node-fetch retrieves a webpage’s HTTP response; pair it with an HTML parser such as Cheerio to extract data. The key distinction is that fetching HTML is not the same as running a browser: node-fetch does not execute page JavaScript. For ordinary server-rendered pages, the workflow is fetch, check the HTTP status, read the response body, then parse it.
What node-fetch does—and what it does not
node-fetch brings a Fetch-style API to Node.js. It makes an HTTP request and gives your program a response with methods such as text() and json(). It is not an HTML parser, so it does not provide CSS selectors for finding elements in a page. Use Cheerio or another parser for that step.
A static-page scraper therefore has three distinct jobs:
- Fetch: request an absolute URL and receive the response.
- Validate: decide whether the response status is acceptable before treating its body as the page you wanted.
- Parse: pass the HTML text to a parser and extract the fields you need.
That division matters when something goes wrong: a network failure, an HTTP error page, malformed markup, and content rendered later by JavaScript are different problems and need different fixes.
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Check Node.js and choose the module format
Using node-fetch v3 with ESM
Version 3 of node-fetch is ESM-only: import it with import, not require(). The maintainers specify Node.js 12.20.0 or later for v3. Install the packages with:
npm install node-fetch cheerio
Set "type": "module" in your project’s package.json, or save the script with the .mjs extension, so Node treats it as an ES module. Current Cheerio documentation states Node.js 22.19 or later; when using a current Cheerio release, meet that stricter runtime requirement and check the requirements of the exact release you install.
Using CommonJS
If the surrounding application uses require(), the simplest compatibility option is node-fetch v2. Alternatively, use dynamic import() from CommonJS to load v3. Do not copy a v3 require('node-fetch') example: it will fail because v3 is ESM-only.
Fetch a page, check its status, and extract fields
This complete ESM example requests a page, limits redirects and response size, cancels a slow request, checks the status, and uses Cheerio to read the title and links. Change the URL and selectors to match a site whose pages you are permitted to access.
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import fetch from 'node-fetch';
import * as cheerio from 'cheerio';
const url = 'https://example.com/';
const controller = new AbortController();
const timer = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 20_000);
try {
const response = await fetch(url, {
method: 'GET',
redirect: 'follow',
follow: 10,
size: 2_000_000,
signal: controller.signal,
headers: {
'user-agent': 'ExampleResearchBot/1.0 (contact: dev@example.com)',
'accept': 'text/html,application/xhtml+xml'
}
});
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status} ${response.statusText} for ${url}`);
}
const contentType = response.headers.get('content-type') ?? '';
if (!contentType.includes('text/html')) {
throw new Error(`Expected HTML but received ${contentType || 'an unspecified content type'}`);
}
const html = await response.text();
const $ = cheerio.load(html);
const title = $('title').first().text().trim();
const links = $('a[href]').map((_, element) => ({
text: $(element).text().trim(),
href: new URL($(element).attr('href'), url).href
})).get();
console.log({ title, links });
} catch (error) {
if (error.name === 'AbortError') {
console.error(`Request timed out: ${url}`);
} else {
console.error(error);
}
process.exitCode = 1;
} finally {
clearTimeout(timer);
}The user-agent value is an example identity, not a credential or permission to scrape. Replace it with an accurate identifier for your application and a contact route you actually monitor. The two-megabyte size limit is an example bound; choose a limit suitable for the pages your job is expected to receive.
Handle responses and extract data safely
HTTP errors do not automatically enter catch
A frequent source of incorrect scrapers is assuming that a 404 or 500 will throw. node-fetch resolves with a response object for 3xx–5xx statuses; those statuses are not fetch exceptions. Check response.ok or explicitly allow the status codes your task accepts before parsing the body. A response can be successfully received at the network level and still represent a failed page request.
If an error response contains a useful diagnostic body, read it deliberately for logging, but avoid treating it as the requested page’s normal content. Do not attempt to consume the same response body twice: read it once and retain the resulting text if you need both parsing and diagnostics.
Use selectors that match the delivered HTML
Cheerio’s jQuery-like interface can traverse and manipulate parsed HTML. Start with stable selectors such as an element ID, a semantic attribute, or a site’s consistent class. For example, $('h1').first().text().trim() returns the first heading’s text. A selector that matches nothing usually means the markup differs from your assumption, the site returned an error or consent page, or the desired content was never present in the HTTP response.
