$http.get() returning empty response

When $http.get() in AngularJS returns an empty response, it typically means one of the following is going wrong:

The server is not sending any data.
AngularJS is not reading the data correctly.
There is a header or content-type mismatch.
A CORS or interceptor issue is blocking or modifying the response.

Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to help you debug and fix this issue.

1. Check the API Endpoint

Start by checking if the backend endpoint is working correctly.

Open the API endpoint in your browser or Postman.
If the response there is also empty, then the problem is with the server.
If it shows data there, but Angular gets empty data, it’s likely a frontend issue.

2. Correct Usage of `$http.get()`

$http.get('/api/products')
  .then(function(response) {
    console.log('Data:', response.data); // Should contain actual data
  }, function(error) {
    console.error('Error:', error);
  });

Make sure you’re using response.data, not just response.

3. Inspect Network Tab in Browser

Go to DevTools → Network and:

Click the API request.
Check:
- Status Code – should be 200 OK.
- Response Body – must have data.
- Content-Type – should be application/json.

If the response body is empty, even in Network tab, it’s a server-side issue.

4. Verify the Server Response

In your backend (Node.js, Python, etc.), make sure:

You are sending a response using something like res.json(data) or return jsonify(data).

For Node.js (Express):

res.json({ products: [1, 2, 3] }); // Correct

For Python (Flask):

return jsonify({'products': [1, 2, 3]})

Sending just res.send() or res.status(200).end() without body = empty response.

5. Check Headers and Content-Type

AngularJS expects Content-Type: application/json.

If your server returns HTML or plain text, Angular might not parse it properly.

Set the correct header on server:

Content-Type: application/json

6. Disable Angular’s Default Transformation Temporarily

To check raw response from the server:

$http.get('/api/products', {
  transformResponse: [function(data) {
    console.log('Raw response:', data);
    return data;
  }]
});

This helps to determine whether the server is sending valid data that Angular can parse.

7. No-Caching Headers

If you’re testing and reloading frequently, the browser might cache the empty response.

Add no-cache headers:

$http.get('/api/products', {
  headers: { 'Cache-Control': 'no-cache' }
});

Or append a timestamp:

$http.get('/api/products?t=' + new Date().getTime());

8. Check Trailing Slashes

Some APIs treat /api/products and /api/products/ differently.

Test both versions in the browser and in AngularJS.

9. Verify JSON Structure

Even if the response is not empty, check if it’s actually JSON.

AngularJS can only parse valid JSON. If the response is HTML or improperly formatted, it will be ignored or fail silently.

Use:

{ "data": [ ... ] }

10. Check Angular Interceptors or Filters

Do you have an $httpInterceptor in your code?

Sometimes interceptors might modify or strip the response.

Example of bad interceptor:

$httpProvider.interceptors.push(function() {
  return {
    response: function(response) {
      // mistakenly remove response data
      return {}; 
    }
  };
});

Disable interceptors temporarily to test.

11. Check CORS (Cross-Origin Requests)

If you’re calling an API from a different domain (localhost to another IP), CORS might block the response.

Make sure the server includes:

Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *
Content-Type: application/json

And doesn’t send a 204 No Content on preflight.

12. Testing Tip

Hardcode data from your server temporarily:

app.get('/api/products', function(req, res) {
  res.json({ name: 'Test Product' });
});

If this works, then your earlier data-fetching logic (like DB query) might be failing silently.

Final Checklist

What to Check	Fix if Needed
API URL	Confirm correct endpoint
DevTools → Network Response	Check actual content and headers
Server Code	Use `res.json(data)`, not just `res.send()`
Content-Type Header	Must be `application/json`
Angular Response Handling	Use `response.data`, not just `response`
Disable Caching	Use timestamp or no-cache headers
Test with Static JSON	Helps isolate server-side issues
Interceptors in AngularJS	Make sure they don’t empty or modify the response
CORS Configurations	Proper `Access-Control-Allow-Origin` headers

If you’d like to share your $http.get() code and your backend snippet, I can help debug it further.