# Cannot use node-fetch in lambda function

**URL:** <https://answers.netlify.com/t/cannot-use-node-fetch-in-lambda-function/18439>\
**Category:** Support\
**Tags:** lambda-functions\
**Created:** [July 8, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/cannot-use-node-fetch-in-lambda-function/18439 "2020-07-08T18:25:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Niceguy955](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/niceguy955/32/1853_2.png) [@Niceguy955](https://answers.netlify.com/u/Niceguy955)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/cannot-use-node-fetch-in-lambda-function/18439/1 "2020-07-08T18:25:01Z")

</div>

So this is a bit embarrassing, since I deployed several Netlify sites, with functions that are way more complex than this. But I’m kinda stumped, so here I am:  
The novelty here is that I’m trying to deploy a function only - no front-end page whatsoever.

I created a simple function that uses `node-fetch` to call an API. I used `netlify-lambda` to package and serve the function. I keep getting an error `r is not a function` on the line when I call `fetch`.

1. My package.json includes `"node-fetch": "^2.6.0"`.

2. My `netlify.toml` looks like this:

```auto
[build]
  command = "npm run build"
  functions = ".netlify/functions/"

```

With the `build` script being `"build": "netlify-lambda build functions"`.

1. The output from the build operation includes the line `[37] ../node_modules/node-fetch/lib/index.mjs 39.9 KiB {0} [built]`

2. The code (with unnecessary parts removed) would look like this:

```auto
const fetch = require('node-fetch');
const constants = require('./constants');

class X {
  async _callAPI(requestXML) {
    try {
      const uri = constants.apiUrl + requestXML;
      console.log(uri);
      console.log(fetch);
      const response = await fetch(uri);
      console.log('ok');
      if (!response.ok) {
        throw new Error(response.statusText);
      }
      const body = await response.text();
      return body;
    }
    catch(ex) {
      throw ex;
    }
  }
}

```

So I get to the line where the uri is printed - all OK. I then decided to print `fetch`, and to my surprise got:

```auto
Object [Module] {
  Headers: [Getter],
  Request: [Getter],
  Response: [Getter],
  FetchError: [Getter],
  default: [Function: H] {
    isRedirect: [Function (anonymous)],
    Promise: [Function: Promise]
  }
}

```

Clearly, it is not a function. But why?

I went over the “compiled” code of the function, and the `node-fetch` code is included, as well as my code.

What am I doing wrong? About the only thing I can think of is that this code resides in a sub folder next to the actual function code with the handler, but that still makes no sense.

**PS:** I tried searching around and found this: [https://github.com/node-fetch/node-fetch/issues/450](https://github.com/node-fetch/node-fetch/issues/450). Turns out it was a great help: I removed `node-fetch` and installed `node-fetch@1.7.3` and now everything works!

But the question still remains **why?**. AFAIK I’m not using webpack (unless `netlify-lambda` does). And how can this be fixed going forward? I don’t want to use a 2-versions-back version of a module.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/jen/32/6044_2.png) [@jen](https://answers.netlify.com/u/jen)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 6:29pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/cannot-use-node-fetch-in-lambda-function/18439/2 "2020-07-11T18:29:57Z")

</div>

Hey @Niceguy955,  
That seems to me like a reasonable log of what `fetch` is since it’s a module, not just one function 🙂 Did anything else print after that? I also just checked out what I _think_ is your function and it seems to be returning a response body that’s not an error. Have you gotten this working in the meantime? If not, would you mind sending your Netlify URL so we can dig in further? Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Niceguy955](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/niceguy955/32/1853_2.png) [@Niceguy955](https://answers.netlify.com/u/Niceguy955)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/cannot-use-node-fetch-in-lambda-function/18439/3 "2020-07-11T18:50:51Z")

</div>

I got it soived. It has to do with some webpack issues.

I got this solved by changing to `const fetch = request('node-fetch').default;`.

My function returns a body to the handler function, which `stringify`s it, and wraps it with the appropriate header/status code for proper return so no issue there.

On this subject though, is there any way you could point me to t template/set of files on how to build the most minimal project with a single function, that uses ES6? No matter what I tried (renaming file extensions to `.mjs`, adding `"type": "module` to `package.json` etc.) something got broken. I had to revert all my code back to `require`s, and that’s what broke `node-fetch`.

Perhaps just suggest to the team building `netlify-cli` to add generators: minimal web site, minimal function, minimal React site (can use `create-react-app` to generate a site, and then add the Netlify flair).

Thanks for trying to assist!