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Docs/Getting Started

Getting Started

Send your first API request with RestForge in under 2 minutes. This guide walks you through downloading the app, configuring a request, and reading the response.

Download & Install

RestForge is available on the iOS App Store for iPhone and iPad. The app requires iOS 16 or later and is optimized for all screen sizes, from iPhone SE to iPad Pro.

When you first launch RestForge, you'll see a clean request builder interface with a URL bar at the top, tabs for configuring your request, and a dedicated area for viewing response data. No account required to start testing APIs.

Pro Tip You can start testing public APIs immediately without signing up. Cloud sync and team features require a free account.

Your First Request

Let's send a simple GET request to verify everything works. We'll use httpbin.org, a free service for testing HTTP requests.

1

Open RestForge

Launch the app from your home screen. You'll see the main request builder with an empty URL field.

2

Tap the URL field

Tap the text field at the top of the screen where it says "Enter request URL".

3

Enter the URL

Type https://httpbin.org/get and dismiss the keyboard.

4

Verify the method

The HTTP method defaults to GET, which is exactly what we need. You'll see "GET" displayed in the dropdown next to the URL field.

5

Tap Send

Tap the blue Send button at the bottom of the screen to execute the request.

6

View the response

Within seconds, you'll see a status code of 200 OK with a JSON response body containing request details like headers, origin IP, and URL.

Response Time RestForge displays the total request duration in milliseconds next to the status code. This helps you identify slow endpoints quickly.

Choosing HTTP Methods

RestForge supports all standard HTTP methods. Tap the method dropdown next to the URL field to switch between them.

Method Description
GET Retrieve data from a server. Does not modify resources.
POST Submit data to create a new resource on the server.
PUT Update an existing resource or create it if it doesn't exist.
DELETE Remove a resource from the server.
PATCH Apply partial modifications to a resource.
HEAD Same as GET but returns only headers, no body.
OPTIONS Query the server for supported HTTP methods.
CONNECT Establish a tunnel to the server (rarely used).
TRACE Echoes the received request for debugging (rarely used).

The most commonly used methods are GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH. Most REST APIs rely exclusively on these five.

Adding Headers

HTTP headers provide additional information about your request or the client sending it. Tap the Headers tab below the URL bar to add custom headers.

How to Add Headers

Tap the plus icon to add a new header row. Enter the header name in the left field and the value in the right field. Tap the checkbox to enable or disable individual headers without deleting them.

Common Headers

Content-Type application/json

Specifies the format of the request body. Required for POST/PUT requests with JSON data.

Authorization Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...

Provides authentication credentials, such as API keys or JWT tokens.

Accept application/json

Tells the server which content types your client can handle.

Environment Variables in Headers You can use environment variables in header values using double curly braces: {{api_key}}. This makes it easy to switch between development and production credentials.

Authentication

RestForge provides a dedicated Auth tab for common authentication methods. This is easier than manually adding headers for standard auth flows.

Bearer Token

Navigate to the Auth tab and select Bearer Token from the type dropdown. Paste your token into the text field. RestForge automatically adds the Authorization: Bearer {token} header when you send the request.

Basic Auth

Select Basic Auth from the type dropdown. Enter your username and password in the respective fields. RestForge encodes these credentials in Base64 and sends them in the Authorization header.

Security Warning Always use HTTPS when sending credentials. HTTP transmits data in plain text, making it vulnerable to interception.
Store Tokens in Environments Instead of pasting tokens directly, store them as environment variables. This prevents accidental exposure when sharing collections. Learn about environments.

Request Body

The Body tab lets you send data to the server, typically used with POST, PUT, and PATCH requests. RestForge supports multiple body formats.

Raw JSON

The most common format for modern REST APIs. Select "Raw" from the body type dropdown, then choose "JSON" from the format menu. Enter your JSON data in the text editor:

{ "title": "Test API Request", "description": "Sent from RestForge iOS", "tags": ["api", "testing", "mobile"] }

RestForge validates your JSON syntax in real-time and highlights errors. Test this by sending a POST request to https://httpbin.org/post with the JSON above.

Form Data (multipart/form-data)

Select "Form Data" from the body type dropdown. This format is used for file uploads and HTML form submissions. Add key-value pairs just like headers, and use the file picker to attach files from your device.

URL-Encoded (x-www-form-urlencoded)

Select "URL Encoded" for traditional HTML form submissions. Enter keys and values, and RestForge automatically URL-encodes them before sending.

Query Parameters

Query parameters are key-value pairs appended to the URL after a question mark. They're commonly used for filtering, pagination, and search. Tap the Params tab to manage them.

Adding Parameters

Tap the plus icon to add a parameter row. Enter the key in the left field and the value in the right. RestForge automatically appends these to your URL with proper encoding.

For example, adding page=2 and limit=50 to https://api.example.com/users produces:

https://api.example.com/users?page=2&limit=50

RestForge handles URL encoding automatically, so special characters like spaces and symbols are properly escaped.

Reading the Response

After sending a request, RestForge displays the server's response in the lower half of the screen. Understanding how to read this data is essential for API testing.

Status Code

The status code appears at the top of the response area. Green indicates success (200-299), yellow for redirects (300-399), orange for client errors (400-499), and red for server errors (500-599). Common codes include:

Response Headers

Tap the Headers tab in the response section to view all headers returned by the server. These include content type, cache directives, CORS policies, and custom headers set by the API.

Response Body

The Body tab shows the actual data returned by the server. RestForge automatically detects the content type and formats it accordingly:

Response Time

The duration appears next to the status code in milliseconds. This measures the total time from sending the request to receiving the complete response, including network latency and server processing time.

Full Screen Mode

Tap the expand icon in the top-right corner of the response area to view the response in full screen. This is especially useful for large JSON objects or long HTML documents. Swipe down or tap the close button to exit.

Saving to Collections

Once you've configured a request, save it to a collection for easy reuse. Tap the save icon in the top-right corner of the screen, enter a name, and choose a collection. If you don't have any collections yet, RestForge creates a default one for you.

Saved requests retain all configuration: URL, method, headers, body, query parameters, and authentication settings. You can edit them anytime and re-execute with a single tap.

Organize with Folders Group related requests into folders within collections. Create folders for different API versions, features, or workflows. Learn more about collections.

Next Steps

Now that you can send basic requests, explore these advanced features to level up your API testing workflow:

Collections

Organize and reuse requests efficiently

Environments

Switch between dev, staging, and production

Scripting

Automate workflows with JavaScript