Record API Sessions

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Recording API sessions allows you to monitor and debug HTTP traffic between your application and the server. This can significantly improve debugging efficiency by providing insights into network behavior, as well as enhance testing workflows by enabling precise analysis of API interactions.

With the Requestly Desktop App, you can capture and analyze network activity effortlessly. This guide will walk you through the steps to create, manage, and utilize API sessions effectively.

How to Create an API Session in Requestly

Creating an API session in Requestly is straightforward, allowing you to record, import, and analyze network traffic with ease. Here are three methods to get started:

Save Captured Live Traffic with HTTP Interceptor

One way to create an API session in Requestly is by saving captured traffic using the HTTP Interceptor while monitoring a browser or an app’s traffic. This allows you to share or analyze the traffic later.

Here's how:

Import a HAR File

Another method is to import a HAR file, which can be generated from various sources, including browser network sessions, other interceptors, or even Requestly's traffic interceptor.

Follow these steps:

Import a .rqly File

Requestly also supports importing its proprietary .rqly file format. This is useful for loading sessions captured from the Session Book.

Here's how:

You can view the saved session later under the Sessions tab on the left side of the app.

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Session Interface

Search and Filters

• Search URL: Look for specific requests by entering part of the URL, a wildcard, or a regular expression.

• Filter by Method: Narrow requests using HTTP methods like GET, POST, or PUT.

• Filter by Status Code: Filter responses by status codes (e.g., 200 for success, 404 for not found).

• Filter by Resource Type: Focus on resource types such as CSS files, JavaScript files, or images.

• Modified Requests: Check this box to see only requests altered by your applied rules.

• Clear All: Reset all filters to view the full list of requests.

Traffic Table

The main table provides a detailed overview of network requests, including:

• Time: The timestamp of each request.

• URL: The accessed URLs for better visibility into endpoints.

• Method: The HTTP method used (e.g., GET, POST).

• Content-Type: The type of content being transmitted (e.g., text/css, application/json).

• Status: The HTTP response status code (e.g., 200, 404).

Details Section (Bottom Panel)

The bottom panel provides detailed information about selected requests, including

• Request Details: View the HTTP method, path, host, and port.

• Headers: Inspect request and response headers.

• Payload: Check data sent with the request (e.g., for POST requests).

• Body: Examine the response body.

• Preview: Render response content, such as HTML or CSS, if applicable

Action Buttons

• Create Mocks: Simulate backend responses for testing and development without relying on an actual server. You can also perform bulk mocking to create multiple mock responses at once, streamlining the testing process.

• Delete Sessions: Remove old or unnecessary sessions to keep your workflow organized.

• Download HAR Files: Export HTTP Archive (HAR) files to analyze network activity and debug issues easily.

Additional Features

Bulk Mocking

Create multiple mock responses at once to save time and simplify your testing. This feature lets you simulate different backend scenarios, speeding up both development and testing.

With Bulk Mocking, you can quickly create mock responses for selected requests in a session, streamlining your workflow. Once your mocks are created, you can view and manage them easily.

For more detailed instructions, check out our Bulk Mocking Guide.

Saving and Sharing Sessions

You can keep your session data for later use or share it with others. Use the Export HAR option to download session data, which can be shared or re-imported into Requestly. To learn more, visit the Import/View HAR file page.

Creating Rules from Captured Sessions

Requestly allows you to use captured sessions to create rules tailored to specific testing scenarios. This method helps replicate real-world conditions effectively. Here's how you can leverage sessions to define rules:

Popular Use Cases

• Redirect Requests: Create rules to reroute specific URLs to alternative endpoints for testing purposes.

• Modify Headers: Adjust request or response headers to simulate various environments or configurations.

• Delay Responses: Introduce network delays to observe how your app handles slow response times.

Here’s how to create a Rule from Captured Sessions:

Edit and Replay

The Edit and Replay feature lets you send API requests to an endpoint and modify various parameters like headers, body, query parameters, and more. This functionality acts as an integrated API client within your sessions, making it easier to test and modify API requests directly.

Here’s how to use Edit and Replay :