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How do I use a proxy with node-fetch?
The basic arrangement has two parts: a proxy URL that your application can read, and an agent that knows how to connect through that proxy. Pass the agent explicitly to fetch. The node-fetch 3.x README documents an agent option that accepts an Agent instance or a function returning an Agent.
The following CommonJS-shaped example illustrates the integration point for package versions that support these imports and constructor. The current https-proxy-agent API was not confirmed here, so check that package’s documentation and your installed version before treating the constructor line as copy-paste-ready:
const fetch = require('node-fetch');
const { HttpsProxyAgent } = require('https-proxy-agent');
const agent = new HttpsProxyAgent(process.env.HTTPS_PROXY);
async function main() {
const response = await fetch('https://example.com', { agent });
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`);
}
console.log(await response.text());
}
main().catch((error) => {
console.error(error);
process.exitCode = 1;
});Set HTTPS_PROXY in the process environment to a proxy URL supported by the agent package. Keep any credentials in deployment secrets or local environment configuration, not in checked-in source files. The example’s response.ok check handles HTTP error statuses; network, proxy, and connection failures reject the request and are handled by the catch block.
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Check your node-fetch major version first
The node-fetch project README referenced here is for version 3.x. Its module format differs from older CommonJS-based usage: if your project uses node-fetch 3.x, use ESM imports or the project’s supported compatibility approach rather than assuming require('node-fetch') works. If your project is on an older major version, verify that version’s API and the selected agent package’s compatibility before copying an example.
Do not mix package versions or import forms by guesswork. Check the installed versions in your project’s dependency manifest and lockfile, then consult the corresponding package documentation for the constructor and module syntax.
Why is node-fetch ignoring HTTP_PROXY?
Because node-fetch does not automatically read HTTP_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY and apply them to requests. Microsoft Learn describes this limitation for node-fetch. An environment variable is only configuration data; it has an effect when the HTTP client, runtime agent, or wrapper you chose explicitly reads and uses it.
For node-fetch, the documented integration point is the request’s agent option. Construct a compatible agent using your proxy configuration and pass it to the request. If you want environment-driven behavior without constructing an agent yourself, choose a client or wrapper whose own documentation explicitly supports that configuration, and verify its maintenance and compatibility.
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Choose an approach that matches your Node.js stack
| Approach | Proxy interface | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| node-fetch | agent option; an Agent instance or a function returning one |
Installed node-fetch major version, module syntax, selected agent package API, and destination/proxy protocol support |
| Node.js built-in agent proxy support | Node HTTP agent configuration, including environment proxy support in recent Node.js releases | Node.js version and whether the feature is available and enabled in that runtime; it does not automatically configure every node-fetch version |
| Undici | ProxyAgent supplied through a dispatcher |
Use Undici’s dispatcher interface, not node-fetch’s agent option |
| Third-party environment-variable wrapper | Wrapper-specific configuration | Current maintenance, version compatibility, and documented behavior; one registry listing for node-fetch-with-proxy reports version 0.1.6 published five years ago |
Node.js v26.10.0’s HTTP documentation describes configuring the global agent with NODE_USE_ENV_PROXY=1 or --use-env-proxy, as well as custom proxyEnv settings and NO_PROXY patterns. The documentation marks built-in proxy support as active development. This is a runtime-specific capability, not a substitute for checking how your particular node-fetch version obtains its agent.
Undici’s documented API is different: it uses a ProxyAgent as a dispatcher. Native Node fetch, Undici fetch, and node-fetch are related but are not interchangeable for proxy configuration. Do not pass a dispatcher where node-fetch expects an agent or assume an agent option configures Undici.
Use the right agent for the destination and proxy
Choose an agent package that supports both the destination protocol and the proxy protocol in your environment. An HTTPS destination through an HTTPS proxy, for example, is a configuration to check against the selected package’s documentation rather than infer from the word “proxy” in its name. Also confirm how the agent handles authentication and whether your proxy permits the requested destination.
