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Shahrouz Nikseresht
Shahrouz Nikseresht

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Making Simple HTTP Requests in Python with requests Explained

#programming #tutorial #python

The requests library is the easiest way to interact with web APIs and download data from the internet. It handles many details automatically.

Installing requests

First, install the library (only once):

pip install requests
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Importing the library 

import requests
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Making a GET request

GET is used to retrieve data.

response = requests.get("https://api.github.com")

print(response.status_code)  # 200 means success
print(response.text)         # Raw text response
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Convert JSON responses easily:

data = response.json()
print(data["current_user_url"])
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Passing parameters

Add query parameters with params:

params = {"q": "python", "sort": "stars"}

response = requests.get("https://api.github.com/search/repositories", params=params)

repos = response.json()
print(repos["total_count"])  # Number of results
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Making a POST request

POST is used to send data (e.g., create something).

payload = {"username": "testuser", "score": 100}

response = requests.post("https://httpbin.org/post", json=payload)

print(response.json()["json"])  # Echoed back data
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Adding headers

Set custom headers (common for authentication):

headers = {"User-Agent": "my-script", "Authorization": "token abc123"}

response = requests.get("https://api.example.com/data", headers=headers)
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Handling responses

Check status:

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Success!")
elif response.status_code == 404:
    print("Not found.")
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Raise an exception for bad status (optional):

response.raise_for_status()  # Raises error for 4xx/5xx
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Simple examples

Fetch a random quote:

response = requests.get("https://api.quotable.io/random")
quote = response.json()

print(f'"{quote["content"]}" — {quote["author"]}')
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Download an image:

img_response = requests.get("https://httpbin.org/image/png")

with open("downloaded.png", "wb") as file:
    file.write(img_response.content)
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Important notes

  • Always check response.status_code.
  • Use .json() for JSON APIs.
  • Use json= parameter to send JSON in POST.
  • Handle network errors with try/except.
  • Respect API rate limits and terms of service.

Quick summary

  • Import with import requests.
  • Use get() for retrieving data, post() for sending.
  • Pass parameters with params=, data with json= or data=.
  • Convert JSON with .json().
  • Check status_code and use raise_for_status().

Practice making requests to free APIs like quotable.io or jsonplaceholder.typicode.com. The requests library is essential for working with web services in Python programs.

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