HttpMessageNotWritableException: No serializer found for class

Q: Add Getters to your class

When to use: Use this when you wrote a plain Java class without getters.. Jackson uses getters to read data from your object. If the class has private fields but no public getters, Jackson cannot see the data to convert it to JSON.

Q: Use Lombok @Data or @Getter

When to use: Use this to avoid writing boilerplate getter methods.. Lombok generates the getters at compile time. Jackson can see them and serialize the object.

Q: Make fields public

When to use: Use this only for quick prototyping (not recommended for production).. If fields are public, Jackson can read them directly without needing getter methods.

🔴 The Error You're Seeing

Confirm this matches your console output. If it does, you're in the right place.

ERROR LOG

2026-02-14 12:20:10.800 ERROR 8842 --- [nio-8080-exec-4] o.a.c.c.C.[.[.[/].[dispatcherServlet]    : Servlet.service() for servlet [dispatcherServlet] in context with path [] threw exception [Request processing failed: org.springframework.http.converter.HttpMessageNotWritableException: Could not write JSON: No serializer found for class com.devinhyderabad.dto.UserResponse and no properties discovered to create BeanSerializer] with root cause

com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.exc.InvalidDefinitionException: No serializer found for class com.devinhyderabad.dto.UserResponse

⚡ Quick Fix Works 80% of the time

Add getters to your class, or use Lombok's @Getter/@Data annotations.

@Data // Lombok generates getters
public class UserResponse {
    private String name;
}

🛠️ Solutions (3 Ways to Fix)

Solution 1✓ Most common cause

Add Getters to your class

👉 Use this when you wrote a plain Java class without getters.

Jackson uses getters to read data from your object. If the class has private fields but no public getters, Jackson cannot see the data to convert it to JSON.

public class UserResponse {
    private String name;

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }
    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }
}

Solution 2

Use Lombok @Data or @Getter

👉 Use this to avoid writing boilerplate getter methods.

Lombok generates the getters at compile time. Jackson can see them and serialize the object.

@Data // Generates getters, setters, toString, etc.
public class UserResponse {
    private String name;
    private String email;
}

Solution 3

Make fields public

👉 Use this only for quick prototyping (not recommended for production).

If fields are public, Jackson can read them directly without needing getter methods.

public class UserResponse {
    public String name;
}

📋 Version Notes

Spring Boot 2.x

Uses Jackson 2.x. Requires getters for private fields.

Spring Boot 3.x

Uses Jackson 2.15+. Identical behavior, requires getters or Lombok.

🧠 Why this Happens

Tap to expand the deep technical explanation

Spring attempted to convert your Java object into a JSON string to send back to the client. Jackson uses reflection to find getter methods (getName()). Because your class only has private fields and no getters, Jackson cannot find any data to put in the JSON.

The HITEC City Parking Spot Analogy:

It is like trying to read a book where all the pages are glued shut. The book (object) exists, but the reader (Jackson) cannot access the text inside because there is no way to open it (getters).

🛡️ How to Prevent This Next Time

Always use Lombok (@Data or @Getter) on your DTOs and Entities to guarantee Jackson can serialize them.