Intelli-Webrunner

HTTP Requests

Webrunner provides a complete HTTP request workflow inside the IntelliJ tool window. An HTTP request stores its method, URL, query parameters, headers, body configuration, scripts, and latest response. Changes are saved automatically.

Creating an HTTP request

Click the Add Request button above the request tree, enter a name, select HTTP, and confirm.

The request is created inside the currently selected folder. If a request is selected, its parent folder is used.

You can also create requests by:

• Importing a cURL command with Use cURL.
• Importing an IntelliJ .http file.
• Importing an OpenAPI document.
• Importing a Webrunner collection.

HTTP editor overview

The top toolbar contains:

1. HTTP method.
2. Payload type.
3. URL.
4. Send.
5. Send and Download.
6. Stop.
7. Debug Call.
8. Global Context.
9. Three-dot request actions menu.

The editor contains Body, Params, Headers, Before Request, After Request, and Stress tabs. The response viewer is displayed below them.

HTTP methods

The method selector supports GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, and OPTIONS.

Example:

GET https://api.example.com/users

When cURL import contains request data without an explicit method, it infers POST. Requests without data default to GET.

URL

Enter an absolute URL or a host without a protocol:

https://api.example.com/users
localhost:8080/health
api.example.com/v1/orders

When no protocol is present, localhost uses http:// and other hosts use https://.

The URL can contain query parameters and placeholders:

https://api.example.com/users/?include=roles

Query parameters

Use the Params tab to manage enabled parameter name/value rows.

Enabled	Name	Value
Yes	page	1
Yes	size	25
No	debug	true

The resulting URL is:

https://api.example.com/users?page=1&size=25

The URL and Params table are synchronized:

• Editing Params updates the URL query string.
• Editing the URL and leaving the field updates matching Params rows.
• Existing identical name/value pairs are not appended twice during execution.
• Names and values from the table are URL-encoded.
• Disabled or unnamed rows are ignored.

Headers

Use the Headers tab to define enabled header name/value rows.

Enabled	Name	Value
Yes	Accept	application/json
Yes	Authorization	Bearer
Yes	X-Request-ID

Disabled or unnamed headers are ignored. Names and values support placeholders. The header-name editor suggests common HTTP names and configured header presets.

Body types

The payload selector supports Raw, Form Data, x-www-form-urlencoded, and Binary.

Raw

Raw sends the Body editor contents as text. It is suitable for JSON, XML, GraphQL, or plain text. A blank body is sent as no body. Add the required Content-Type header explicitly.

Content-Type: application/json

Example body:

{
  "name": "",
  "enabled": ,
  "roles": 
}

With:

vars.set("userName", "Alice");
vars.set("isEnabled", true);
vars.set("roles", ["admin", "editor"]);

the outgoing JSON is:

{
  "name": "Alice",
  "enabled": true,
  "roles": ["admin", "editor"]
}

Form Data

Form Data sends multipart/form-data. Each row has an enabled state, field name, Text/File type, and value or path.

Enabled	Name	Type	Value
Yes	description	Text	Profile image
Yes	image	File	/home/user/avatar.png

Webrunner generates the multipart boundary. If Content-Type is absent, it adds:

Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=...

Names, values, and file paths support placeholders.

x-www-form-urlencoded

x-www-form-urlencoded sends enabled form rows as an application/x-www-form-urlencoded body. Use it for OAuth token calls, login forms, and APIs that expect HTML form encoding.

Enabled	Name	Type	Value
Yes	grant_type	Text	password
Yes	username	Text	``
Yes	scope	Text	read write

If Content-Type is absent, Webrunner adds:

Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Names and values are URL-encoded before sending. Disabled, unnamed, and file rows are not treated as files for this payload type; use Form Data when you need multipart file uploads.

Binary

Binary sends the selected file as the complete body. Use Browse to select it.

/home/user/archive.zip

If Content-Type is absent, Webrunner adds:

Content-Type: application/octet-stream

The path supports placeholders:

/document.pdf

Placeholders

Placeholders use `` and are resolved before the transport call.

Supported locations:

• URL.
• Query parameter names and values.
• Header names and values.
• Raw body.
• Form-data names, values, and file paths.
• Binary file path.

Example:

URL: https:///users/
Authorization: Bearer 

vars values override globalContext values. Placeholders can also call whitelisted predefined functions, for example or. Missing placeholders inside JSON strings remain unchanged; missing bare JSON placeholders become null.

See Scripting for the full variable and helper API.

Before Request

The Before Request JavaScript runs before placeholders are resolved. It can generate variables, modify body/headers/params/form-data/binary path, log data, and reject invalid input.

vars.set("requestId", uuid());
vars.set("accessToken", globalContext.get("accessToken"));

request.headers = [
  { name: "Authorization", value: "Bearer ", enabled: true },
  { name: "X-Request-ID", value: "", enabled: true }
];

Updating a JSON body:

request.body.sentAt = new Date().toISOString();

If this script throws, the HTTP call is skipped and the error appears in the log.

After Request

The After Request JavaScript runs after a response is received. Use it to validate the response, extract values, update global context, or write logs.

assert(response.statusCode, 201, "Expected HTTP 201");

var result = jsonify(response.body);
vars.set("createdUserId", result.id);
log("Created user: " + result.id);

Persisting a token:

var result = jsonify(response.body);
globalContext.set("accessToken", result.accessToken);

After-script errors are logged while the received response remains available.

Global Context

The Global Context button opens project-level variables and JavaScript shared by requests.

