API Pilot

A powerful API debugging tool built right into VS Code — no browser, no separate app.

Features

HTTP Request

• Methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, OPTIONS, HEAD
• Custom Methods: Add additional HTTP methods (e.g. PROPFIND, MKCOL) via the api-pilot.customHttpMethods VS Code setting — they appear in the method dropdown alongside the standard methods
• Custom Headers: Add any request header as key-value pairs; toggle individual headers on/off without deleting them
• Query Parameters: Dedicated key-value editor for URL query params with per-row enable/disable toggles
• Request Body: Supports multiple body types:
  • JSON — syntax-highlighted editor
  • Form Data (multipart) — key-value fields with file upload support
  • URL Encoded (x-www-form-urlencoded)
  • Raw — free text with custom Content-Type
  • Binary — upload a local file as body
  • GraphQL — query + variables editor
• Authentication: Bearer Token, Basic Auth, API Key (header or query param)
• SSL Verification: Toggle SSL certificate verification per request
• Scripts: Write JavaScript pre-request and post-response scripts using a Postman-compatible pm API — modify the request, set variables, or assert response values

Response Viewer

• Status & Timing: HTTP status code, status text, response time (ms), and body size — each labeled for clarity
• Timing Breakdown: Dedicated Timing tab shows a horizontal bar chart with three phases:
  • DNS + Connect — DNS resolution + TCP/TLS handshake time
  • Wait (TTFB) — server processing time until first byte received
  • Download — response body download time
  • Each phase displays milliseconds and percentage of total time
• Body Rendering:
  • JSON — pretty-printed with collapsible tree
  • XML, Markdown, HTML — rendered view
  • Images — inline preview
  • Raw text — plain output
• Response Headers: Full header list in a dedicated tab
• Body Search: Search within the response body
• SSL Info: For HTTPS requests — shows protocol (TLS version), cipher suite, certificate subject/issuer, validity dates, fingerprint, and full certificate chain
• Test Results: Pass/fail results from pm.test() assertions in the post-response script — shows test name, status (pass/fail), and error message on failure
• Script Console: Captured console.log / warn / error output from pre/post scripts, with source (pre/post) and log level indicated

Collections

• Organize requests into collections with nested folders
• Full CRUD: create, rename, delete collections and folders
• Save the current request directly into any collection
• Search / Filter: Real-time search box filters requests by name or URL across all collections and folders; matching sections auto-expand

Environment Variables

• Create multiple environments (e.g. dev, staging, prod) with key-value variable sets
• Use {{variable_name}} anywhere: URL, headers, params, body, auth fields
• Variables are resolved recursively (up to 5 levels) at send time and during cURL/code export
• Switch the active environment from the status bar; active environment persists across restarts
• A Default environment is always guaranteed to exist

Request History

• Every sent request is automatically recorded, grouped by date (up to 1000 entries total), with one-click replay
• Search / Filter: Real-time search box filters history entries by URL, method, or request name; matching date groups auto-expand

cURL / Fetch Import & Export

• Paste a cURL command (bash) or a fetch() snippet (Chrome DevTools / Node.js) to instantly import it as a request
• Export any request to cURL — environment variables are resolved in the output

Code Snippets

• Generate ready-to-use code snippets for the current request (variables resolved)

Editor Convenience

• Header Autocomplete: Intelligent suggestions for 58+ common HTTP header names and values
• Multi-Tab Interface: Work on multiple requests simultaneously; unsaved changes show a dirty-state marker
• i18n: Full English and Chinese (Simplified) UI
• Theme Adaptation: Integrates with your VS Code color theme

Quick Start

1. Open VS Code and click the API Pilot icon in the Activity Bar.
2. Click + to create a new request.
3. Enter a URL, choose an HTTP method, and click Send.
4. View the formatted response below.

Scripts

Pre-request and post-response scripts run in a sandboxed Node.js VM with a Postman-compatible pm object:

// Pre-request: modify headers or set variables
pm.request.headers.add({ key: 'X-Timestamp', value: Date.now().toString() });
pm.environment.set('token', 'my-value');

// Post-response: run assertions
pm.test('Status is 200', () => pm.response.to.have.status(200));
pm.test('Body has id', () => pm.expect(pm.response.json().id).to.exist);

// Console output is captured and shown in the Script Console tab
console.log('response time:', pm.response.responseTime);
console.warn('large body detected');

Test results are shown per-test with pass ✓ / fail ✗ and error details. All console.log/warn/error calls are captured and displayed in the Script Console tab, labeled by source (pre/post) and log level.

Data Storage

All data is stored locally in the workspace under .api-pilot/:

.api-pilot/
├── collections/     # Saved requests and folders
├── environments/    # Environment variable sets
└── history/         # Request history by date

Add .api-pilot/history/ to .gitignore to exclude history from version control.

VS Code Settings

Open Settings (Ctrl+,) and search for API Pilot, or add to your settings.json:

License

MIT