hitspec studio — a keyboard-first terminal API client

hitspec studio opens an interactive, keyboard-first workspace for your .http files without leaving the terminal. It is the fastest way to explore an API: edit a request, run it, inspect the tabbed response, and copy it out as curl or code — all from one screen.

hitspec studio                 # open the current directory
hitspec studio ./tests/        # open a directory
hitspec studio ./tests/users.http   # open a single file
hitspec studio --read-only     # browse without allowing file changes

ui is an alias for studio, so hitspec ui does the same thing. The older hitspec serve command still opens studio for backward compatibility, but hitspec studio is the dedicated command. Use hitspec serve --api-only when you want the REST/WebSocket API server instead of the UI.

What you get

Inline editing — a syntax-highlighted source pane you can edit and save (ctrl+s).
Run + tabbed response viewer — body, headers, assertions, timing, and captures.
Nine screens — workspace, stress, mock, contract, record, history, import, cookies, and settings.
Command palette (ctrl+p) — every action, searchable.
Copy/export — copy a request as curl, HTTPie, Python, JS fetch, Go, Ruby, or wget, including method, URL, headers, and body.
Environment + theme switchers — change the active environment (ctrl+e) or color theme (ctrl+t) live.
Workspace search (ctrl+f) and file watching — the file list and runs update as files change on disk.

Layout

The workspace screen is split into panes you cycle through with tab / shift+tab:

Pane	What it shows
Files	The `.http` / `.hitspec` files in the workspace
Requests	The named requests inside the selected file
Source	The raw, syntax-highlighted request source (editable)
Response	The tabbed response viewer after a run

A top bar shows the active environment and version; a bottom navigation strip and status line show the current screen, contextual key hints, and toasts.

Screens

Press a number key (or use the palette) to switch screens:

Key	Screen	Purpose
`1`	Workspace	Browse, edit, and run requests
`2`	Stress	Run a load test and watch live metrics
`3`	Mock	Start/stop a mock server from your files
`4`	Contract	Contract-test against an OpenAPI spec
`5`	Record	Start/stop a recording proxy and export captured traffic
`6`	History	Browse persistent run history with drill-down
`7`	Import	Import from curl, OpenAPI, Postman, or Insomnia
`8`	Cookies	Inspect the local cookie store
`9`	Settings	View/edit config and environments

Keyboard shortcuts

Press ? at any time for the in-app keyboard reference.

Screens

Key	Action
`1`-`9`	Jump to workspace, stress, mock, contract, record, history, import, cookies, settings

Workspace

Key	Action
`enter`	Open / select
`e`	Edit source (focus the inline editor)
`ctrl+s`	Save the edited file
`r`	Run the active request
`R`	Run every request in the file
`ctrl+r`	Refresh the workspace (rescan files + config)
`n`	New scratch file
`g`	Generate a sample project (`hitspec.yaml` + `example.http`)
`D`	Delete the selected file

Global

Key	Action
`ctrl+p`	Command palette
`ctrl+e`	Switch environment
`ctrl+t`	Switch theme
`ctrl+f`	Search requests
`tab` / `shift+tab`	Next / previous pane
`esc`	Cancel / close an overlay
`?`	Help overlay
`q` / `ctrl+c`	Quit

Command palette

Press ctrl+p to open the command palette — a searchable list of every action. Type / then a short, unique query to filter, then enter to run the highlighted command. The palette covers everything in the keymap plus actions that have no dedicated key, including:

Run the active request or whole file, save, edit, refresh.
File operations — new, rename, duplicate, delete, and generate a sample project.
Copy/export the selected request as curl, HTTPie, Python, JS fetch, or Go, and copy the last response body.
Quick request (ad-hoc) — run a one-off request by URL without saving a file.
Stress / mock / record — start and stop the load test, mock server, and recording proxy; export or clear recordings.
History / cookies / settings — open those screens, or clear run history.
Go to <screen> — jump to any of the nine screens by name.

Copy a request as code

Select a request and use the palette (ctrl+p) to copy it in the format you need:

Command	Output
Copy request as curl	A complete `curl` command
Copy request as HTTPie	An `http` (HTTPie) command
Copy request as Python	Python `requests` code
Copy request as fetch	A JavaScript `fetch()` snippet
Copy request as Go	Go `net/http` code
Copy response body	The last response body

Each snippet includes the request’s method, URL, headers, and body, so it is a runnable copy you can paste and tweak.

The curl export is the most complete — it also renders any configured @auth (for example, a bearer token). The other languages include the request’s explicit headers and body; add auth headers yourself if your request relies on the @auth directive.

Ad-hoc requests

Use Quick request (ad-hoc) from the palette to fire a one-off request by URL and view the response without creating a file — handy for a quick probe while you work.

Environments

Press ctrl+e to open the environment switcher and pick the active environment. The default environment is dev; override it at launch with --env:

hitspec studio ./tests/ --env staging

The top bar always shows which environment is active, and the Settings screen (9) lets you view and edit environment variables. See Environments for how environments are defined.

Themes

Press ctrl+t to open the theme picker, or set a theme at launch with --theme:

hitspec studio --theme "Tokyo Night"

Built-in themes:

Nord
Catppuccin Mocha
Dracula
Tokyo Night
Gruvbox Dark

File watching

Studio watches the workspace by default (--watch, on by default) and refreshes the file list and live execution progress as files change on disk. Disable it with --watch=false if you prefer a static view.

Flags

Flag	Short	Description	Default
`--watch`	`-w`	Watch for file changes	`true`
`--read-only`		Disallow file mutations	`false`
`--env`	`-e`	Default environment	`dev`
`--config`		Path to `hitspec.yaml`
`--verbose`	`-v`	Verbose logging	`false`
`--allow-shell`		Allow shell command execution	`false`
`--allow-db`		Allow database assertions	`false`
`--log-format`		Log format: `text` or `json`	`text`
`--log-level`		Log level: `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`	`info`
`--theme`		Color theme (see Themes)

Shell commands and database assertions are disabled by default. Pass --allow-shell and/or --allow-db to enable them in studio, the same as with hitspec run.

Read-only mode

--read-only disables every file mutation (save, new, rename, duplicate, delete, generate). Use it to browse or demo a workspace without risking changes:

hitspec studio ./tests/ --read-only

Next steps

Quickstart

Write and run your first test, then open it in studio.

Editor Setup

Syntax highlighting and completions in VS Code, Neovim, and more.

Stress Testing

Drive a load test from the stress screen.

API Client Manager

How studio and serve share one in-process manager.

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Features

Guides

Examples

CLI Reference

Configuration

Assertions Reference

Built-in Functions

Authentication

Output Formats

Integrations

hitspec studio — a keyboard-first terminal API client

What you get

Layout

Screens

Keyboard shortcuts

Screens

Workspace

Global

Command palette

Copy a request as code

Ad-hoc requests

Environments

Themes

File watching

Flags

Read-only mode

Next steps

Quickstart

Editor Setup

Stress Testing

API Client Manager

​What you get

​Layout

​Screens

​Keyboard shortcuts

​Screens

​Workspace

​Global

​Command palette

​Copy a request as code

​Ad-hoc requests

​Environments

​Themes

​File watching

​Flags

​Read-only mode

​Next steps

Quickstart

Editor Setup

Stress Testing

API Client Manager

What you get

Layout

Screens

Keyboard shortcuts

Screens

Workspace

Global

Command palette

Copy a request as code

Ad-hoc requests

Environments

Themes

File watching

Flags

Read-only mode

Next steps