python with requests session

Python with Requests Session

Python with Requests Session is a powerful tool that allows developers to make HTTP requests while persisting session information across requests. This feature can be incredibly useful when dealing with websites that require authentication or cookies to access certain pages or features.

How to Use Python with Requests Session

To use Python with Requests Session, developers first need to create a new session object:


import requests

session = requests.Session()

Once the session object is created, developers can make HTTP requests as they normally would:


response = session.get('https://www.example.com')

However, unlike a normal HTTP request, the session object will automatically persist cookies and other session information across multiple requests:


response = session.post('https://www.example.com/login', data={'username': 'myuser', 'password': 'mypassword'})
response = session.get('https://www.example.com/profile')

In the example above, the session object is used to first login to the website using a POST request with the user's credentials, and then a GET request is made to the user's profile page. Because the session object is used for both requests, the website knows that the user is still authenticated and can access their profile.

Alternate Ways to Use Python with Requests Session

While the example above is the most common way to use Python with Requests Session, there are some alternate ways to use this powerful tool:

  • Session Object as a Context Manager: Instead of manually creating and closing a session object, developers can use a session object as a context manager:

with requests.Session() as session:
    response = session.get('https://www.example.com')
  • Session Object with Prefix: Developers can also use a session object with a prefix to make requests to a specific URL:

session = requests.Session()
session.mount('https://my.example.com', requests.adapters.HTTPAdapter(max_retries=3))
response = session.get('https://my.example.com/mypage')

Using a Python with Requests Session can be incredibly powerful for developers looking to automate web scraping or access websites programmatically. By persisting session information across requests, developers can easily authenticate to websites and access protected pages without having to manually handle cookies or authentication tokens.