Question 1

How to use node-fetch with CommonJS?

Accepted Answer

As of v3, node-fetch is ESM-only. For CommonJS, downgrade to v2 or use dynamic imports like const fetch = (...args) => import('node-fetch').then(({default: fetch}) => fetch(...args)). The README provides explicit examples.

Question 2

node-fetch vs axios: which is better for Node.js?

Accepted Answer

Choose node-fetch for a minimal, spec-compliant API that mirrors browser fetch, ideal for isomorphic apps. Axios is better if you need interceptors, automatic transforms, or broader error handling out of the box.

Question 3

How to handle cookies with node-fetch?

Accepted Answer

node-fetch doesn't store cookies automatically. Extract Set-Cookie headers using response.headers.raw() and manually pass them in subsequent requests, as detailed in the 'Extract Set-Cookie Header' section.

Question 4

Does node-fetch support streaming large files?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it uses Node.js native streams. You can pipe response.body to a file stream or use async iterators for efficient processing, with code examples in the 'Streams' section.

Question 5

What are the main differences from browser fetch?

Accepted Answer

Key differences include manual redirect handling, lack of properties like type and destination, and Node.js-specific extensions. The README documents these in 'Difference from client-side fetch.'

Question 6

How to cancel a request in node-fetch?

Accepted Answer

Use AbortController with AbortSignal. Pass the signal in fetch options and abort it to cancel; the README shows an example with a timeout using abort-controller.

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