Body Parsing
By default, Express doesn't know how to handle the data sent in a POST request body. You must use middleware to parse it.
1. Parsing JSON Data
Essential for modern client-side apps sending JSON.
app.use(express.json());
app.post('/api/data', (req, res) => {
console.log(req.body); // { name: 'Pradeep', age: 25 }
res.json({ status: 'Success' });
});
2. Parsing Form Data
Used for traditional HTML form submissions.
app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
app.post('/submit-form', (req, res) => {
// Access data as req.body.fieldName
res.send('Form received!');
});
3. Parsing Text or Raw Data
Occasionally, you might need to handle raw text or binary data.
app.use(express.text());
app.use(express.raw());
Security Tip: Large payloads can crash your server. Always set a limit on the body size: app.use(express.json({ limit: '1mb' })).