Solving CSRF Token Invalid Issue for Multiple POST Requests in Django Forms

Discover how to handle multiple POST requests in a Django form without CSRF token errors. We provide a step-by-step guide to ensure your requests are secure and functional. --- This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/65125901/ asked by the user 'sh3dir' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12960104/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/65125960/ provided by the user 'Continuit' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/14572623/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions. Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Django Template: Csrf token invalid for multiple post request in the same form Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/licensing The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license. If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com. --- Handling CSRF Token Invalid for Multiple POST Requests in Django Forms When working with Django, handling forms efficiently can sometimes lead to unexpected hurdles, especially concerning CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) tokens. If you're facing the common issue of CSRF token invalid when trying to submit multiple POST requests with a single form, you're not alone. In this guide, we'll explore the problem, understand why it occurs, and guide you through a solution. Understanding the Problem In your Django project, you may have designed a form that needs to handle two POST requests for independent API operations. For instance, consider a scenario where a user submits both text fields and an uploaded file in a single form submission. The Common Scenario Example form structure: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] In this situation: A JavaScript function send_form() is called upon button click. The function performs two POST requests using a library like Axios: one for the text fields and one for the file. However, users often encounter a frustrating 403 error after the first successful POST, indicating that the CSRF token is missing or invalid for the second request: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Solution to the CSRF Token Issue The primary issue leading to this error is that CSRF tokens are not being sent correctly with each request. Here’s how to tackle the problem effectively: Step 1: Ensure Correct Form Submission Method Ensure your form is set up correctly in the HTML with the appropriate method attribute: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Replace url_to_your_view with the actual endpoint where your view function is located. Step 2: Improve the JavaScript Function Instead of handling the requests with a button's onclick attribute directly, you should create a structured approach for form submission: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Step 3: Sending CSRF Token with Each Request In your Axios requests, ensure that you pass the CSRF token in the headers: Extract the CSRF token from the form using: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Include it in your POST request headers as shown in the code above. This ensures Django recognizes your requests as valid. Conclusion By making these adjustments to your Django form and JavaScript function, you can efficiently manage multiple POST requests without running into CSRF token errors. This approach maintains security while allowing the flexibility to handle complex form submissions. If you follow these guidelines, you should see improvement in your form handling without the frustration of invalid CSRF tokens! Feel free to leave your questions or comments below. Happy coding!