VS Code REST Client — Send HTTP Requests from Your Editor

Introduction

REST Client lets you send HTTP requests and view responses directly inside Visual Studio Code. You write requests in plain .http or .rest files that are human-readable, version-controllable, and shareable with your team — no separate GUI tool needed.

What VS Code REST Client Does

• Send GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and other HTTP methods from .http files
• Display formatted response bodies with syntax highlighting
• Support environment variables for switching between dev, staging, and production
• Chain requests by referencing response values from previous calls
• Generate code snippets for cURL, Python, JavaScript, and other languages

Architecture Overview

The extension parses .http and .rest files using a custom syntax that supports headers, body content, and variable interpolation. When you trigger a request, it executes the HTTP call using Node.js built-in modules, then renders the response in a side panel with syntax highlighting, timing information, and header inspection.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install from the VS Code marketplace with no external dependencies
• Define environment variables in VS Code settings or a .env file
• Configure default request headers that apply to all requests
• Set response preview behavior (full body, headers only, or exchange view)
• Enable certificate verification settings for self-signed HTTPS endpoints

Key Features

• Plain-text .http files are easy to read, diff, and commit to version control
• Multiple requests per file separated by ### delimiters
• Variable support with @variable = value syntax and environment switching
• Request history with quick replay of previous calls
• GraphQL query support with syntax highlighting

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Postman — full GUI application; REST Client keeps everything in your editor and version control
• Insomnia — standalone app with collections; REST Client uses plain text files
• Bruno — Git-friendly API client; REST Client requires no separate application
• Hoppscotch — web-based API testing; REST Client works offline inside VS Code
• cURL — command-line only; REST Client adds visual response formatting and variable management

FAQ

Q: Can I use environment variables for API keys? A: Yes. Define variables in VS Code settings per environment and switch between them with a status bar selector.

Q: Does it support authentication? A: Yes. Basic auth, bearer tokens, and custom headers are supported. You can also use variables to keep secrets out of committed files.

Q: Can I chain requests together? A: Yes. Name a request with # @name myRequest, then reference its response body in subsequent requests using {{myRequest.response.body.token}}.

Q: What file extensions are supported? A: .http and .rest files both activate the extension.

Sources

• https://github.com/Huachao/vscode-restclient
• https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=humao.rest-client