Setting up a Web Proxy Server for Masking and Making CDA Calls

Setting up a proxy server between your server and the internet is an age-old technique that many organizations have been using. In simplest terms, a proxy server is a computer that sits between the user's computer and the Internet.

In this guide, we will discuss the steps required to set up a proxy server that will not only serve our masking requirement but also fetches default entries along with the requested ones.

For example, let's assume you have the following content types:

• Header
• Navigation
• Categories
• Articles
• Footer

Now, we'll set up a system such that when you request the entries of content type “Article,” the entries of “Header,” “Navigation,” “Categories,” and “Footer” content types will be fetched by default in the same call.

Setting up the System

We have created a sample that helps us in achieving what we intend to do. To set up the system, execute the following steps:

1. We have created a sample code for setting up the system. Get in touch with our support team to get the sample code.
2. After downloading the code, you need to make changes in the index.js file. Navigate to the src folder and move inside the config folder. Add your stack credentials to the index.js file as follows:
   module.exports = {
     contentstack:{
       proxyUrl:'http://cdn.contentstack.io',
       apiKey:'STACK API KEY',
       deliveryToken:'DELIVERY TOKEN',
       DefaultContentTypes:['categories','footer','header','navigation'],
       DefaultEnvironment:'development',
       DefaultLocale:'en-us'
     }
   }

3. Then, fire up your terminal and move inside the project directory. Install and run npm as follows:
   
   npm install
   npm start

4. By default, the server will start on port 8000. You can now make CDA calls to the server. An example is shown below:
   http://{SERVERURL}:8000/v3/content_types/article/entries/bltd9d67cf4b11f9d62?environment=development&locale=en-us

5. Making the above call fetches the following results:
   

In the above response, “defaultEntries” are the ones that you have specified in the configuration in step 3 (inside “DefaultContentTypes”).

When we request for the entries in content type “Article,” it will be fetched along with the default ones in a single call.