works with
Node API Forge
Discover, test, and document Node APIs without Swagger.
No app integration. No production risk. No Swagger dependencies. Just source-to-API in seconds with full testing workflows.
Node API Forge eliminates Swagger UI integration overhead by discovering endpoints directly from your Node.js source code and generating organized HTTP Forge workflows for testing, documentation, and automation—without adding app dependencies or production security risks.
Supported frameworks: Express, NestJS, and Fastify.
Start In 60 Seconds
- Open a Node.js workspace.
- Run Node API Forge: Discover APIs.
- Open the Node API Forge sidebar and pick an endpoint.
- Use Open Endpoint in HTTP Forge or Show Endpoint Flow.
Why Node API Forge (vs. Swagger UI)
| Feature |
Swagger UI |
Node API Forge |
| App Integration |
Requires dependency + config |
None—reads source and seed loaders |
| Production Risk |
Easy to expose accidentally |
Zero app-level exposure |
| Request History |
Limited/none |
Full—persisted in workspace HTTP Forge collections |
| Saved Inputs |
Not supported |
Full—stored in collections, shareable via git |
| Request Organization |
By tag only |
By project + framework, auto-grouped |
| Testing Workflows |
Basic |
Full (pre/post scripts, assertions, CI) |
| Endpoint Flow |
Not available |
5-tab flow analyzer: diagram, middleware chain, component tree, data flow, docs |
| Auto Refresh |
Not applicable |
Incremental—only changed files re-analyzed on save |
Why Teams Use It
- Discover Express, NestJS, and Fastify endpoints directly from source instead of manually curating requests.
- Open endpoints in HTTP Forge with method, path, params, headers, and body context already mapped.
- Browse APIs in a scalable explorer hierarchy (project -> framework -> endpoint), with automatic framework paging for very large endpoint sets.
- Trace endpoint flow across 5 tabs: Mermaid flow diagram, ordered middleware chain, component tree, parameter data flow with click-to-source navigation, and a documentation/HTTP snippet view.
- Export discovered endpoints as organized HTTP Forge collections grouped by project and framework.
- Support multi-project workspaces and custom seed loaders for routes that cannot be auto-discovered from source.
- Keep the explorer current with incremental auto-refresh—only changed files are re-analyzed on save.
Commands
| Command |
When To Use It |
Result |
Node API Forge: Discover APIs |
After opening a workspace or changing routing code |
Refreshes endpoint discovery from source and configured seed loaders |
Node API Forge: Open Endpoint in HTTP Forge |
You want to test a discovered endpoint immediately |
Opens a request context in HTTP Forge |
Node API Forge: Open Endpoint Source |
You need to inspect the handler implementation |
Opens source file at handler location |
Node API Forge: Copy Endpoint Request |
You need a quick portable request snippet |
Copies an HTTP request template to clipboard |
Node API Forge: Export Discovered Collection |
You want reusable request assets |
Exports discovered endpoints as HTTP Forge collection JSON |
Node API Forge: Show Endpoint Flow |
You want middleware/handler analysis |
Opens flow analyzer webview for the endpoint |
Node API Forge: Hard Refresh Workspace |
Discovery cache is stale after major changes |
Clears caches and re-runs discovery |
Example Setup
{
"nodeApiForge.frameworks": ["auto"],
"nodeApiForge.customSeedLoaderModulePath": "./node-api-forge-generic-loader.js",
"nodeApiForge.autoRefreshOnFileChanges": true,
"nodeApiForge.searchComponentLibAllowlist": [],
"nodeApiForge.apiExplorerFrameworkPageSize": 200
}
Configuration
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
nodeApiForge.frameworks |
string[] |
["auto"] |
Framework hints for discovery in mixed projects (auto, express, fastify, nestjs). |
nodeApiForge.customSeedLoaderModulePath |
string |
"" |
Optional JS module that exports loadSeedManifestEndpoints(projectRoot, context). |
nodeApiForge.autoRefreshOnFileChanges |
boolean |
true |
Automatically reruns discovery on relevant source/config changes. |
nodeApiForge.searchComponentLibAllowlist |
string[] |
[] |
External/internal library packages Flow Search is allowed to traverse. |
nodeApiForge.apiExplorerFrameworkPageSize |
number |
200 |
Endpoints per framework page in API Explorer for large endpoint sets (range 25 to 1000). |
Docs
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