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.http and .rest files

Run RFC 7230 request files directly in IntelliJ IDEA Community, using either the JetBrains HttpClient CLI or httpYac.

This is the option to choose if you want requests stored as plain text in the repository, reviewable in pull requests and usable by teammates who do not have this plugin.

Writing a request​

Create a file with a .http or .rest extension and write requests separated by ###:

### Get a sample
GET https://httpbin.org/anything
Accept: application/json

### Create an order
POST https://httpbin.org/anything
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "sku": "ABC-123",
  "quantity": 2
}

Click the ▶️ Run icon next to a request section to execute it. Responses appear in the Run tool window.

Configuring a runner​

The plugin does not ship its own HTTP engine — it delegates to a runner, which you configure once in Settings → Tools → Explyt Spring → Spring Boot.

Option A: JetBrains HttpClient CLI​

Recommended for Community Edition, because the plugin can install it for you.

  1. Open Settings → Tools → Explyt Spring → Spring Boot.
  2. Click Download HttpClient Cli.
  3. The plugin downloads the CLI and fills in the HttpClient CLI Path field automatically.

Option B: httpYac​

An open-source alternative, useful if you already have it or want to manage the version yourself.

  1. Install it globally:

    npm install -g httpyac

  2. Make sure httpyac is on your PATH.

  3. In Settings → Tools → Explyt Spring → Spring Boot, set HttpClient CLI Path to httpyac.

To switch runners later, change the same HttpClient CLI Path field.

The HTTP CLI settings row is only visible when the bundled Shell Script plugin is enabled. If you cannot find the field, check that it has not been disabled in Settings → Plugins.

Generating requests instead of writing them​

The Explyt AI actions convert a cURL command or an entire Postman collection into .http requests and append them to a file, which is the fastest way to migrate an existing collection into the repository.

Further reading​

See also: Swagger UI client · Troubleshooting