Production Axios Setup — Interceptors & Token Refresh
A production API client does far more than just fetch data. It attaches auth tokens automatically, refreshes expired tokens transparently, retries on network failure, and logs requests in development. Building this once in a shared apiClient.ts saves hours of duplicated code.
Installation
npm install axiosapiClient.ts — Full Production Setup
import axios, { AxiosInstance, InternalAxiosRequestConfig, AxiosError } from 'axios';
import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
// ---- Create instance ----
export const apiClient: AxiosInstance = axios.create({
baseURL: process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL ?? 'https://api.example.com',
timeout: 10_000,
headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', Accept: 'application/json' },
});
// ---- Request interceptor: attach access token ----
apiClient.interceptors.request.use(async (config: InternalAxiosRequestConfig) => {
const token = await SecureStore.getItemAsync('access_token');
if (token) config.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${token}`;
if (__DEV__) console.log(`[API] ${config.method?.toUpperCase()} ${config.url}`);
return config;
});
// ---- Response interceptor: handle 401 and refresh token ----
let isRefreshing = false;
let refreshQueue: Array<{ resolve: (token: string) => void; reject: (err: unknown) => void }> = [];
function processQueue(error: unknown, token: string | null = null) {
refreshQueue.forEach(({ resolve, reject }) => {
if (error) reject(error);
else if (token) resolve(token);
});
refreshQueue = [];
}
apiClient.interceptors.response.use(
response => response,
async (error: AxiosError) => {
const originalRequest = error.config as InternalAxiosRequestConfig & { _retry?: boolean };
if (error.response?.status !== 401 || originalRequest._retry) {
return Promise.reject(error);
}
if (isRefreshing) {
// Queue concurrent requests until token is refreshed
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
refreshQueue.push({
resolve: (token: string) => {
originalRequest.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${token}`;
resolve(apiClient(originalRequest));
},
reject,
});
});
}
originalRequest._retry = true;
isRefreshing = true;
try {
const refreshToken = await SecureStore.getItemAsync('refresh_token');
if (!refreshToken) throw new Error('No refresh token');
const { data } = await axios.post(`${apiClient.defaults.baseURL}/auth/refresh`, { refreshToken });
const newToken: string = data.accessToken;
await SecureStore.setItemAsync('access_token', newToken);
apiClient.defaults.headers.common.Authorization = `Bearer ${newToken}`;
processQueue(null, newToken);
originalRequest.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${newToken}`;
return apiClient(originalRequest);
} catch (refreshError) {
processQueue(refreshError, null);
await SecureStore.deleteItemAsync('access_token');
await SecureStore.deleteItemAsync('refresh_token');
// Signal auth context to log user out
// authEventEmitter.emit('LOGOUT');
return Promise.reject(refreshError);
} finally {
isRefreshing = false;
}
}
);Typed API Service Layer
// services/postService.ts
interface Post { id: string; title: string; body: string; userId: string; }
interface CreatePostDto { title: string; body: string; }
interface PaginatedResponse<T> { data: T[]; total: number; page: number; hasNextPage: boolean; }
export const postService = {
getPosts: (page = 1, limit = 20) =>
apiClient.get<PaginatedResponse<Post>>('/posts', { params: { page, limit } }).then(r => r.data),
getPost: (id: string) =>
apiClient.get<Post>(`/posts/${id}`).then(r => r.data),
createPost: (dto: CreatePostDto) =>
apiClient.post<Post>('/posts', dto).then(r => r.data),
updatePost: (id: string, dto: Partial<CreatePostDto>) =>
apiClient.patch<Post>(`/posts/${id}`, dto).then(r => r.data),
deletePost: (id: string) =>
apiClient.delete(`/posts/${id}`).then(r => r.data),
};Tip
Tip
Practice Production Axios Setup Interceptors Token Refresh in small, isolated examples before integrating into larger projects. Breaking concepts into small experiments builds genuine understanding faster than reading alone.
React Native bridges JavaScript and native platform code
Practice Task
Note
Practice Task — (1) Write a working example of Production Axios Setup Interceptors Token Refresh from scratch without looking at notes. (2) Modify it to handle an edge case (empty input, null value, or error state). (3) Share your solution in the Priygop community for feedback.
Quick Quiz
Common Mistake
Warning
A common mistake with Production Axios Setup Interceptors Token Refresh is skipping edge case testing — empty inputs, null values, and unexpected data types. Always validate boundary conditions to write robust, production-ready react native code.