Website: https://crab-ekq.pages.dev/ · Source: https://github.com/hmiguel/crab # Crab An open-source, cross-platform desktop API client for plain `.http` / `.rest` files. **Website:** [crab-ekq.pages.dev](https://crab-ekq.pages.dev) Your requests stay as text files in your repositories. Crab doesn't need an account, a cloud sync or a proprietary collection format. It reads the same files as the JetBrains HTTP Client and the VS Code REST Client, so your team can keep using whatever editor they like. > **Status:** v0.1, early. macOS is the primary development platform. Windows installers are built by CI but are not tested yet. ## Features - **Workspace across repositories.** Group folders from any number of repos into named virtual folders. The sidebar lists every `.http`/`.rest` file and the requests inside it. - **Editor tabs** with `.http` syntax highlighting, a ▶ marker on every request line, and inline warnings for malformed lines. - **Run the request under the cursor** with ⌘Enter (CtrlEnter on Windows) or by clicking ▶. Unsaved edits are what gets sent. Esc cancels a running request. - **Response viewer** - **Body:** pretty-printed, foldable JSON. Big integers are never rounded. Images render inline. - **Raw**, **Headers**, **Timing** (total, time to first byte, size). - **Request:** exactly what was sent, with every variable resolved. - **Variables:** `@name = value` file variables, nested `{{references}}`, and the dynamic values `{{$guid}}`, `{{$uuid}}`, `{{$timestamp}}` and `{{$randomInt min max}}`. - **Session restore:** open tabs, cursor positions, layout and **unsaved drafts** come back after a restart. - **Files are the source of truth** - Crab writes a file only when you press ⌘S. - Files changed by another program reload automatically. If you have unsaved edits, Crab asks first. - Windows line endings (CRLF) and a UTF-8 BOM are preserved. - Light and dark themes that follow the OS. ## Install ### macOS 1. Download the latest `Crab__universal.dmg` from [Releases](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/releases). It runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. 2. Open the `.dmg` and drag **Crab** to **Applications**. 3. Crab isn't signed with an Apple Developer certificate (it's a free, unfunded project), so macOS blocks the first launch with a warning. Allow it once: - **macOS 15 Sequoia and later:** open Crab, dismiss the warning, then go to **System Settings → Privacy & Security**, scroll down and click **Open Anyway** next to the Crab message. - **macOS 14 and earlier:** right-click **Crab** in Applications and choose **Open**. - **Or, in Terminal**, which works on any version: ```bash xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Crab.app ``` ### Windows Download the `.msi` or `-setup.exe` from [Releases](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/releases). The installers are unsigned, so SmartScreen will ask you to confirm: choose **More info → Run anyway**. Windows support is still being tested. ## Quick start 1. Click **＋** next to *Workspace* and pick a folder that contains `.http` files. 2. Click a file to open it. Its requests are listed under it in the sidebar. 3. Put the cursor inside a request and press ⌘Enter. To try it, save this as `requests.http`: ```http @host = httpbin.org ### Get GET https://{{host}}/get Accept: application/json ### Create item POST https://{{host}}/post Content-Type: application/json X-Request-Id: {{$guid}} { "name": "crab", "createdAt": {{$timestamp}} } ### Upload a body from a file (path relative to this .http file) POST https://{{host}}/post Content-Type: application/json < ./payload.json ``` ## `.http` syntax supported | Syntax | Meaning | |---|---| | `###` or `### Name` | Starts a new request (and optionally names it) | | `# @name createItem` | Names the request | | `#` / `//` | Comment | | `METHOD URL [HTTP/1.1]` | Request line. The method defaults to `GET`. A URL without a scheme gets `http://` | | ` ?a=1` / ` &b=2` | Query string continued on the next lines | | `Name: value` | Header | | blank line, then text | Request body | | `< ./file.json` | Body read from a file | | `@name = value` | File variable, used as `{{name}}` | | `{{$guid}}` `{{$uuid}}` `{{$timestamp}}` `{{$randomInt 1 10}}` | Dynamic values | | `> {% … %}`, `>> out.json` | JetBrains response handlers. They are skipped and never sent; running them is on the roadmap | ## Keyboard shortcuts | Action | macOS | Windows | |---|---|---| | Run request at cursor | ⌘Enter | CtrlEnter | | Cancel running request | Esc | Esc | | Save file | ⌘S | CtrlS | | Close tab | ⌘W | CtrlW | Middle-click a tab to close it. The **Response: right/bottom** button in the status bar moves the response panel. ## Where Crab