Captures extract values from HTTP responses — body fields, headers, status codes, and timing — and store them as variables for use in later requests. This is the foundation for building multi-step test flows like authentication, CRUD operations, and workflow testing.
Capture Block Syntax
Wrap capture definitions in >>>capture and <<< markers:
Each line follows this pattern:
Capture Sources
hitspec can capture values from four parts of the response:
Body Captures
Use dot notation and array indexing to reach into the JSON response:
Body paths use GJSON syntax, so the full GJSON
path language is available — including .# for array length and queries:
The same GJSON path syntax works in expect body.<path> assertions, so you can
assert on body.items.# (array length) directly too.
Status and Duration Captures
Using Captured Values
Captured values are referenced using the {{requestName.captureName}} pattern. The requestName is the value of the @name directive on the capturing request.
Three things are required for captures to work across requests:
- The source request must have a
# @name directive.
- The source request must have a
>>>capture block.
- The consuming request must declare
# @depends on the source request to guarantee execution order.
Real-World Examples
Authentication Flow
CRUD Workflow
Captures and Assertions Together
A request can have both assertion and capture blocks. Assertions are evaluated first; if they fail, captures are still performed (allowing dependent requests to attempt execution):
Place assertion blocks before capture blocks for readability. Both blocks belong to the same request — their order does not affect behavior.