Enabled	Name	Value
Yes	host	api.example.com
Yes	timeout	5000

Example:

https:///users

The global script runs before the request’s Before Request script.

Sending requests

Send runs this pipeline:

1. Load and execute Global Context.
2. Create the request script object.
3. Run Before Request.
4. Resolve placeholders.
5. Normalize the URL and append enabled params.
6. Build the selected body type.
7. Send the HTTP request.
8. Run After Request.
9. Persist changed Global Context values.
10. Display response and logs.

The HTTP client uses a 10-second connection timeout and a 30-second request timeout. While a request is running, Send is disabled and Stop is enabled. Stop cancels the active background request task.

Send and Download

Send and Download uses the normal pipeline but preserves response bytes and opens a save dialog. Content-Disposition supplies the suggested filename when available; otherwise the default is download.bin. The response is still displayed normally.

Debug Call

Debug Call opens step-by-step execution for Global Context, Before Request, placeholder resolution, the HTTP call, and After Request. You can inspect request data, variables, response, and logs between stages.

See Debug Call.

Response viewer

The response area displays:

• HTTP status.
• Headers.
• Body.
• Duration.
• Script and execution logs.

JSON can be formatted, and the response can be opened in a separate window. See Response Viewer.

Get cURL

Open the three-dot menu beside the URL and run buttons, then choose Get cURL. The command is copied to the clipboard and includes method, URL, enabled params and headers, and the selected body type.

Raw example:

curl -X 'POST' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer ' \
  --data-raw '{"name":"Alice"}' \
  'https://api.example.com/users'

Form-data example:

curl -X 'POST' \
  -F 'description=Profile image' \
  -F 'image=@/home/user/avatar.png' \
  'https://api.example.com/upload'

Binary example:

curl -X 'PUT' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/octet-stream' \
  --data-binary '@/home/user/archive.zip' \
  'https://api.example.com/files/archive.zip'

Export does not execute Before Request or resolve runtime variables, so placeholders remain visible.

Use cURL

Open the three-dot menu above the request tree and choose Use cURL. The dialog contains an optional request name and multiline cURL input. A blank name becomes <METHOD> <URL>.

Supported options include:

• -X, --request
• -H, --header
• -d, --data, --data-raw, --data-ascii, --data-urlencode
• -F, --form, --form-string
• --data-binary @file
• --url
• -G, --get
• Single and double quotes.
• Backslash and Windows caret multiline continuation.

Example:

curl 'https://api.example.com/users?active=true' \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer token' \
  --data-raw '{"name":"Alice"}'

Webrunner creates the request in the selected folder, fills its method, URL, params, headers, body, form-data, or binary path, and opens it.

Request actions menu

The HTTP request menu contains:

• Get cURL
• Open Request
• Open Response
• Proto body

Open Request opens Body, Before Request, and After Request in a separate window. Open Response opens the response separately. Proto body generates sample bodies from Protobuf definitions.

Formatting

The editor formatting action formats:

• JSON request bodies.
• Response JSON and response headers.
• Before Request JavaScript.
• After Request JavaScript.

Use the configured Webrunner format shortcut. The default tool-window bindings include Ctrl+Shift+L and Ctrl+Alt+L.

Import and export

HTTP requests can also be exchanged through:

• Webrunner collection JSON.
• IntelliJ .http files.
• OpenAPI documents.

The .http importer supports names, methods, URLs, headers, and bodies. OpenAPI import creates requests from operations; export writes supported request data and Webrunner metadata.

See Import and Export.

Auto-save

Webrunner saves method, payload type, URL, params, headers, body, form-data, binary path, scripts, latest response, response headers, and logs automatically.

Complete examples

GET with params and authorization

Method: GET
URL: https://api.example.com/users

Params:

Enabled	Name	Value
Yes	page	1
Yes	size	20

Headers:

Enabled	Name	Value
Yes	Accept	application/json
Yes	Authorization	Bearer

Result:

GET https://api.example.com/users?page=1&size=20
Accept: application/json
Authorization: Bearer <resolved token>

POST JSON and extract an ID

Method: POST
Payload: Raw
URL: https://api.example.com/users

Headers:

Content-Type: application/json
Accept: application/json

Body:

{
  "name": "",
  "email": ""
}

Before Request:

vars.set("userName", "Alice");
vars.set("userEmail", "alice@example.com");

After Request:

assert(response.statusCode, 201, "User was not created");
var user = jsonify(response.body);
globalContext.set("lastCreatedUserId", user.id);

Multipart upload

Method: POST
Payload: Form Data
URL: https://api.example.com/files

Enabled	Name	Type	Value
Yes	category	Text	invoices
Yes	file	File	/invoice.pdf

Binary download

Method: GET
URL: https://api.example.com/reports//pdf

Use Send and Download to choose where to save the response.

Troubleshooting

Missing or invalid URL

The request is not sent when URL is empty. Check spaces, protocols, and unresolved placeholders.

Duplicate params

Exact existing name/value pairs are deduplicated. Different values with the same name are valid and may appear multiple times.

Missing Content-Type

Raw does not add Content-Type automatically. Form Data and Binary add defaults only when a matching header is absent.

Script failure

Review the log. A Before Request error prevents transport; an After Request error does not discard the response.

File failure

Verify the resolved path exists and IntelliJ can read it.

cURL import failure

The command must start with curl, contain a URL, and use balanced quotes. Specialized options that do not map to Webrunner fields may be ignored.

Navigation: Home

Previous: Quickstart

Next: gRPC Requests

This site is open source. Improve this page.