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XMLHttpRequest.setRequestHeader

The XMLHttpRequest method setRequestHeader() sets the value of an HTTP request header. When using setRequestHeader(), you must call it after calling open(), but before calling send(). If this method is called several times with the same header, the values are merged into one single request header.

Each time you call setRequestHeader() after the first time you call it, the specified text is appended to the end of the existing header's content.

If no Accept header has been set using this, an Accept header with the type "*/*" is sent with the request when send() is called.

For security reasons, some headers can only be controlled by the user agent. These headers include the forbidden header names and forbidden response header names.

Note: For your custom fields, you may encounter a "not allowed by Access-Control-Allow-Headers in preflight response" exception when you send requests across domains. In this situation, you need to set up the Access-Control-Allow-Headers in your response header at server side.

Syntax

XMLHttpRequest.setRequestHeader(header, value)

Parameters

header
The name of the header whose value is to be set.
value
The value to set as the body of the header.

Return value

undefined.

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
XMLHttpRequest
The definition of 'setRequestHeader()' in that specification.
Living Standard WHATWG living standard

Browser compatibilityUpdate compatibility data on GitHub

Desktop
Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support 1 12 Yes 7
7
5
Implemented via ActiveXObject
Yes 1.2
Mobile
Android webview Chrome for Android Edge Mobile Firefox for Android Opera for Android iOS Safari Samsung Internet
Basic support Yes 18 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

See also

© 2005–2018 Mozilla Developer Network and individual contributors.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/XMLHttpRequest/setRequestHeader