# hitspec

> hitspec is a file-based HTTP API testing tool. Write API tests as plain-text .http files, run them with 26 assertion operators, capture and chain requests, stress-test, mock, and verify database state — no SDK, no GUI, no JavaScript.

- [hitspec — Plain text API tests. No magic.](https://hitspec.dev/introduction.md): hitspec is a file-based HTTP API testing tool — write .http tests that look like real HTTP requests, assert, capture, chain, and load-test. No SDK, no GUI.
- [Install hitspec — Homebrew, Go, and binary](https://hitspec.dev/installation.md): Install hitspec on macOS, Linux, or Windows via Homebrew, go install, a pre-built binary, or build from source. Get the hitspec CLI running in minutes.
- [Write and run your first API test in under a minute](https://hitspec.dev/quickstart.md): Write a plain-text .http file with requests, assertions, and captures, then run it with hitspec. A fast first API test you can read, diff, and commit.
- [hitspec studio — a keyboard-first terminal API client](https://hitspec.dev/studio.md): hitspec studio is a keyboard-first terminal UI for .http files — edit, run, and inspect requests with a tabbed viewer, plus stress, mock, record, and history.
- [hitspec Studio desktop — a native GUI for .http files](https://hitspec.dev/desktop.md): hitspec Studio is the Electron desktop client for hitspec: file tree, source editor, tabbed response viewer, history, stress, mock, record and imports over your existing .http files.
- [Editor Setup](https://hitspec.dev/editor-setup.md): Configure syntax highlighting, snippets, and shell completions for hitspec.
- [The .http file format for API tests](https://hitspec.dev/concepts/file-format.md): Anatomy of a hitspec .http file: requests, headers, bodies, variables, assertions, captures, dependencies, and directives — plain text you can diff and commit.
- [Variables](https://hitspec.dev/concepts/variables.md): Define variables, use built-in functions, reference environment values, and interpolate captured data.
- [Variable Interpolation](https://hitspec.dev/concepts/variable-interpolation.md): Deep-dive into hitspec's {{var}} syntax, $env() references, capture chains, and resolution order.
- [Assertions](https://hitspec.dev/concepts/assertions.md): Validate HTTP responses with 26 assertion operators covering equality, strings, types, arrays, schemas, and snapshots.
- [Captures](https://hitspec.dev/concepts/captures.md): Extract values from HTTP responses and use them in subsequent requests.
- [Dependencies](https://hitspec.dev/concepts/dependencies.md): Control execution order with @depends, topological sorting, and request chaining.
- [Environments](https://hitspec.dev/concepts/environments.md): Configure variables for dev, staging, and production with hitspec.yaml, .env files, and system variables.
- [Authentication for API tests (@auth)](https://hitspec.dev/features/authentication.md): Configure authentication for API requests with the @auth directive. hitspec supports 8 auth methods: Bearer, Basic, API Key, Digest, AWS Sig v4, and OAuth2.
- [Multipart and GraphQL](https://hitspec.dev/features/multipart-graphql.md): Send multipart form data with file uploads and execute GraphQL queries using dedicated block syntax.
- [Snapshot testing for API responses](https://hitspec.dev/features/snapshot-testing.md): Capture API response bodies as baselines and automatically detect regressions with snapshot comparison. Update baselines on purposeful changes.
- [Load and stress test APIs with hitspec](https://hitspec.dev/features/stress-testing.md): Load test APIs with hitspec — configurable rate, virtual users, ramp-up, and pass/fail thresholds. No separate tool; export metrics to Prometheus or Datadog.
- [Database assertions after HTTP requests](https://hitspec.dev/features/database-assertions.md): Verify database state after HTTP requests with SQL queries and assertions. Use >>>db blocks to check side effects in PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite.
- [Shell Commands](https://hitspec.dev/features/shell-commands.md): Run shell commands after HTTP requests for post-processing, notifications, and custom validation.
- [Hooks](https://hitspec.dev/features/hooks.md): Run setup and teardown scripts before and after HTTP requests using @before and @after annotations.
- [Server-Sent Events (SSE)](https://hitspec.dev/features/sse.md): Test Server-Sent Events endpoints with hitspec.
- [API Coverage](https://hitspec.dev/features/api-coverage.md): Measure how much of your API is covered by tests using OpenAPI spec comparison and coverage reports.
- [Mock server from .http files](https://hitspec.dev/features/mock-server.md): Start a mock HTTP server from your .http test files for frontend development and integration testing — no separate mock tool or fixtures to maintain.
- [Contract Testing](https://hitspec.dev/features/contract-testing.md): Verify API contracts against live providers with hitspec's built-in contract testing support.
- [Recording Proxy](https://hitspec.dev/features/recording-proxy.md): Capture HTTP traffic and auto-generate hitspec test files using the recording proxy.
- [Watch Mode](https://hitspec.dev/features/watch-mode.md): Automatically re-run tests when files change during development.
- [Parallel Execution](https://hitspec.dev/features/parallel-execution.md): Run independent API tests concurrently for faster test suites.
- [Notifications](https://hitspec.dev/features/notifications.md): Send test results to Slack and Microsoft Teams via webhooks.
- [Metrics Export](https://hitspec.dev/features/metrics-export.md): Export test metrics to Prometheus, DataDog, or JSON for monitoring and dashboards.
- [hitspec studio](https://hitspec.dev/guides/api-client-manager.md): Use the interactive terminal app to build, run, and debug HTTP requests
- [CI/CD Pipeline Integration](https://hitspec.dev/guides/ci-cd-pipeline.md): Set up hitspec in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and other CI/CD systems.
- [Regression Testing with hitspec diff](https://hitspec.dev/guides/regression-testing.md): Compare test runs to detect performance regressions and behavior changes.
