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Developer Tools - Request Runner

Usage Guide

Updated December 27, 2025

Request Runner - Usage Guide

A comprehensive guide to using the Request Runner Chrome Extension for testing and debugging APIs directly in Chrome DevTools.

Getting Started

Installation

  1. Install Request Runner from the Chrome Web Store
  2. Once installed, the extension will be ready to use

Accessing Request Runner

  1. Open any webpage in Chrome
  2. Open Chrome DevTools by pressing F12 or right-clicking and selecting Inspect
  3. Look for the "Request Runner" tab in the DevTools panel
  4. Click on it to open the Request Runner interface

Basic Usage

Making a GET Request

  1. Select GET from the method dropdown
  2. Enter a URL in the URL field (e.g., https://api.github.com/users/octocat)
  3. Click Send
  4. View the response in the Response section below

The response will show:

  • Status code (e.g., 200, 404, 500)
  • Response headers
  • Response body (formatted JSON when applicable)
  • Response time

Making a POST Request

  1. Select POST from the method dropdown

  2. Enter a URL (e.g., https://api.example.com/users)

  3. Expand the Headers section and add headers as JSON:

    {
  "Content-Type": "application/json",
  "Authorization": "Bearer your-token"
}

  4. Expand the Body section and add your request body:

    {
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com"
}

  5. Click Send

Supported HTTP Methods

Request Runner supports all standard HTTP methods:

  • GET - Retrieve data
  • POST - Create new resources
  • PUT - Update entire resources
  • PATCH - Partial updates
  • DELETE - Remove resources
  • HEAD - Get headers only
  • OPTIONS - Get allowed methods

Viewing Request History

  1. Click the History button in the toolbar
  2. Browse all your previous requests
  3. Click on any history item to load it back into the form for editing or re-running
  4. Use the search/filter to find specific requests
  5. Click Clear to remove all history (Pro users: history is unlimited)

Copying Requests as Code

Request Runner can generate code snippets from your requests:

Free Tier

  • Copy cURL - Copy the request as a cURL command

Pro Tier

  • Copy cURL - Copy as cURL command
  • Copy fetch - Copy as JavaScript fetch code
  • Copy axios - Copy as axios code with proper syntax

After clicking any copy button, it will show "✓ Copied" when successful. The code can be pasted directly into your projects.

Import from Network Tab (Pro Feature)

Capture requests directly from Chrome's Network tab:

  1. Open the Network tab in Chrome DevTools
  2. Perform actions on the webpage to capture network requests
  3. Switch back to the Request Runner tab
  4. Click the Import Last button in the toolbar
  5. The last captured request (XHR/Fetch) will be automatically imported, including:
    • URL
    • HTTP method
    • Headers
    • Request body

Captured JSON bodies are automatically prettified for easier editing.

Note: Free users can see the last captured request but need a Pro license to import it.

Pro Features

Environment Variables

Manage different configurations for development, staging, and production:

  1. Go to the Options page (chrome://extensions → find Request Runner → Options)
  2. Navigate to the Environments tab
  3. Click + New Environment
  4. Create an environment with variables:
    • BASE_URL: https://api.example.com
    • API_KEY: your-api-key
    • TOKEN: your-auth-token
  5. In the Request Runner panel, select the environment from the dropdown
  6. Use variables in your requests with {{VARIABLE}} syntax:
    • URL: {{BASE_URL}}/users
    • Headers: {"Authorization": "Bearer {{TOKEN}}"}
    • Body: {"apiKey": "{{API_KEY}}"}

Variables are automatically substituted when you send the request.

Free Tier: 1 environment with up to 3 variables
Pro Tier: Unlimited environments and variables

Folders & Collections

Organize your requests into logical groups:

  1. Click + Folder to create a new folder
  2. Give it a name (e.g., "Authentication", "User Management")
  3. Select the folder from the dropdown before sending a request
  4. Requests are automatically organized by folder in your history
  5. Filter and search by folder

Free Tier: 1 folder with up to 5 requests
Pro Tier: Unlimited folders and requests per folder

Export/Import

Backup and share your request collections:

  1. Click Export to download all request history as JSON
  2. Share the JSON file with your team
  3. Click Import to load requests from a JSON file
  4. All requests, folders, and metadata will be restored

Pro Feature Only

Request History Limits

  • Free Tier: Last 10 requests are saved
  • Pro Tier: Up to 5,000 requests

Older requests are automatically trimmed to stay within limits.

License Activation (Pro Features)

To unlock Pro features:

  1. Go to the Options page (chrome://extensions → find Request Runner → Options)
  2. Navigate to the License tab
  3. Click Buy License to purchase a Pro subscription
  4. Enter your email and license key from your purchase receipt
  5. Click Activate Pro Features
  6. Pro features will be unlocked immediately

You can purchase licenses on Gumroad.

Tips & Tricks

Quick Testing

  • Use the history panel to quickly re-run previous requests
  • Click on any history item to load it back for modification
  • Duplicate and modify requests for testing variations

Variable Substitution

  • Use {{VARIABLE}} syntax in URLs, headers, and body
  • Variables are case-sensitive
  • Missing variables will show an error before sending

JSON Formatting

  • Request bodies are automatically validated as JSON
  • Invalid JSON will be highlighted before sending
  • Response JSON is automatically prettified

Response Analysis

  • View response status codes, headers, and body in organized sections
  • Response times help identify slow endpoints
  • Use response diffing (Pro feature) to compare responses

Error Handling

  • Network errors show in red with detailed error messages
  • Invalid JSON in headers is caught before sending
  • Missing environment variables are detected before execution
  • CORS errors will display clearly

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Appearing in DevTools

  • Make sure the extension is enabled in chrome://extensions/
  • Close and reopen DevTools completely
  • Try refreshing the webpage
  • Check that you're looking in the correct DevTools panel

Copy to Clipboard Not Working

  • Make sure you're clicking the button directly (user gesture required)
  • Check your browser's clipboard permissions
  • Try a different copy method (cURL vs fetch)
  • Check the browser console for any error messages

Requests Failing

  • CORS Errors: The target API may not allow cross-origin requests from Chrome extensions. This is an API server limitation, not an extension issue.
  • Invalid URL: Verify the URL is correct and includes the protocol (http:// or https://)
  • Invalid Headers: Ensure headers are valid JSON format
  • Network Issues: Check your internet connection and firewall settings

History Not Saving

  • Free tier is limited to the last 10 requests
  • Check that you have storage permissions enabled
  • Upgrade to Pro for unlimited history (up to 5,000 requests)

Environment Variables Not Working

  • Ensure you've selected an environment from the dropdown
  • Check that variable names match exactly (case-sensitive)
  • Verify variables are defined in the selected environment
  • Use {{VARIABLE}} syntax with double curly braces

License Issues

  • Verify your email and license key are correct
  • Check your internet connection (license verification requires online access)
  • Ensure your license hasn't expired (for subscription licenses)
  • Try clearing and re-entering your license in Options

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • F12 - Open DevTools (then select Request Runner tab)
  • More shortcuts coming soon

Support

For additional help:

  • Check the Options page → About tab for support links
  • Review this usage guide for common questions
  • Contact support through the extension's support channels

Note: Request Runner stores all data locally in your browser. Your request history, environments, and license information remain private and are not transmitted to external servers except for license verification.