A Solution Using Multer and Proxy Configuration

In web development, adding the ability to upload images to a website is a common requirement. However, it can sometimes present challenges, as was the case when I encountered an issue while implementing image uploads on my React website with an Express backend. In this blog post, I will share the problem I faced, explain the steps I took to solve it, and demonstrate how adding a proxy configuration to the vite.config.js file helped resolve the issue.

Problem Description 🤬

During the development process, I integrated the npm Multer package to handle image uploads in my React and Express application. Everything seemed to be working fine as the uploaded images were being saved to the designated uploads folder. However, when attempting to display the uploaded image on the website, I noticed that only a broken image link was shown instead. It became clear that the images were not being properly retrieved and displayed.

Investigation and Solution

To troubleshoot the issue, I delved into the configuration and code to identify the root cause. After thorough investigation, I discovered that the problem lay in the incorrect routing and proxy configuration between my frontend and backend servers.

To enable the correct retrieval of images from the uploads folder, I needed to ensure that the frontend could access the correct server endpoint for fetching the image URLs. For this purpose, I decided to use a proxy configuration to redirect requests from the frontend to the backend server.

Implementation Steps

To implement the solution, I followed these steps:

1. Opened the vite.config.js file in the project root directory.

2. Located the server or proxy configuration section.

3. Added a new entry to the proxy configuration, mapping the /uploads route to the backend server's URL, as shown below:

server: {
  proxy: {
    "/api": "http://localhost:5000/",
    "/uploads": "http://localhost:5000/",
  },
},

By adding the /uploads entry to the proxy configuration, any requests made to the /uploads route on the frontend would be redirected to the corresponding backend server's URL. This allowed the backend to handle requests for image retrieval and serve the correct image URLs to the frontend.

Testing and Verification

After implementing the proxy configuration, I re-ran the application and tested the image upload functionality. This time, to my delight, the images were successfully displayed on the website without any broken image links. The issue had been resolved!

Conclusion

Integrating image uploads into a React website with an Express backend can sometimes lead to unexpected challenges, such as images not being displayed correctly on the frontend. In this blog post, I shared my experience of encountering this issue and provided a step-by-step solution.

By adding a proxy configuration to the vite.config.js file, specifically mapping the /uploads route to the backend server's URL, I was able to resolve the problem. This ensured that the frontend could retrieve the correct image URLs and display the uploaded images seamlessly.

Remember, when facing issues during web development, it's essential to investigate thoroughly and consider various aspects such as routing and proxy configuration. With perseverance and problem-solving skills, you can overcome challenges and deliver a high-quality user experience on your website.

HAPPY CODING!!