A redirect can change the destination from HTTP to HTTPS or vice versa. The node-fetch README permits an agent function, which can select an agent based on the request URL. If your redirect chain can cross protocols, confirm how the selected package handles that chain and whether you need a URL-sensitive agent choice.
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For an existing company or hosting proxy, use the endpoint and access rules provided by its administrator. A separately purchased proxy service is not required by node-fetch itself; this is a client-configuration question, not a requirement to buy a proxy product.
Keep proxy configuration out of source code
- Read secrets from the environment: configure a proxy URL through your deployment platform’s secret store or local environment. Avoid committing usernames, passwords, or private proxy endpoints.
- Do not print credentials: error logging should identify the failure and status without dumping a full proxy URL that may contain authentication information.
- Set bypass rules intentionally: if you use runtime proxy support with
NO_PROXY, check the documented pattern behavior and the exact hosts that should bypass the proxy. - Limit access: follow your organization’s rules for which destinations the proxy may reach and which requests are permitted.
Common errors and how to troubleshoot them
The request still connects directly
Check that the request actually receives the constructed agent in its options. Verify that the environment variable exists in the same process that runs Node.js and that the code reads the correct variable name. Merely setting HTTP_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY does not configure node-fetch.
The agent import or constructor fails
The installed agent package may use a different export, module format, or API than the example. Check its documentation for the installed version and adjust the import and constructor accordingly. Also confirm your node-fetch major version and whether the project uses CommonJS or ESM.
The proxy rejects the connection
Confirm the proxy URL is present and correctly formed for the selected agent, that credentials are valid, and that the proxy permits the destination and protocol. A failure can originate from the proxy or its access policy rather than node-fetch; inspect the error without exposing secrets.
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Some requests work but redirected requests fail
Inspect whether the redirect changes destination protocol or host. Confirm the agent package’s behavior for redirects and, if necessary, use node-fetch’s agent-function form to choose an agent based on the destination URL.
NO_PROXY or runtime proxy settings appear ineffective
First establish which layer is expected to read those settings. Node.js’s built-in proxy configuration applies to supported Node agents in the documented runtime context; it should not be assumed to change every node-fetch setup. Verify the Node.js version, how the global agent is enabled, and the documented bypass pattern syntax.
An Undici example does not work with node-fetch
Undici configures proxying through a dispatcher and ProxyAgent; node-fetch uses an agent option. Follow the API for the client actually making the request rather than combining examples from different fetch implementations.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
A proxy adds an additional network hop and another service whose availability and policy can affect the request. The actual latency, throughput, reliability, and cost depend on the proxy and network conditions; the available documentation cited here does not establish universal performance figures. If this is production traffic, monitor request failures and latency at your application, and check the proxy operator’s own limits and service terms.
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For reliability, distinguish an HTTP response from a connection failure: an HTTP status such as 403 or 502 is still a received response, while DNS, connection, TLS, or proxy negotiation errors may reject the request. Apply retries only when appropriate for the operation and error, and avoid blindly retrying requests that can cause duplicate side effects.
Environment support, bypass rules, authentication, and destination permissions are separate concerns. A working agent does not guarantee that a proxy allows every host, and a configured bypass list can intentionally send some traffic outside the proxy.
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If your actual goal is to capture a website screenshot or PDF rather than make an application fetch request, ScreenshotNeo is a separate website screenshot API and MCP server from Yorker Media; it is not a proxy setting for node-fetch. Its API takes one GET request for a URL and returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo site and the API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does node-fetch support an HTTP proxy without an agent?
No. Pass a proxy-capable Agent through node-fetch’s agent option, or use a separately documented runtime or wrapper configuration.
Can I use an Undici ProxyAgent with node-fetch?
Undici uses a dispatcher interface; node-fetch uses agent. Use the proxy API belonging to the client making the request.
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