keeps its data Crab only stores its own state: your workspace folders and the open-tab session, including drafts. Request files are never copied. - macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/dev.crabhttp.desktop/` - Windows: `%APPDATA%\dev.crabhttp.desktop\` ## Build from source Requirements: - Rust (stable), via [rustup](https://rustup.rs). - Node 20 or later, and pnpm 10 (`npm i -g pnpm@10`). - macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools (`xcode-select --install`). - Windows: the [Tauri prerequisites](https://v2.tauri.app/start/prerequisites/), which are WebView2 and the MSVC build tools. ```bash pnpm install pnpm tauri dev # run the app with hot reload pnpm tauri build # build an installer into target/release/bundle/ ``` Run the tests: ```bash pnpm build # needed once before any cargo command (Tauri embeds dist/) pnpm test # frontend unit tests (Vitest) cargo test --workspace # parser, resolver, executor and file tests cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings ``` ### Project layout ``` crates/crab-core/ Pure Rust: .http parser, {{variable}} resolver, HTTP executor, file helpers. It has no Tauri dependency, so a future CLI and MCP server can reuse it. src-tauri/ Thin Tauri v2 shell: commands that call crab-core, and a file watcher src/ React + TypeScript UI: CodeMirror 6 editor, zustand stores, components docs/ Design spec and implementation plan ``` ## Roadmap Planned next: - Environments (`http-client.env.json`, `.env`) and searchable request history. - A `crab` CLI and an MCP server. - Request chaining, response handler scripts and assertions. - Import from cURL, Postman and Insomnia. - WebSocket, SSE and gRPC. See [ROADMAP.md](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/ROADMAP.md) for details. ## Contributing Issues and pull requests are welcome. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) and the [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md). Report security issues privately as described in [SECURITY.md](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/SECURITY.md). Release steps are in [RELEASING.md](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/RELEASING.md), and changes are tracked in [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md). ## License Licensed under either of [Apache License 2.0](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/LICENSE-APACHE) or [MIT license](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/LICENSE-MIT), at your option. Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution you intentionally submit for inclusion in Crab is dual-licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions. Crab bundles third-party open-source software; their licenses are listed in [THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md](https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/blob/main/THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md), which also ships inside the app. # Changelog All notable changes to Crab are documented here. The format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/), and this project uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/). ## [Unreleased] ## [0.1.0-beta.1] - 2026-10-07 First public beta. ### Added - `.http` / `.rest` parser compatible with the JetBrains HTTP Client and VS Code REST Client formats: - `###` separators, `# @name`, comments, multi-line query strings, headers and bodies. - `< file` bodies. - JetBrains response handlers are skipped and never sent. - Variables: `@name = value` file variables, nested references, `{{$guid}}`, `{{$uuid}}`, `{{$timestamp}}` and `{{$randomInt}}`. Circular references produce an error. - Requests run with timing (total, time to first byte), a redirect limit, a 30 s timeout, a 50 MB body cap and cancellation (Esc). - Workspace of virtual folders spanning several repositories, with a live file tree. - Editor tabs with `.http` highlighting, ▶ run markers, inline warnings and session restore, including unsaved drafts. - Response panel: pretty JSON (big integers preserved), raw, headers, timing, the resolved request, and inline images. - macOS menu: ⌘W closes the tab and ⌘Q saves the session before quitting. - Windows line endings and a UTF-8 BOM are preserved on save. - Sand and coral light and dark themes, following the OS. - The Workspace sidebar follows the editor: it reveals the open file and highlights the request under the cursor. - Installers for macOS (universal `.dmg`) and Windows (NSIS `-setup.exe`; the `.msi` comes with stable releases). [Unreleased]: https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/compare/v0.1.0-beta.1...HEAD [0.1.0-beta.1]: https://github.com/hmiguel/crab/releases/tag/v0.1.0-beta.1