Make http request within node js routes

Question

I am building a slideshow that pulls pictures with a certain tag on instagram. The Instagram API requires me to make a call to their auth URL to receive an access token. Using node js and express I built out the backend like so:

var express = require('express');
var app = express();
app.use(express.static('public'));

app.listen(4000,function(){
   console.log("Listening to app on localhost 4000"); 
})

app.get('/',function(req,res){
    1. make call to Instagram authorization URL:
    https://api.instagram.com/oauth/authorize/?client_id=CLIENT-ID&redirect_uri=http://localhost:4000&response_type=code

    2. URL will be redirected with access code parameter

    3. Use access code to make POST request to receive access token to be able to make GET requests.

})

My question is how do I make a request to visit that url within NodeJS/Express? Is it just a normal http.request()?

I don't want to user to go through the redirect process so that's why I want to put it in Node. I'm following these instructions https://www.instagram.com/developer/authentication/

Answer 1

You can do a redirect or use a npm library like instagram-node-lib

var express = require('express');
var request = require('request');
var app = express();

app.use(express.static('public'));

app.listen(4000, function () {
    console.log("Listening to app on localhost 4000");
})

app.get('/', function (req, res) {
    res.redirect('https://api.instagram.com/oauth/authorize/?client_id=CLIENT-ID&redirect_uri=http://localhost:4000/mycallback&response_type=code')
})

app.get('/mycallback', function (req, res) {
    //handle token retrieval here
    //do a get request as per the instagram documentation using the code sent back
    var code = req.query.code


    var url = 'https://api.instagram.com/oauth/access_token'
    var options = {
        method: 'post',
        body: {
            client_secret: 'CLIENT_SECRET',
            grant_type: 'authorization_code',
            redirect_uri: 'AUTHORIZATION_REDIRECT_URI',
            code: code
        },
        json: true,
        url: url
    }
    request(options, function (err, res, body) {
        //body should look something like this
        // {
        //     "access_token": "fb2e77d.47a0479900504cb3ab4a1f626d174d2d",
        //     "user": {
        //         "id": "1574083",
        //         "username": "snoopdogg",
        //         "full_name": "Snoop Dogg",
        //         "profile_picture": "..."
        //     }
        // }
    })
})

You will always require the redirect as that is how oAuth works. The user enters a password on the Instagram site. A code is sent back to your server via a callback url (redirect). You then use that code to retrieve the user token. You can then use the authorization token for subsequent calls.