HTTP Client

The HTTP client runs requests written in .http and .rest files, in the same format as the IntelliJ IDEA HTTP client. Responses show in the Services tool window under the HTTP Client tab.

Create a request file

Tools › New HTTP Request creates a scratch file requests.http (then requests_2.http, and so on) in the IDE’s scratch folder.
In the Project tool window, New › HTTP Request creates a .http file in the selected folder.
Any file ending in .http or .rest works.

Syntax

@host = localhost:8080

### Get a user
GET http://{{host}}/users/1
Accept: application/json

### Create a user
# @name createUser
POST http://{{host}}/users
Content-Type: application/json

{ "name": "Ada", "id": "{{$uuid}}" }

### Upload from a file
POST http://{{host}}/import
Content-Type: application/json

< ./payload.json

Element	Rules
Separator	A line starting with `###`. Text after it names the request.
Name	`# @name createUser` or `// @name createUser` (overrides the separator text).
Comments	Lines starting with `#` or `//` before the request line and among the headers. Lines in the body are sent as written.
Request line	`METHOD URL [HTTP/version]`, or just a URL for `GET`. Methods: `GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, `DELETE`, `PATCH`, `HEAD`, `OPTIONS`, `TRACE`, `CONNECT`.
Long URLs	Indented lines starting with `?`, `&` or `/` continue the URL.
Relative URLs	`GET /path` needs a `Host:` header. A URL without a scheme gets `http://`.
Headers	`Name: value` lines up to the first blank line.
Body	Everything after the blank line. `< ./file` inserts a file, relative to the `.http` file.
Multipart	With a `multipart/*` `Content-Type`, body lines are joined with CRLF. Write the boundaries yourself.

Variables

Write {{name}} anywhere in the URL, headers or body. A name is looked up in this order:

File variables: @name = value lines. They apply to the whole file; a later definition wins.
The selected environment in http-client.private.env.json.
The selected environment in http-client.env.json.
$shared in the private file, then $shared in the public file.

Variables can refer to other variables. A request with an unresolved variable is not sent; the error lists the missing names. Variables inside a file inserted with < are not substituted. Dynamic variables:

Variable	Value
`{{$uuid}}`, `{{$random.uuid}}`	A random UUID
`{{$timestamp}}`	Current Unix time in seconds
`{{$isoTimestamp}}`	Current UTC time, `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ`
`{{$randomInt}}`, `{{$random.integer}}`	A random integer from 0 to 999

Environments

Put environments in http-client.env.json, and secrets in http-client.private.env.json (keep that one out of version control):

http-client.env.json

{
  "$shared": { "version": "v1" },
  "dev": { "host": "localhost:8080" },
  "prod": { "host": "api.example.com" }
}

OpenIDEA looks for each file in the request file’s folder, then in each parent folder up to the project root, and uses the closest one. Files at different levels are not merged. Only string, number and boolean values are used. Pick the environment in the editor toolbar under Run with: (No Environment or one of the names). The choice is remembered per file. Click Reload Environments after editing the files.

Run requests

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux
Run HTTP Request at Caret	`⌘Enter`	`Ctrl+Enter`
Run All HTTP Requests in File	none	none

You can also click the run icon in the gutter next to a request line. The editor toolbar has Run All Requests in File, Stop and Run with:.

The request at the caret is the block containing the caret, or the nearest one above it.
Unsaved edits are included.
Starting a new run cancels the one in progress.
Run All runs requests in order. It stops if a request can’t be prepared (for example, an unresolved variable); network errors are recorded and the next request runs.

Responses

The HTTP Client tab in the Services tool window lists past exchanges on the left, newest first, with status, method, name and time. For the selected one it shows:

The status, HTTP version, total time (hover for the time to headers) and size.
Response: the body. JSON, XML and HTML are pretty-printed; switch with Show Raw / Show Formatted. Binary bodies show their type and size only. Bodies over 16 MiB are cut off.
Headers: the response headers.
Request: the request as it was sent, after variable substitution.

The toolbar has Stop Request, Reload History and Clear History. The history keeps the last 100 exchanges per project.

Connection behaviour

HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2. gzip, deflate and brotli responses are decoded.
TLS certificates are verified against the system trust store.
Redirects are followed.
Cookies are not kept between requests.
Connections time out after 30 seconds; there is no overall request timeout.
The proxy comes from Settings › Appearance & Behavior › System Settings › HTTP Proxy.

There is no separate HTTP client settings page.

Endpoints and Spring

OpenIDEA indexes Spring Web endpoints (@RestController / @Controller classes with @RequestMapping, @GetMapping and similar) in Java and Kotlin:

A gutter icon on each mapping and controller. Generate Request in HTTP Client and Generate Requests for Controller (also in the editor context menu and as intentions) add requests to a scratch file generated-requests.http and open it.
Generated requests use http://localhost:<server.port> plus the context path from application.properties or application.yml (port 8080 by default). Path variables become {{var}}, and a JSON skeleton of the @RequestBody type is filled in.
Search Everywhere has an Endpoints tab.
In a .http file, URL completion after the method suggests known endpoints.

Plugins can contribute endpoints of other frameworks; they get an Open in HTTP Client gutter icon.

Not supported

JavaScript response handlers (> {% ... %}, > handler.js) and pre-request scripts. Handler lines are recognized and skipped.
Saving responses with >> / >>!, and <> references to previous responses (skipped).
WebSocket, gRPC and GraphQL requests in .http files. GraphQL has its own support in .graphql files.
Per-request SSL options, client certificates, turning off redirects, and cookie jars.
Importing from or exporting to cURL.

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Reference

Create a request file

Syntax

Variables

Environments

Run requests

Responses

Connection behaviour

Endpoints and Spring

Not supported

​Create a request file

​Syntax

​Variables

​Environments

​Run requests

​Responses

​Connection behaviour

​Endpoints and Spring

​Not supported

Create a request file

Syntax

Variables

Environments

Run requests

Responses

Connection behaviour

Endpoints and Spring

Not supported