Rex
Fast, keyboard-driven REST API client inside your editor
ext install DevEmbers.rex-api-client A full-featured API client built as a VS Code extension. Craft requests with a visual editor, organize them into collections, chain dependent calls, write test scripts, and generate code — all without leaving your editor. Supports REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, and Server-Sent Events.
Features
Request Builder
Visual editor for HTTP requests with params, headers, body (JSON, form-data, GraphQL, raw), cURL parsing, and real-time variable interpolation.
Collections & Tabs
Save requests into named collections, work on multiple requests in parallel tabs, and drag-and-drop to reorder. All state persists across sessions.
Environments & Variables
Define variable sets for dev, staging, and production. Reference them anywhere with {{variable}} syntax. Switch environments with one click.
6 Auth Methods
Bearer, Basic, API Key, OAuth 2.0 (authorization code, client credentials, PKCE), AWS Signature V4, and Digest — all built in.
Scripts & Testing
Pre-request and test scripts with a JavaScript API. Set variables, modify headers, assert on responses, and chain requests with pass/fail reporting.
WebSocket & SSE
Connect to WebSocket endpoints with real-time messaging, or stream Server-Sent Events with auto-scroll and payload inspection.
More Highlights
Code Generation
Generate working snippets in JavaScript (Node.js), Python, and cURL from any request
Import & Export
Import from Postman, OpenAPI/Swagger, HAR, and cURL. Export to Postman, HAR, cURL, and JSON
Response Viewer
Syntax-highlighted JSON, inline HTML preview, image display, PDF viewer, and hex dump for binary data
Request Chaining
Build sequences of dependent requests that execute in order. Extract response values into variables for the next step
GraphQL
Dedicated GraphQL mode with schema introspection and autocomplete for types, fields, queries, and mutations
History & Diff
Every request is logged automatically. Search, filter, and compare any two history entries with a side-by-side diff viewer
Monaco Editor
Request and response bodies use the same editor engine as VS Code with syntax highlighting and formatting
Sidebar Integration
Rex lives in the VS Code activity bar. Click the icon or press Cmd+Shift+R to open the API client panel
Keyboard-First
Cmd+Enter to send, Cmd+S to save, Cmd+Shift+R to open — fast workflow without touching the mouse
Installation
Install Rex from the VS Code Marketplace or search for "Rex API Client" in the Extensions view. Open the sidebar panel or press Cmd+Shift+R to start building requests — no account or setup required.