Registry / http-networking / postman-request

postman-request

library2.88.1-postman.48jsnpmunverified

Postman-request is a maintained fork of the popular, now-abandoned `request` module, specifically developed and used internally by Postman Runtime. Currently at version 2.88.1-postman.48, it does not follow a typical open-source release cadence but is updated as needed for Postman's internal applications. This package provides a simplified API for making HTTP requests, addressing numerous long-standing bugs and adding specific features that were never incorporated into the original `request` project. Key differentiators include fixes for old-style deflate responses, correct URL parameter encoding, enhanced redirect behaviors (especially for 307/308 with Host headers), `content-length` for streaming, improved form-data exception handling, and features like retaining authorization headers on cross-domain redirects and support for extending root CA certificates. It aims to offer a stable and patched alternative for projects still reliant on the `request` API.

http-networking testing

npm install postman-request

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · POSTMAN-REQUEST

postman-request

http-networkingjavascriptv2.88.1-postman.48

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.

request

✓ const request = require('postman-request');

✗ import request from 'postman-request';

Primarily designed for CommonJS; direct ESM import might require specific configuration or a build step, as shown in the quickstart and examples.

request.post

✓ const request = require('postman-request'); request.post('http://example.com/upload', { form: { key: 'value' } }, (error, response, body) => { /* ... */ });

✗ import { post } from 'postman-request';

Convenience methods like `post` are accessed directly from the main `request` object, not as named exports.

request.defaults

✓ const request = require('postman-request'); const defaultRequest = request.defaults({ headers: { 'User-Agent': 'my-app' } });

✗ const defaultRequest = require('postman-request').defaults;

`defaults` is a method on the `request` function, used to create a new `request` instance with pre-set options.

Demonstrates a basic GET request to Google, logging the error, status code, and response body length.

const request = require('postman-request'); request('http://www.google.com', function (error, response, body) { if (error) { console.error('Error:', error); return; } console.log('statusCode:', response && response.statusCode); // Print the response status code if a response was received console.log('body length:', body ? body.length : 0); // Print the length of the Google homepage HTML });

Debug

Known issues

breakingOriginal 'request' module is abandoned; 'postman-request' is a fork with bug fixes. While largely compatible, subtle behavioral differences might affect existing code.

fix

Review existing `request` calls against `postman-request`'s specific bug fixes and added features. Test thoroughly to ensure compatibility, especially for edge cases in HTTP handling.

affects: *

gotchaLegacy API and CommonJS-first design. The underlying `request` API is considered legacy compared to `node-fetch` or `axios`.

fix

Prefer `require()` for consistency. If strict ESM is needed, investigate dynamic `import()` or build tool configurations. For new projects, consider modern Promise-based HTTP clients like `axios` or `node-fetch`.

affects: *

gotchaStream error handling requires specific placement. When chaining streams, an `error` event listener must be attached *before* piping.

fix

Attach `.on('error', handler)` directly to the `request` call before any `.pipe()` operations to ensure proper error capture for upstream failures.

affects: *

gotchaNot a general-purpose HTTP client for new projects. While actively maintained by Postman, its primary purpose is internal Postman Runtime needs.

fix

For new application development not specifically tied to the original `request` API, modern HTTP clients (e.g., `node-fetch`, `axios`) offer more contemporary APIs and features.

affects: *

gotchaSSL/TLS certificate validation issues can occur. Misconfigured environments or self-signed certificates might lead to errors like 'self signed certificate'.

fix

Ensure environments have up-to-date root CA certificates. For custom CAs, use the `ca` option to provide trusted certificates. Avoid disabling SSL validation (`strictSSL: false` or `rejectUnauthorized: false`) in production due to security risks.

affects: *

Errors

Common errors & fixes

Error: self signed certificate in certificate chain

The server's SSL certificate is self-signed or not trusted by the client's CA store.

fix

Ensure your system's root CA certificates are up-to-date. For private/self-signed CAs, pass the certificate authority via the `ca` option in the request configuration. Avoid `strictSSL: false` for security.

TypeError: request is not a function

Incorrect import statement, often when trying to use ESM `import` syntax with a CommonJS module, or destructuring incorrectly.

fix

Use `const request = require('postman-request');` for CommonJS environments, which is the module's primary export pattern.

Callback was already called.

A callback function was invoked multiple times, usually due to an internal error handling path or a malformed server response triggering a secondary error after the initial callback.

fix

Ensure your callback function only handles a single invocation. While `postman-request` aims to fix common `request` issues, robust error handling with flags can prevent double invocation: `let called = false; if (!called) { called = true; /* ...handle response... */ }`

Upgrade

Version history

2.88.1-postman.48latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

4 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/postmanlabs/postman-request ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/postman-request ↗