Documentation

Everything you need to install HttpForge, send your first request, capture live API traffic, and integrate it into your daily development workflow.

Getting Started

HttpForge is a modern Privacy First, open-source API client built for professional developers. Whether you are debugging a REST endpoint, validating a webhook payload, or sharing API collections with your team, HttpForge provides a streamlined experience on Windows and inside Visual Studio Code.

This guide walks you through installation, configuration, and the core concepts you will use every day.

Installation

Windows Desktop Application

Download the latest Windows installer (latest installer) or browse all versions on GitHub Releases. Run the installer and follow the setup wizard. No additional dependencies are required.

VS Code Extension

Install the HttpForge extension from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace, or search for HttpForge in the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X). Once installed, open the HttpForge sidebar to access collections and request history directly in your editor.

Your First Request

To send a request in the desktop app:

  1. Open HttpForge and go to Workspace (or click New Request).
  2. Select an HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, or DELETE).
  3. Enter the target URL, for example https://api.example.com/v1/users.
  4. Add headers, query parameters, or a request body as needed.
  5. Click Send to execute the request and inspect the response.
GET https://api.example.com/v1/users
Authorization: Bearer <your-token>
Accept: application/json

Workspace

Workspace is the main split-screen editor for building and testing APIs. It combines a project tree, request builder, and response viewer so you can stay in one place while you iterate.

What you can do

  • Switch protocols: HTTP, GraphQL, WebSocket, gRPC, and SOAP.
  • Browse collections and requests in the left project tree.
  • Open multiple request tabs and edit URL, headers, auth, query params, and body.
  • Use environment variables (such as {{BASE_URL}}) so the same request works across local, staging, and production.
  • Inspect status, timing, headers, and formatted response bodies in the response panel.
  • Resize the sidebar and response panels to fit your screen.

Open Workspace from the sidebar after selecting a project. Every sent request is also recorded in History.

Collections

Collections let you organize related requests into reusable groups. Create a collection for each service or project, add requests with descriptive names, and export or share them with your team. Collections support nested folders, variable substitution, and version control via Git.

Environments

Environments store variables such as base URLs, API keys, and authentication tokens for different stages of development. Define separate environments for local, staging, and production, then switch between them without modifying individual requests.

Credentials are encrypted and stored locally on your machine. HttpForge never transmits your secrets to external servers.

API Capture

API Capture records live browser traffic and turns it into an HttpForge collection. Open a site in a dedicated capture window, interact with the page, then save the XHR and fetch calls you triggered — including method, URL, query parameters, and body — into your current project.

This feature is available in the Windows desktop app (not the VS Code extension). You need an active project and environment before you can start a capture.

How to capture APIs

  1. Open API Capture from the sidebar.
  2. Confirm a project and environment are selected (create them first if needed).
  3. Enter a Start URL (for example https://app.example.com).
  4. Optionally set a collection name and capture filters.
  5. Click Start Capture — a capture window opens the URL and records traffic.
  6. Use the site normally so XHR/fetch API calls fire.
  7. Click Done capturing in the capture window (or close the window).
  8. Back in HttpForge, click Save collection to store the requests and write BASE_URL to your active environment.

Capture options

  • Remove duplicate API requests — keeps one request per method + path (cache-buster query params are ignored). On by default.
  • Include static assets — off by default; when off, only XHR/fetch API calls are captured (scripts, images, fonts, and similar assets are skipped).
  • Same domain only — only capture APIs on the Start URL host and its subdomains. On by default.
  • Allowed API endpoints — optional allowlist (one host, URL prefix, or path per line). When set, it overrides same-domain filtering.

What gets saved

Save collection stores method, URL, query parameters, and body. Cookies and headers are not persisted. Detected BASE_URL is written to your active environment, and Collections refreshes automatically after a successful save.

Note: Closing the capture window without clicking Save discards all captured traffic. Starting a new capture replaces any unsaved staged result.

History

History lists every request you send during the current session for the active project. Use it to debug failures, compare timings, and reopen past request and response details without leaving HttpForge.

How to use History

  1. Send requests from Workspace — each call is added to History automatically.
  2. Open History from the sidebar.
  3. Filter by All, Success, or Errors.
  4. Expand an entry to inspect status, duration, URL, headers, and request/response bodies.
  5. Click Clear when you want to wipe the session log.

History is session-scoped and scoped to the current project when one is selected. It is stored locally on your machine.

API Documentation

API Documentation generates static docs from your project collections as OpenAPI 3.0 plus HTML. Preview docs in the browser, or publish them to a linked Git repository for hosting (for example GitHub Pages).

This feature is available in the Windows desktop app. You need a project with at least one request and at least one environment marked for export.

How to generate docs

  1. Select a project that has collections and requests.
  2. On the Environments page, check the environments you want included in the docs export.
  3. Open API Docs from the sidebar.
  4. Click Preview Docs to generate and open docs locally (Git is not required for preview).
  5. To publish, link a Git repository in Git Settings, then click Publish to Git.

Published docs are written to docs/index.html in your repository. Preview and publish both use your collections as the source of truth for endpoints.

VS Code Extension

The VS Code extension integrates HttpForge into your existing editor workflow. Send requests from `.http` files, autocomplete environment variables, and view formatted responses inline. This is ideal for API-driven development where you want requests alongside your source code.

For detailed command syntax and extension settings, see the API Reference.