- [Database Testing Guide](https://hitspec.dev/guides/database-testing.md): Use database assertions to verify side effects of API calls against PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite.
- [Load Testing Guide](https://hitspec.dev/guides/load-testing.md): Run stress tests with hitspec to validate API performance under load.
- [Contract Testing Guide](https://hitspec.dev/guides/contract-testing.md): Step-by-step guide to consumer-driven contract testing with hitspec.
- [Migrate from Postman to hitspec .http tests](https://hitspec.dev/guides/migrating-from-postman.md): Import Postman collections into hitspec and convert them to plain-text .http files. Covers the import process and the key differences from Postman.
- [Troubleshooting](https://hitspec.dev/guides/troubleshooting.md): Common issues and how to resolve them
- [Basic CRUD](https://hitspec.dev/examples/basic-crud.md): Walk through a complete CRUD test file that covers GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE operations against a REST API.
- [Auth Flow](https://hitspec.dev/examples/auth-flow.md): Login to get a token, capture it, and use it in authenticated requests with @auth bearer and @depends.
- [GraphQL](https://hitspec.dev/examples/graphql.md): Query a GraphQL API with variables, test nested response fields, and chain mutations with captures.
- [CI/CD Integration](https://hitspec.dev/examples/ci-cd.md): Run hitspec tests in GitHub Actions with JUnit output, environment variables, and pass/fail exit codes.
- [Stress Testing](https://hitspec.dev/examples/stress-testing.md): Load test your APIs with configurable rate, virtual users, ramp-up phases, and pass/fail thresholds.
- [Database Assertions](https://hitspec.dev/examples/database-assertions.md): Example: Verify API side effects with database queries.
- [Contract Testing](https://hitspec.dev/examples/contract-testing.md): Example: Define and verify API contracts between services.
- [Mock Server](https://hitspec.dev/examples/mock-server.md): Example: Generate mock servers from your hitspec test files.
- [hitspec run](https://hitspec.dev/reference/run.md): Run HTTP API tests from .http and .hitspec files
- [hitspec validate & list](https://hitspec.dev/reference/validate-list.md): Validate syntax and list requests in hitspec files
- [hitspec init](https://hitspec.dev/reference/init.md): Initialize a new hitspec project with a config file and example test.
- [hitspec import & export](https://hitspec.dev/reference/import-export.md): Import from OpenAPI, Postman, curl, and Insomnia; export to curl
- [hitspec mock & record](https://hitspec.dev/reference/mock-record.md): Start a mock HTTP server or recording proxy from hitspec files
- [hitspec contract & diff](https://hitspec.dev/reference/contract-diff.md): Contract testing against live providers and comparing test results
- [hitspec docs, studio & serve](https://hitspec.dev/reference/docs-serve.md): Reference for the docs command, the interactive studio app, and the REST/WebSocket API server.
- [Fetch responses](https://hitspec.dev/reference/fetch.md): Fetch one HTTP response as raw bytes, readable text, Markdown, or JSON
- [MCP client and server](https://hitspec.dev/reference/mcp.md): Probe and call MCP servers, or expose Hitspec tools over stdio
- [REST API](https://hitspec.dev/reference/rest-api.md): Complete reference for the hitspec server HTTP API
- [hitspec completion](https://hitspec.dev/reference/completion.md): Generate shell completion scripts for bash, zsh, fish, and PowerShell.
- [hitspec version](https://hitspec.dev/reference/version.md): Print the installed hitspec version and build information.
- [Exit Codes](https://hitspec.dev/reference/exit-codes.md): Reference for all hitspec CLI exit codes for use in scripts and CI/CD pipelines.
- [Configuration Reference](https://hitspec.dev/reference/configuration.md): Complete reference for hitspec.yaml configuration file options with defaults and examples.
- [Environment Variables](https://hitspec.dev/reference/environment-variables.md): Complete list of HITSPEC_* environment variables for configuring hitspec without flags.
- [Assertion Operators](https://hitspec.dev/reference/assertion-operators.md): Complete reference for all 26 assertion operators in hitspec, with syntax and examples for each.
- [Assertion Subjects](https://hitspec.dev/reference/assertion-subjects.md): Reference for all assertion subjects: status, duration, headers, body paths, and percentiles.
- [Built-in Functions](https://hitspec.dev/reference/builtin-functions.md): Reference for all 17 built-in functions available in hitspec variable interpolation.
- [Authentication Types](https://hitspec.dev/reference/auth-types.md): Reference for all 8 authentication methods supported by hitspec's @auth directive.
- [Output Formats](https://hitspec.dev/reference/output-formats.md): Reference for all 5 output formats supported by hitspec: console, JSON, JUnit XML, TAP, and HTML.
- [GitHub Actions](https://hitspec.dev/integrations/github-actions.md): Run hitspec API tests in your GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline with JUnit reporting, caching, and matrix testing.
- [Output Formats](https://hitspec.dev/integrations/output-formats.md): hitspec supports five output formats: console, JSON, JUnit XML, TAP, and HTML. Choose the right format for your workflow.
- [Prometheus](https://hitspec.dev/integrations/prometheus.md): Export hitspec stress test metrics to Prometheus for monitoring dashboards.
- [DataDog](https://hitspec.dev/integrations/datadog.md): Send hitspec stress test metrics directly to DataDog for monitoring.
- [Slack & Teams Notifications](https://hitspec.dev/integrations/slack-teams.md): Send hitspec test results to Slack and Microsoft Teams via webhooks.
- [Agent artifact workflow](https://hitspec.dev/integrations/agent-artifacts.md): Compose Hitspec with file.cheap, MCPHub, Local Agent, and an external tvault boundary

## Optional

- [GitHub](https://github.com/abdul-hamid-achik/hitspec)


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