Dragonfly: REST API Client & Tester

Send HTTP requests, organize them into collections, and pull the API routes you already wrote straight out of your codebase. All without leaving the editor.

Beta. This is still early, so expect rough edges. Bug reports and feedback are very welcome at [email protected].

What it does

Most API clients hand you an empty request and let you type the URL in yourself. Dragonfly can read your project first. Run a scan and it picks up your Express and Next.js routes, then turns them into a collection, so the endpoints you already wrote are ready to send.

Everything stays on your machine. Collections, environments and request history live in VS Code's own storage, tokens and passwords go into VS Code's secure storage instead of a JSON file, and the extension itself never talks to a server. No account, no sign-in, no paid tier.

Features

• Request builder: method, URL, params, headers, body and auth, docked in the Activity Bar
• Route discovery: scan a workspace for Express and Next.js API routes (App Router and Pages Router) and build a collection from them, then re-scan later to pick up new or deleted routes
• Postman collection import: bring over an existing Postman v2 export with its folders, requests, headers, query params and bodies intact
• OpenAPI and Swagger import: one request per operation, with path params turned into {{variables}}
• cURL import: paste a cURL command from Postman, Chrome or Firefox devtools, Swagger UI or a docs page, and the form fills itself in
• Collections: save and organize requests, with folders and search
• Environments: {{variable}} substitution across requests, and one click to switch between environments
• Auth: Bearer Token, API Key and Basic Auth, with the secret half kept in VS Code's secure storage
• Code snippets: copy any request out as cURL, Node.js, Python, Go, PHP, Java or Rust
• Request history: every request you send is saved to Activity, ready to open again or resend

Getting started

1. Open the Dragonfly icon in the Activity Bar.
2. Run Scan Workspace for Routes from the Command Palette, or click New Request.
3. Fill in the request and hit Send.
4. Save it into a collection to keep it around.

FAQ

How do I test an API endpoint inside VS Code?

Install Dragonfly and open it from the Activity Bar. Build the request in the sidebar (method, URL, headers, body, auth) and press Send. The response shows up next to your code, so there is no second app to switch to.

Can I import my Postman collection?

Yes. Export the collection from Postman as JSON in the Collection v2 format, then run Import Collection from the Command Palette. Folders, requests, headers, query params and bodies all come across. Auth credentials are left out on purpose: you re-enter tokens once and they go into VS Code's secure storage rather than sitting in a JSON file.

Can it find the API routes in my project automatically?

That is the part that makes Dragonfly different from other clients. Run Scan Workspace for Routes and it parses your source for Express route handlers and Next.js API routes, then builds a collection out of what it finds. Run it again after you add endpoints and it picks up the changes.

Which frameworks does route discovery support?

Express and Next.js, covering both the App Router and the Pages Router. For anything else you can import an OpenAPI spec, a Postman collection, or a single cURL command.

Does it work offline, and where does my data go?

Only the API you are calling needs the network. The extension never contacts a server of its own. Collections, environments and history sit in VS Code's storage on your machine, and tokens and passwords go into VS Code's built-in secure storage.

Is it free?

Yes, Dragonfly is free. No account, no paid tier, no telemetry.

Can I generate code for a request instead of just sending it?

Yes. Any request in Dragonfly can be copied out as cURL, Node.js, Python, Go, PHP, Java or Rust. Useful when you have finished testing an endpoint and need to drop the actual call into your code or share it with someone who is not using the extension.

How do environments work?

Set up variables like {{baseUrl}} or {{apiKey}} once per environment (local, staging, production, whatever you use), then reference them as {{variable}} anywhere in a request: URL, headers, params or body. Switching environments from the sidebar swaps every request over without editing them one by one.

What auth types are supported?

Bearer Token, API Key and Basic Auth. The secret part of each (the token, the key, the password) is stored through VS Code's SecretStorage API rather than written into a request file, so it does not end up in your collection JSON or get picked up if that JSON is ever shared.

What happens to a request after I send it?

It gets saved to Activity automatically, so you can come back to it, resend it, or check what a response looked like earlier, without saving it into a collection first. Saving to a collection is a separate, deliberate step for the requests you want to keep around long term.

I use a framework other than Express or Next.js. Can I still use Dragonfly?

Yes. Route discovery today covers Express and Next.js, but you are not limited to that. Import an OpenAPI or Swagger spec if your framework generates one, bring in a Postman collection you already have, or paste a single cURL command for a one-off request. Building requests by hand from the Activity Bar works the same regardless of framework.

Will route discovery support more frameworks?

That is the plan. Which framework to add next is largely going to be driven by what people ask for, so if you want a specific one supported, say so in an email and it moves up the list.

Feedback

Email [email protected]. Steps to reproduce help a lot, and feature requests are welcome too, especially which framework route discovery should learn next.

How it compares

Dragonfly focuses on one job and does it well: it reads your codebase and builds your requests for you, instead of making you type every endpoint in by hand. It does not try to replace Postman or Insomnia for things like team workspaces, mock servers, monitors or scripted test suites. If your day-to-day is testing the endpoint you are currently working on, this is built for exactly that.

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