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Netlify Serverless Functions Cheat Sheet

This document provides a cheat sheet on Netlify serverless functions. It explains how to create a serverless function by adding a JavaScript file to the functions directory that exports a handler function. The handler function takes an event, context, and callback as parameters and can be synchronous or asynchronous. It also describes how to run functions locally, use environment variables, link the local site to Netlify, and focus on code reusability.

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kid cobain
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© © All Rights Reserved
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115 views

Netlify Serverless Functions Cheat Sheet

This document provides a cheat sheet on Netlify serverless functions. It explains how to create a serverless function by adding a JavaScript file to the functions directory that exports a handler function. The handler function takes an event, context, and callback as parameters and can be synchronous or asynchronous. It also describes how to run functions locally, use environment variables, link the local site to Netlify, and focus on code reusability.

Uploaded by

kid cobain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Netlify Serverless Functions

Cheat Sheet
By @jamesqquick - jamesqquick.com

Create Your First Serverless Function


Create a JavaScript file inside of a functions directory that exports a handler

function.

💡 The name of your Serverless Function file will be the name of the
serverless function itself.

Serverless Functions take 3 parameters

Event Context Callback


request information information about function to call in non-
(body, httpMethod, etc.) invocation, function, async handlers to send
and environment a response

Handlers can be either synchronous or asynchronous...

Synchronous handlers must call the callback function with an error as the first
parameter (if applicable), and the second an object that includes HTTP statusCode
and body .

Netlify Serverless Functions Cheat Sheet 1


exports.handler = (event, context, callback) => {
return callback(null{

👍
statusCode: 200,
body: JSON.stringify({msg: ' '})
})
}

Asynchronous handlers must be tagged as async and do not need to call the
callback function. It's fine to remove the callback parameter if you aren't using it.

💡 You'll most likely run asynchronous JavaScript, so I always use


Asynchronous Handlers.

exports.handler = async(event, context) => {


return {

👍
statusCode: 200,
body: JSON.stringify({msg: ' '})
}
}

If you need to access the request JSON body, you have to parse it with
JSON.parse() .

const body = JSON.parse(event.body)

Running Functions Locally

Netlify Serverless Functions Cheat Sheet 2


Install the Netlify CLI...

npm install -g netlify-cli

and create a Netlify.toml configuration file to specify where directory your


serverless functions are in.

[build]
functions = "functions"

Run netlify dev and your functions will be available at


localhost:8888/.netlify/functions/<function_name>.

Simplify this path by adding a redirects configuration in your Netlify.toml file.

[[redirects]]
from = "api/*"
to= ".netlify/functions/:splat"
status = 200

Extra Tips
🔥 Use Environment Variables (Full Video)

Netlify Serverless Functions Cheat Sheet 3


Often times, you'll have secret credentials API keys, API secrets, etc.) that you
don't want to check into your source code. For these private credentials, use
environment variables. When running locally, install the dotenv package with npm
install dotenv .

Create a .env in your repo with your credentials.

SECRET_KEY=<Some secret key>

but make sure you ignore this file in your .gitignore file

.env

Lastly, require the dotenv packages and grab the variables you need.

require('dotenv').config()
const secretKey = process.env.SECRET_KEY

🔥 Link Your Local Site to Netlify


After you've created your site in Netlify, you can link the local repository to it
from the command line with netlify link . Netlify will then inject the environment
variables from the dashboard directly into your locally running functions. This
way you don't need to manage environment variables locally.

Netlify Serverless Functions Cheat Sheet 4


🔥 Focus on Code Reusability
You will quickly find yourself repeating code through different Serverless
Functions. Create a utils directory and include any code that might be useful to
share.

🔥Simplify Return Data


When returning body data, I hate having to type JSON.stringify() each time. Use
this helper function instead.

const formattedReturn = (statusCode, body) => {


return {
statusCode,
body: JSON.stringify(body);
}

Then use it in your function.

👍
exports.handler = async(event, context) => {
return formattedReturn(200, {msg: ' '});
}

Netlify Serverless Functions Cheat Sheet 5

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