React & Express server not getting api requests in production /build - node.js

Question

I have a React app running successfully locally and all api requests are successfully running from a separate server.
When I run a build, the path to the api server is lost and no data is loaded.
Below are a few screenshots...
Loading data successfully from api.
Pointing IIS to react /build folder using localhost:80. No data loading.
Here is an example of an api call in my node/express server/index.js file
app.get('/api/company', (req, res) => {
api_helper.GET('https://****/api/company')
.then(response => {
res.json(response)
})
.catch(error => {
res.send(error)
})
})
My package.json file has the url of the express proxy (running in the background).
"proxy": "http://localhost:5000/",
My question is, why isnt the api loading in production /build? I just get this...
Request URL: http://localhost/api/site
Request Method: GET
Status Code: 404 Not Found
Remote Address: [::1]:80
Referrer Policy: no-referrer-when-downgrade
but when just running locally (npm start) I get this and data loads from api.
Request URL: http://localhost:3000/api/site
Request Method: GET
Status Code: 304 Not Modified
Remote Address: 127.0.0.1:3000
Referrer Policy: no-referrer-when-downgrade
Any help appreciated, driving me mad! Thanks.

Answer 1

After much testing I discovered, you must put the routes before
Wrong Example:
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'build')));
app.get('/', function (req, res) {
res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname, 'build', 'index.html'));
});
app.use('/', routes);
Right Example:
app.use('/api', routes);
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'build')));
app.get('*', function (req, res) {
res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname, 'build', 'index.html'));
});

Answer 2

For anyone else struggling with this, I figured it out..
I had to add this to my express server.js file in the root folder of my project.
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'build')));
app.get('/', function (req, res) {
res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname, 'build', 'index.html'));
});
I then pointed to the address where express is running, in my case http://localhost:5000
This worked.
I also then set up a rewrite rule in IIS to point localhost and our domain name to localhost:5000
All working now, hope it helps someone else.

Answer 3

Thanks for your info. I am quite new to ReactJS and I also encountered similar problems when I created my production build. Actually I had added similar things like
app.use(express.static(<build_folder_dir>));
in my Express Server before then I came to search and see your post. Anyway, I did not add something like the second line of your code and my API calls are written in router created in a separate js file.
app.use('/api/some_path', <imported_router>);
In the exported router object, codes are written like this:
router.get('/some_sub-path')
To make API calls, I used axios in my react app
axios.get(
"/api/some_path"+"/sub-path?param_1="+<param_value>,
{
headers:{
"Content-Type":"application/json",
<some headers>
}
}
).then((res)=>{<Some codes using the res.data.<any param in body>>})
Finally,I added these lines in the server.js
app.get('/*', function(req, res) {
res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname, <path of the index.html in the build dir>), function(err) {
if (err) {
res.status(500).send(err)
}
})
})
Yet, I made a stupid mistake that my app crashed because the app.get overwrite the settings in router. Just a reminder, if you enable any API calls in GET method, use regex to exclude the pattern for making API calls.