node.js check if a remote URL exists

Question

How do I check to see if a URL exists without pulling it down? I use the following code, but it downloads the whole file. I just need to check that it exists.

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Answer 1

Thanks! Here it is, encapsulated in a function (updated on 5/30/17 with the require outside):

    var http = require('http'),
         url = require('url');

    exports.checkUrlExists = function (Url, callback) {
        var options = {
            method: 'HEAD',
            host: url.parse(Url).host,
            port: 80,
            path: url.parse(Url).pathname
        };
        var req = http.request(options, function (r) {
            callback( r.statusCode== 200);});
        req.end();
    }

It's very quick (I get about 50 ms, but it will depend on your connection and the server speed). Note that it's also quite basic, i.e. it won't handle redirects very well...