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Sendpad Docs

Introduction

Sendpad is a text-first API testing desktop app. Write .http, .flow, .ws, .mqtt, and .mock files, open the folder in Sendpad, and click Run. No accounts, no cloud sync, no proprietary format.

The core idea

Section titled “The core idea”

The files are the project. Every request, flow, mock, environment variable, and assertion is a plain text file on disk. Teams collaborate through git — diff, PR review, and code ownership all work naturally.

Why not Postman / Insomnia?

Section titled “Why not Postman / Insomnia?”
ProblemHow Sendpad solves it
Proprietary collection formatPlain .http / .flow text files
Requires a cloud accountNo account, no sign-up, no internet needed
Hard to diff in gitEvery file is a human-readable text diff
GUI-only, no automation storyFiles work in CI, scripts, git hooks
Non-devs can’t edit collectionsAnyone can edit a .http file in any editor

Core principles

Section titled “Core principles”
  1. Text is the source of truth. Every request, flow, and environment is a human-readable plain text file.
  2. Git-native. Open a folder, run requests, commit the files. PRs, diffs, and blame all work naturally.
  3. Zero config. Open the app, open a folder, click Run. No setup wizard, no account creation.
  4. Tests are documentation. .flow files support prose alongside requests — running them produces a living test report.
  5. Nothing is magical. Variables, extractions, assertions, cookies — everything is explicit, inspectable, and plain text.

File types

Section titled “File types”
ExtensionPurpose
.httpOne or more HTTP requests (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, SSE auto-detected)
.flowChained requests with extraction and assertions
.wsWebSocket sessions — interactive or scripted
.mqttMQTT connections, topic subscriptions, publishes (Pro)
.mockLocal HTTP mock server with match rules and templates (Pro)
.envEnvironment variables (KEY = value) — supports @extends and .env.local overrides
.profileEnv composition — stack envs into a single profile

Free and Pro

Section titled “Free and Pro”

Sendpad is free forever for the core workflow: .http, .flow, .ws, .env, flow runner, cookies, history, imports.

Pro unlocks professional features: .mock server, MQTT Explorer, Response Diff, Snapshot Testing, hierarchical env inheritance. Pro is a one-time $49 purchase with lifetime updates — no subscription, no account, no cloud.

See the Pro & License overview or the Pricing page.

Workspace layout

Section titled “Workspace layout”

A typical Sendpad workspace looks like:

my-workspace/
  envs/
    dev.env
    staging.env
    prod.env        ← add to .gitignore
    base.env        ← shared, extended via @extends
  profiles/
    dev.profile
    prod.profile
  requests/
    users.http
    orders.http
  flows/
    checkout.flow
  mocks/
    users.mock      ← Pro
  mqtt/
    devices.mqtt    ← Pro
  testdata/
    avatar.jpg
  .sendpad/         ← auto-gitignored (history, cookies)

Any folder works. The app auto-creates .sendpad/ and gitignores it.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”