How do you fetch autocomplete suggestions from an API in JavaScript?
Use fetch: const res = await fetch(`/api/suggestions?q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`); return await res.json(). Always encode the query with encodeURIComponent to handle special characters.
Verify This Answer
Cross-check this information using these trusted sources:
More FAQs in Autocomplete API Calls and Caching
Use a Map: if cache.has(query) return cache.get(query); otherwise fetch, then cache.set(query, data). This avoids duplicate API calls for the same query, improving performance and reducing server load.
Use AbortController: before each fetch, abort the previous controller and create a new one. Pass the signal to fetch. If the user types quickly, only the last request completes; previous ones are aborted.
To prevent race conditions. If the user types 'hello', 5 requests may be in flight. The 'h' response might arrive after 'he', overwriting the correct results. Cancelling previous requests ensures only the latest query's response is used.
Still have questions?
Browse all our FAQs or reach out to our support team