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Resolve relative links against the page URL with the platform’s URL class, as in the example. Otherwise, a value such as /products/1 remains a relative path rather than a usable absolute URL.
Bound the request and body
Use an AbortSignal to cancel a request that takes too long. The non-standard node-fetch v2 timeout option was removed in v3; do not depend on it when writing v3 code. Set size when unexpectedly large responses could consume excessive memory. Decide on redirect behavior intentionally: node-fetch supports follow, manual, and error, and a follow limit helps prevent an unbounded redirect chain.
Cookies, JavaScript pages, and other boundaries
Cookies and sessions
node-fetch does not store cookies by default. If a permitted workflow needs a session, you must handle the cookie flow explicitly—extracting and forwarding cookie headers—or use a cookie-jar solution. A successful request without the expected session may return a sign-in page, a consent prompt, or a reduced version of the content. Do not assume that one request automatically carries state into the next.
JavaScript-rendered content
node-fetch downloads the HTTP response; it does not run the page in a browser’s JavaScript environment. If the HTML response lacks data that appears only after client-side scripts run, inspect whether the site exposes a suitable documented API or use browser automation where appropriate. A parser cannot extract content that was never in the response it received.
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Input URLs and server-side request forgery
If your scraper accepts URLs from users or another untrusted source, validate the scheme and permitted hosts before fetching. A server that fetches arbitrary supplied addresses can be abused to make requests to internal services. Cheerio’s loading guidance also calls attention to security considerations when loading from a URL; keep fetching and parsing under your application’s control rather than treating untrusted input as safe.
Be deliberate about load, terms, and reliability
A working HTTP request does not establish that a site permits automated collection. Review the site’s terms and robots guidance, identify your client honestly, throttle requests, cache results where practical, and avoid concurrency that creates unnecessary load. These are operational and compliance decisions for your project; the fact that node-fetch can request a URL does not grant permission to collect its contents.
For a recurring job, record the requested URL, status, content type, elapsed time, and a concise error category. Retry only failures that may be transient, with a bounded retry policy and delay; repeatedly retrying a permanent 403, a malformed URL, or a selector mismatch wastes resources and adds load. The package’s response and error handling gives you the raw signals, but your application must decide what counts as a retryable failure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common failures
ERR_REQUIRE_ESMor an import error: confirm that node-fetch v3 is loaded from ESM. Useimportwith"type": "module"or.mjs, use dynamic import from CommonJS, or choose v2 if the project must userequire().- A 404 or 500 is being parsed as a valid page: check
response.okor a deliberate status allow-list before parsing. Those HTTP statuses resolve as responses rather than automatically throwing. - The script hangs on a slow site: pass an
AbortSignaland set an application-appropriate cancellation period. In v3, the removedtimeoutoption is not the solution. - The process uses too much memory: set a reasonable node-fetch
sizelimit, and avoid retaining large response strings longer than needed. - The selector returns an empty string: inspect the actual response HTML and content type. Confirm you did not receive an error, login, or consent page, and check whether the content is injected by JavaScript after load.
- The second request loses the session: cookies are not stored by default. Implement permitted cookie forwarding or use an appropriate cookie-jar solution.
- Redirects produce the wrong destination or too many hops: choose
follow,manual, orerroraccording to the job, and set a finite follow limit. - The parser will not install or run: compare your Node.js version with the exact Cheerio release requirement. Current Cheerio documentation states Node.js 22.19 or later, which is stricter than node-fetch v3’s documented minimum.
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FAQ
Can node-fetch scrape any website?
It can make HTTP requests, but availability, response content, and permission vary by site. Access controls, terms, session requirements, and JavaScript rendering can all change what a request returns and whether collection is appropriate.
Should I use node-fetch or a browser automation tool?
Use node-fetch when the needed information is present in the HTTP response and you want to parse that response. Consider browser automation when the workflow genuinely depends on browser execution or interaction, while accounting for the extra runtime and the site’s rules.
Can Cheerio fetch a page by itself?
Cheerio parses and traverses HTML; in this workflow, node-fetch performs the HTTP request and supplies the response text. Keeping those responsibilities separate makes status, cancellation, and response handling explicit.
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