@2`).

ERR_REQUIRE_ESM

This error occurs when a CommonJS `require()` call attempts to load an ESM-only module. If `node-fetch-retry` has an internal dependency on `node-fetch` v3+, and your project uses `require`, this conflict can arise.

fix

Downgrade your direct or indirect `node-fetch` dependency to version 2 (e.g., `npm install node-fetch@2`) if `node-fetch-retry` doesn't explicitly state ESM compatibility. Alternatively, migrate your project to ESM if feasible, or use `import('node-fetch').then(...)` for dynamic loading if supported.

Upgrade

Version history

2.0.1latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

node-fetchrequiredThis package wraps `node-fetch` to provide retry functionality. It implicitly depends on `node-fetch` for its core HTTP request capabilities.

Agent activity

2 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/greatjapa/node-fetch-retry ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/node-fetch-retry ↗