How to Use the RESTful API Features in HttpTracer

1. The RESTful Page: Craft Requests From Scratch ## Setting Up Your Request ## Request Body Options ## Sending the Request ## 2. The RESTful API Tab in the Inspector Panel ## How to Access It ## What Gets Loaded ## Opening in Full Composer ## Practical Use Cases ## 1. Testing API Changes ## 2. Debugging Authentication Issues ## 3. Exploring Third-Party APIs ## 4. Reproducing Bugs ## Tips for Power Users ## Summary HttpTracer includes a powerful RESTful API Composer that lets you craft and send custom HTTP requests directly from the app. Whether you're testing an API, replaying a captured request, or debugging a specific endpoint, the RESTful features give you full control over your HTTP traffic. In this post, we'll explore two key ways to use this feature: Navigate to the RESTful page from the left sidebar. This is your workspace for building custom HTTP requests. At the top, you'll find the URL input field and a dropdown to select the HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, etc.). Simply enter the endpoint you want to call. Switch to the Headers tab to add custom headers. Each header has: This is useful for adding authentication tokens, content types, or any custom headers your API requires. The Params tab lets you add query string parameters. HttpTracer automatically appends these to your URL, so you don't need to manually construct query strings. Need to send cookies? The Cookies tab provides a simple interface to add cookie key-value pairs. For POST, PUT, and PATCH requests, you can add a request body. HttpTracer supports multiple body types: When using the Raw body type, you get a full-featured code editor with syntax highlighting. Select the content type (JSON, XML, HTML, etc.) and HttpTracer will set the appropriate Content-Type header. Form Data with File Uploads The Form Data option lets you add text fields or file uploads. This is perfect for testing file upload endpoints. Click the Send button to execute your request. The response appears in the right panel, showing: One of the most useful features is the ability to replay captured requests directly. When you're inspecting network traffic, you can open any captured request in the RESTful composer. When you open a captured request in the RESTful tab, HttpTracer automatically populates: [!TIP] You can modify any of these values before resending. This is great for testing variations of an API call without manually reconstructing the entire request. If you need more space to work, click the expand icon next to the "RESTful API" tab label. This opens the request in the full RESTful page with all its features. Made a change to your backend? Replay a captured request to verify the change works as expected. Captured a failing request? Modify the auth headers and resend to pinpoint the issue. Capture a request from your app to a third-party API, then modify it to explore different parameters or endpoints. Found a bug? Capture the problematic request and replay it with variations to understand the exact conditions that trigger the issue. The RESTful features in HttpTracer give you powerful tools for API development and debugging: Combined with HttpTracer's traffic inspection capabilities, you have a complete toolkit for understanding and testing HTTP traffic. Download HttpTracer now! Have questions or feedback? Let us know! Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse - The RESTful Page – For building requests from scratch - The RESTful API Tab in the Inspector Panel – For replaying and modifying captured requests - A checkbox to enable/disable it - Key and Value fields - Status Code and status message - Response Headers - Response Body (formatted based on content type) - Capture traffic as usual (enable the proxy and make requests) - Select a request from the traffic list - In the right panel, click the RESTful API tab - The original URL and HTTP method - All headers from the captured request - Query parameters (parsed from the URL) - The request body (if present) - Disable headers temporarily – Use the checkboxes to toggle headers on/off without deleting them - Check the response timing – The Overview tab shows detailed timing information - Look out for pseudo-headers – HTTP/2 pseudo-headers (like :method, :path) are automatically disabled when replaying, as they're protocol-specific