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python requests post value is not a valid dict

Narkw Brahma

Narkw Brahma

• 2 min read

Python Requests Post Value is Not a Valid Dict

If you have worked with Python Requests module, you might have come across this error message: "Post value is not a valid dict". This error usually occurs when you are trying to send a POST request with an invalid JSON data format.

The solution to this problem is quite simple. You need to make sure that the data you are sending in the POST request is a valid JSON object.

Method 1: Check the Syntax of Your JSON Data

The first thing you need to do is to check the syntax of your JSON data. Sometimes, a small syntax error can cause this error message to appear. You can use an online JSON validator to check the syntax of your JSON data.


import json

data = '{"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}'
json.loads(data)

If the JSON data is not valid, you will get a ValueError: "Expecting property name enclosed in double quotes".

Method 2: Use the json Parameter in Requests.post()

If you are sending a JSON object in your POST request, you can use the json parameter in the Requests.post() method. This will automatically serialize the JSON object into a string and set the correct content type header.


import requests

data = {"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}
response = requests.post(url, json=data)

This method will also ensure that your JSON data is valid before sending it in the POST request.

Method 3: Use the data Parameter in Requests.post()

If you are sending data in a format other than JSON, you can use the data parameter in the Requests.post() method. This parameter accepts a dictionary, a list of tuples, or bytes. If you use a dictionary, Requests will encode the data as form-encoded key-value pairs.


import requests

data = {"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}
response = requests.post(url, data=data)

This method is useful if you are sending data in a format other than JSON.

Method 4: Use a Third-Party Library to Serialize Your Data

If none of the above methods work for you, you can use a third-party library to serialize your data into a valid JSON object. One popular library for this is the simplejson library.


import requests
import simplejson as json

data = {"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}
json_data = json.dumps(data)
response = requests.post(url, data=json_data)

This method will ensure that your JSON data is valid before sending it in the POST request.

By following the above methods, you can easily fix the error message "Post value is not a valid dict" in Python Requests module.

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