api-response-util

Tiny zero-dependency helpers for consistent Express API JSON responses.

Note: api-response-kit is already taken on npm, so this package is published as api-response-util.

npm install api-response-util

Features

• Consistent { success, data } / { success, error } JSON envelopes
• Helpers for created, notFound, unauthorized, forbidden, conflict, fail, paginated, noContent
• Validates HTTP status codes (integers 100–599)
• Zero dependencies, Express-friendly
• Dual ESM + CommonJS entry points

Quick Start

Instead of

res.json(data);
res.status(400).json({ message: 'Invalid User' });
res.status(404).json({ message: 'Not Found' });

Do

import { success, error, created, notFound } from 'api-response-util';

success(res, data);
error(res, 'Invalid User');
created(res, user);
notFound(res);

Response shape

Success

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {}
}

Error

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "message": "Invalid User"
  }
}

Express example

import express from 'express';
import { success, error, created, notFound } from 'api-response-util';

const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

app.get('/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  const user = null; // pretend lookup
  if (!user) return notFound(res, 'User not found');
  return success(res, user);
});

app.post('/users', (req, res) => {
  if (!req.body?.email) return error(res, 'Invalid User');
  return created(res, { id: 1, ...req.body });
});

app.listen(3000);

API

| Helper | Status | Purpose | | ---------------------------------------- | ----------- | ----------------- | | success(res, data, options?) | 200 | OK | | created(res, data, options?) | 201 | Created | | error(res, message, status?, details?) | 400 default | Error | | notFound(res, message?, details?) | 404 | Not found | | unauthorized(res, message?, details?) | 401 | Auth required | | forbidden(res, message?, details?) | 403 | Forbidden | | conflict(res, message?, details?) | 409 | Conflict | | fail(res, message?, details?) | 500 | Server error | | noContent(res) | 204 | Empty body | | paginated(res, data, meta) | 200 | Lists + page meta |

Options for success / created

success(res, items, {
  message: 'Fetched',
  meta: { count: items.length },
});

Pagination

paginated(res, users, { page: 1, limit: 20, total: 100 });

{
  "success": true,
  "data": [],
  "meta": { "page": 1, "limit": 20, "total": 100, "pages": 5 }
}

Requirements

• Node.js 18+
• Works with Express (or any res.status().json() response object)
• Zero runtime dependencies

License

MIT

Introduction

api-response-util helps you ship reliable Node.js / TypeScript applications with a small, focused API.

Why this package exists

Popular stacks need small, trustworthy utilities with excellent DX. api-response-util exists to solve one problem well: clear APIs, strong typing, minimal dependencies, and production-ready defaults — without the overhead of larger frameworks.

Installation

npm install api-response-util
# or
pnpm add api-response-util
yarn add api-response-util

Requires Node.js 18+.

API Reference

See the exports from api-response-util and the inline TypeScript types for the full surface area. Primary entry points are documented in Quick Start and Examples above.

Examples

Minimal usage is shown in Quick Start. Prefer copying those snippets first, then expand into your app’s error handling and configuration patterns.

Advanced Examples

• Combine with environment validation, logging, and health checks in production services
• Prefer dependency injection / custom fetch / client injection in tests
• Keep configuration explicit; avoid hidden global state

Framework Integration

Works with Express, Fastify, Hono, NestJS, and plain Node HTTP servers. Import ESM (or CJS where published) and call the documented APIs from route handlers, middleware, or background jobs.

TypeScript Usage

import { success, error, created, notFound } from 'api-response-util';

Types ship with the package (types / exports.types). Enable strict in your tsconfig for the best DX.

Error Handling

• Fail fast with typed / named errors where provided
• Never swallow errors silently in production paths
• Prefer returning structured error payloads in HTTP layers
• Surface actionable messages (what failed + how to fix)

Performance

• Minimal runtime work on the hot path
• Avoid unnecessary allocations and dependencies
• Tree-shakeable ESM entry points
• Prefer streaming / lazy work when dealing with large payloads

Best Practices

• Pin major versions with SemVer ranges you trust
• Validate configuration at process startup
• Add health checks and observability around I/O
• Write tests for failure modes (timeouts, bad input, missing credentials)

FAQ

Does it work with ESM and CommonJS?
Yes where the package publishes dual exports. Prefer ESM for new projects.

Is it production-ready?
Yes — tests, types, and SemVer releases are part of the maintenance model.

How do I report a bug?
Open a GitHub issue using the bug template.

Migration Guide

From 0.x / early drafts

This package follows SemVer. Breaking changes land in major releases and are called out in CHANGELOG.md.

Upgrading patch/minor

Patch and minor releases are backward compatible. Run your test suite after upgrading.

Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix | | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------ | | ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND | Wrong Node version / bad import path | Use Node 18+ and package exports | | Types not resolving | Old moduleResolution | Use bundler or node16+ | | Auth / network failures | Missing env or blocked egress | Check credentials and firewall | | Unexpected runtime errors | Invalid input | Validate options; read error message |

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md. PRs with tests and docs are welcome.