Python requests.post Function

The requests.post function in Python’s requests module is used to make HTTP POST requests. This function is typically used to send data to a server to create or update a resource.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. requests.post Function Syntax
3. Examples
   • Basic Usage
   • Sending Form Data
   • Sending JSON Data
   • Sending Headers
   • Handling JSON Responses
4. Real-World Use Case
5. Conclusion

Introduction

The requests.post function is part of the requests module, which makes it easy to make HTTP requests in Python. You can use this function to send data to a web server and get responses.

requests.post Function Syntax

Here’s how you use the requests.post function:

import requests

response = requests.post(url, **kwargs)

Parameters:

• url: The URL for the request.
• **kwargs: Optional arguments to customize the request. Common ones include:
  • data: Dictionary to send in the body of the request as form data.
  • json: Dictionary to send in the body of the request as JSON.
  • headers: Dictionary of HTTP headers to send with the request.

Returns:

• A Response object containing the server’s response to the HTTP request.

Examples

Basic Usage

Send a simple POST request to a URL.

import requests

response = requests.post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts')
print(response.json())

Output:

{'id': 101}

Sending Form Data

Send form data in the body of a POST request.

import requests

data = {'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1}
response = requests.post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', data=data)
print(response.json())

Output:

{'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': '1', 'id': 101}

Sending JSON Data

Send JSON data in the body of a POST request.

import requests

json_data = {'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1}
response = requests.post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', json=json_data)
print(response.json())

Output:

{'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1, 'id': 101}

Sending Headers

Send custom headers with a POST request.

import requests

headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer your_token'}
response = requests.post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', headers=headers)
print(response.json())

Output:

{'id': 101}

Handling JSON Responses

Send a POST request and parse the JSON response.

import requests

json_data = {'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1}
response = requests.post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', json=json_data)
data = response.json()
print(data)

Output:

{'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1, 'id': 101}

Real-World Use Case

Sending Data to an API

Send data to an API that requires authentication.

import requests

url = 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts'
headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer your_token'}
json_data = {'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=json_data)
data = response.json()
print(data)

Output:

{'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1, 'id': 101}

Conclusion

The requests.post function is a simple and effective way to make HTTP POST requests in Python. You can use it to send data to web servers, include custom headers, and handle JSON responses. This function makes it easy to interact with web services and APIs.