# Retrieve the POST query parameters using Express

> Learn how to retrieve POST request data in Express using the express.json() or express.urlencoded() middleware and reading the values from req.body.

Author: [Flavio Copes](https://flaviocopes.com/about/) | Published: 2018-09-15 | Topics: [Express.js](https://flaviocopes.com/tags/express/) | Canonical: https://flaviocopes.com/express-post-query-variables/

POST query parameters are sent by HTTP clients for example by forms, or when performing a POST request sending data.

How can you access this data?

If the data was sent as [JSON](https://flaviocopes.com/json/), using `Content-Type: application/json`, you will use the `express.json()` middleware:

```js
const express = require('express')
const app = express()

app.use(express.json())
```

If the data was sent using `Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded`, you will need to use the `express.urlencoded()` middleware:

```js
const express = require('express')
const app = express()

app.use(express.urlencoded({
  extended: true
}))
```

In both cases you can access the data by referencing it from `Request.body`:

```js
app.post('/form', (req, res) => {
  const name = req.body.name
})
```

> Note: older Express versions required the use of the `body-parser` module to process POST data. This is no longer the case as of Express 4.16 (released in September 2017) and later versions.