TheMealDB Proxy

Simple proxy to bypass Cloudflare blocking for TheMealDB API.

Prerequisites

Install Node.js and npm (if not already installed)

macOS:

# Using Homebrew
brew install node

# Or download from https://nodejs.org/

Windows:

# Download installer from https://nodejs.org/
# Or using Chocolatey
choco install nodejs

Linux:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm

# Fedora
sudo dnf install nodejs npm

Verify installation:

node --version
npm --version

Deploy to Vercel

1. Install Vercel CLI:

npm install -g vercel

2. Login to Vercel:

vercel login

3. Deploy:

vercel --prod

4. Your proxy will be live at a URL like:

https://your-project.vercel.app/api/proxy?s=Arrabiata

Usage

Replace:

https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/search.php?s=Arrabiata

With:

https://your-project.vercel.app/api/proxy/search.php?s=Arrabiata

Local Testing

python3 local/proxy.py

Then access: http://localhost:8080/search.php?s=Arrabiata

Project Structure

themealdb-proxy/
├── api/
│   └── proxy.py          ← DEPLOYED to Vercel (production serverless function)
├── local/
│   └── proxy.py          ← NOT DEPLOYED (local testing only)
├── vercel.json           ← DEPLOYED (Vercel configuration/routing)
├── .vercelignore         ← Excludes local/ from deployment
└── README.md             ← NOT DEPLOYED (documentation)

What Gets Deployed vs. What Stays Local

Deployed to Vercel:

• ✅ api/proxy.py - The actual Python code that runs in production
• ✅ vercel.json - Configuration that tells Vercel how to route requests

NOT Deployed (Local Only):

• ❌ local/proxy.py - For testing on your computer before deploying
• ❌ README.md - Documentation
• ❌ .gitignore, .vercelignore - Configuration files

How It Works

Architecture

This proxy bypasses Cloudflare blocking by acting as an intermediary between your client and TheMealDB API.

School Network → Vercel Proxy → TheMealDB API
(Blocked)         (Allowed)      (Original API)

Key Components

1. api/proxy.py - Serverless Function

• Purpose: Handles incoming requests on Vercel's serverless platform
• How it works:
  • Receives requests at /api/proxy?s=Arrabiata
  • Adds browser-like headers (User-Agent, Referer, etc.) to mimic a real browser
  • Forwards the request to TheMealDB API
  • Returns the response with CORS headers enabled
• Why it works: Vercel's servers aren't blocked by Cloudflare, and the browser-like headers make the request appear legitimate

2. vercel.json - Configuration (The Router)

{
  "rewrites": [
    { "source": "/api/(.*)", "destination": "/api/proxy" }
  ]
}

• Purpose: Acts as a routing map - tells Vercel which code to run for which URL
• How it works:
  • When someone visits /api/proxy?s=Arrabiata
  • Vercel reads this config and says "run the code in api/proxy.py"
  • Think of it like a phone directory: URL → Python file
• Important: Both vercel.json AND api/proxy.py get deployed and work together
  • vercel.json = The address book (where to route)
  • api/proxy.py = The worker (what to execute)

3. local/proxy.py - Local Server (Optional)

• Purpose: Run the proxy locally for testing or if you prefer self-hosting
• How it works: Simple HTTP server on port 8080 that does the same thing as the Vercel function
• Use case: Testing locally before deploying, or running on your own computer
• Note: This file is NOT deployed to Vercel, it's only for local development

Why Cloudflare Blocks the Original API

Cloudflare blocks requests that:

1. Come from certain IP ranges (like school networks)
2. Don't have proper browser headers
3. Make too many requests

Why This Proxy Works

1. Different IP: Vercel's servers have different IPs that aren't blocked
2. Browser Headers: We add headers that make it look like a real browser request
3. CORS Enabled: Allows your web app to call the proxy from any domain
4. Serverless: No server to maintain, scales automatically

Request Flow Example

1. Your App: fetch('https://themealdb-proxy.vercel.app/api/proxy?s=Arrabiata')
2. Vercel: Receives request, runs api/proxy.py
3. Proxy: Adds headers, calls https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/search.php?s=Arrabiata
4. TheMealDB: Returns recipe data
5. Proxy: Forwards response back to your app
6. Your App: Receives the data