HTTP Toolkit: GET, POST and PUT it into your programming or testing routine

In this article, I want to share information about a super-useful tool, HTTP Toolkit!😀

Link to download it: https://httptoolkit.com

Prior to some development environment facilities, I made a research on best tools for analyzing, debugging, and intercepting HTTP calls.

I’m a mobile developer, and there are some good tools known like Charles, Wireshark itself and dozens more.

But that’s when, from 2018 to 2019, I came across the HTTP Toolkit, a free and also an open-source tool that is very quick to install and use, which gets right to the point. 🔎

As soon as you install it, there is a side menu on the left with three main functions, Intercept, View, Mock.

I will describe them below.

1] Intercept

In this menu, you have control over the types of source that you will select and use.

Essentially, all you have to do is click on one of them and follow the basic instructions shown.

Intercept functionality — Where you choose the interception source you need

We have many possible types of interceptions source and techniques:

• Browsers: Chrome, Global Chrome, Chrome (Canary), Chromium, Firefox, Edge, Edge (Canary), Opera, and more
• Mobile: Android Device via ADB, Android Device via QR code, iOS via Manual setup
• A Virtual VM
• Existing Terminal, Fresh Terminal > To intercept all process & Docker containers
• Attach do Docker Container
• Electron Application
• Anything: This is very special too
• And others coming soon

Example: By choosing the Android Device via ADB, you can control HTTP calls on the Android simulator or device.

Screen that appears when you select Android Device via ADB source

You will be taken to the View feature after confirming the connection with the HTTP Toolkit in the previous popup message.

2] View

View functionality — Request and Response headers

View functionality — Response Body

In this screen, you can see a number of crucial pieces of information on this screen. Every HTTP call is displayed in the center, with the Method, Status, Source, Host, Path and query.

When clicking on the first call in this example above, you can see that all the information about this call is presented in the right panel: Request headers, Response headers, Response Body and more are shown.

Very clean and easy!

“Analyzing HTTP calls to find out what is going behind the scenes is an intriguing exercise.”

3] Mock

And in the last part we have the Mocks.

This feature relates to the ability to filter incoming HTTP calls and modify requests and responses in real time using HTTP Toolkit.

HTTP Toolkit — Types of HTTP call to select

In the screenshot above, we can see that filters can be created for any kind of HTTP request.

HTTP Toolkit — Was to filter the URL from the HTTP call

Once the option is chosen, calls to a particular URL can be filtered in a number of manners by various URL components, including host, query, and content.

HTTP Toolkit — Ways to change the Response or Request on-the-fly

Then, on the right panel, you can select an option that will change the request or response on-the-fly.

You can pause them or return directly, among other options.

This tool is really helpful because it is free and also it is open-source.

If required, there is a PRO version with more functionalities that is affordable in addition to the fantastic free version.

Since the code is open-source, you can also contribute to its development in https://github.com/httptoolkit.

Have a Happy coding!