.Net Core Model Binding JSON Post To Web API

Mike Anderson picture Mike Anderson · Jul 13, 2017 · Viewed 34.3k times · Source

Just started a new project using .NET Core. Added my Web API controller and related method. Using Postman I created a JSON object and posted it to my controller method. Bear in mind the JSON object matches the Object param in the controller method exactly.

In debug mode I can see the object, it is not null, the properties are there, HOWEVER the prop values are defaulted to their representatives types, 0 for int, etc.

I've never seen this behavior before… so I took exactly the same code and object and replicated in a MVC project with a Web API 2 controller and it works perfectly.

What am I missing, can I not POST JSON and model bind in .NET Core?

Reading this article it seems I cannot unless I send as form POST or as querystring vars which by the way works fine.

https://lbadri.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/web-api-model-binding-in-asp-net-mvc-6-asp-net-5/

JSON:

{
   "id": "4",
   "userId": "3"
   "dateOfTest": "7/13/2017"
}

Method:

[HttpPost]
[Route("test1")]
[AllowAnonymous]
public IActionResult Test(Class1 data)
{
    return Ok();
}

Answer

Matt picture Matt · Jul 13, 2017

NOTE: If you are using aspnet core 3.0, the solution can be found here. For other versions, keep reading.

You need to mark your parameter as coming from the body with the FromBody attribute like this:

[HttpPost]
[Route("test1")]
[AllowAnonymous]
public IActionResult Test([FromBody] Class1 data)
{
    return Ok();
}

You need to make sure you're using application/json as your content type from Postman:

Postman application/json

Resulting in:

json POST action

Make sure your property setters are public as well:

public class Person
{
    public String Name;
    public Int32 Age;
}