RestCraft for VS Code

RestCraft brings a Postman-like request workflow directly into Visual Studio Code. It lets developers define API requests as readable .api.json files, edit them through a focused request UI, and send them from the editor without switching tools.

Because requests live in your workspace, they can be reviewed, shared, versioned, and kept next to the code that depends on them. RestCraft is especially useful when you want lightweight endpoint testing, team-friendly request definitions, and environment-based values without maintaining a separate API client collection.

Features

• Create and edit .api.json request files with a custom VS Code editor.
• Open the API Workbench for a dedicated request-building experience.
• Send HTTP and HTTPS requests from inside VS Code.
• View response status, headers, and body after execution.
• Store request definitions as plain JSON files that work well with Git.
• Use sibling .env files to substitute values such as hosts, tokens, and credentials.
• Keep request execution in the extension host instead of the Webview.

Why Use RestCraft?

API testing often lives outside the project, which makes requests harder to discover, review, and keep in sync with the codebase. RestCraft keeps the request workflow close to the source.

Use it to:

• Document important endpoints with executable examples.
• Share API requests through the same pull requests as application code.
• Test local, staging, or production endpoints with environment variables.
• Avoid context switching while building or debugging API integrations.

Getting Started

1. Create a file ending in .api.json in your workspace.
2. Add a request definition.
3. Open the file in VS Code to use the custom request editor.
4. Send the request from the editor, or run RestCraft: Open API Workbench from the Command Palette.

Example request file:

{
  "name": "Get user profile",
  "method": "GET",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/users/{{USER_ID}}?include=settings",
  "params": [
    {
      "name": "include",
      "value": "settings",
      "enabled": true
    },
    {
      "name": "debug",
      "value": "1",
      "enabled": false
    }
  ],
  "headerState": [
    {
      "name": "Authorization",
      "value": "Bearer {{API_TOKEN}}",
      "enabled": true
    },
    {
      "name": "X-Debug",
      "value": "1",
      "enabled": false
    }
  ],
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer {{API_TOKEN}}",
    "Accept": "application/json",
    "X-Debug": "1"
  },
  "body": null
}

Request File Format

Request files use the .api.json extension and support:

When params is omitted, RestCraft backfills enabled params from the query string in url for compatibility with older request files. After editing query params in the custom editor, RestCraft saves the params array so enabled and disabled states are remembered when the request is reopened.

When headerState is omitted, RestCraft backfills enabled header rows from headers for compatibility with older request files. After editing headers in the custom editor, RestCraft saves headerState so enabled and disabled header states are remembered when the request is reopened.

Environment Variables

RestCraft resolves {{VARIABLE_NAME}} placeholders from a .env file in the same folder as the .api.json request file.

Example .env file:

USER_ID=123
API_TOKEN=your-token-here
BASE_URL=https://api.example.com

You can use variables in URLs, headers, and request bodies:

{
  "name": "Create project",
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "{{BASE_URL}}/projects",
  "params": [],
  "headerState": [
    {
      "name": "Authorization",
      "value": "Bearer {{API_TOKEN}}",
      "enabled": true
    },
    {
      "name": "Content-Type",
      "value": "application/json",
      "enabled": true
    }
  ],
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer {{API_TOKEN}}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
  },
  "body": {
    "name": "Launch Plan"
  }
}

Commands

RestCraft contributes these commands to VS Code:

Feedback

Found a bug or have an idea for improving RestCraft? Open an issue in the project repository.