Django REST Framework: URL Fields in Serializers

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URL Fields in Serializers

Syntax

class MySerializer(serializers.Serializer):
    my_url_field = serializers.URLField()

Example

class UserSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
    profile_picture = serializers.URLField()

    class Meta:
        model = User
        fields = ['username', 'email', 'profile_picture']

Output

{
    "username": "johndoe",
    "email": "johndoe@example.com",
    "profile_picture": "https://example.com/profiles/johndoe.jpg"
}

Explanation

URL field in serializers is used to validate and serialize an URL in request response life cycle. It is usually used when input data is submitted by an user in a form and the input should be in URL format.

Use

URLField can be used when working with REST APIs to validate and serialize the URL input data fields. Validating URLForm requires the HTTP-based serializer fields. The default returned value for a missing URL field will be null.

Important Points

• URL Field can validate URLs based on a simple pattern or RegExp.
• Not validating URLField may lead to incorrect data input.
• URL fields convert these differences into a format that is used for the particular database backend to store the data.

Summary

URL Fields in Serializers in Django REST Framework is used to validate and serialize an URL input or output data from the user or database back-end. It is used as an input type whenever an URL is received from the user. This helps validate input data and prevent errors in the response.