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python requests interceptor

Narkw Brahma

Narkw Brahma

• 1 min read

Python Requests Interceptor

If you are working with Python requests library, you may have come across situations where you need to intercept and modify HTTP requests and responses. This is where Python requests interceptor comes into play.

The Python requests interceptor is a mechanism that allows you to hook into the request/response cycle of the requests library and modify the request/response objects before they are sent/received. This can be useful for a wide range of use-cases such as debugging, testing, logging, and security.

Using the Requests Interceptor

The Python requests library provides a way to define a custom interceptor by implementing a class that inherits from the requests.Session class. The requests.Session class provides a number of hooks that allow you to modify requests and responses.

The following example shows how to define a custom interceptor that adds a custom header to all outgoing requests:


import requests

class CustomInterceptor(requests.Session):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()

    def prepare_request(self, request):
        request.headers['X-Custom'] = 'Custom header added'
        return super().prepare_request(request)

# Create an instance of the custom interceptor
s = CustomInterceptor()

# Send a request
response = s.get('https://www.example.com')

# Print the response
print(response.content)

In the above example, we define a custom interceptor by subclassing the requests.Session class and overriding the prepare_request method. The prepare_request method modifies the request object by adding a custom header to it, and then calls the super().prepare_request method to prepare the request for sending.

After creating the custom interceptor, we create an instance of it and use it to send a GET request to https://www.example.com. The request will have the custom header added to it.

Other Ways to Intercept Requests

In addition to defining a custom interceptor, there are other ways to intercept requests in Python requests library:

  • Using a Proxy Server: You can use a proxy server to intercept and modify requests and responses. The requests.Session class provides a way to configure a proxy server.
  • Using a Middleware: A middleware is a function that can be added to the request/response cycle of the requests library. It allows you to intercept and modify requests and responses in a more modular way.
  • Using a Mock Server: A mock server is a server that simulates the behavior of an external service. It allows you to test your code without actually making requests to the external service.
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