A local-first desktop REST API client built with Tauri 2, Vue 3, TypeScript, Rust and SQLite.
- Workspaces: independent collections, environments, saved tabs and history; create, switch, set a default and manage workspaces without hiding the sidebar.
- Collections & requests: nested folders, search, persistent expand/collapse, reorder, rename, clone and delete. Create HTTP requests manually or import from cURL.
- Request editor: synchronized URL/query parameters, header autocomplete, JSON/raw text and multipart bodies, file attachments, independent drafts, undo history and a Save icon that highlights unsaved changes.
- Generate cURL: preview and copy the current draft as a POSIX shell command, with active environment values and local multipart file paths.
- Environments: select Collection and Global environments together; use
<<variable>>in URLs, parameters and headers with autocomplete and value tooltips. - Send & inspect: native Rust HTTP, cancellation, verified TLS, response status/timing/headers, formatted or raw read-only previews and execution metadata history.
- Desktop experience: light/dark/system themes, cyan accent
#8BE2FA, resizable split panes, keyboard shortcuts, saved window geometry, notifications and unsaved-change Quit confirmation. - Postman compatibility: import Collection v2.0/v2.1 JSON through file picker or drag-and-drop; export selected collections to v2.1 JSON with overwrite confirmation.
For macOS development, use macOS 14+, Xcode Command Line Tools, Rust/Cargo and npm. The working Rust toolchain is 1.92.0. Node must match package.json: >=22.22.2 <23 || >=24.15.0. Windows/Linux builds are not yet verified.
npm ci
npm run tauri:devTauri starts Vite at 127.0.0.1:1420; do not start a second Vite instance on that port. npm run dev alone provides a browser preview, not native storage or HTTP. Fully restart native dev after Rust, command, icon or configuration changes.
npm run build # Typecheck and build the frontend
npm run lint
cargo clippy --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml --locked -- -D warnings
npm run tauri:build -- --bundles app # macOS application bundleOutput: src-tauri/target/release/bundle/macos/Postmen.app. Local builds are not signed/notarized for distribution. Rebuild and replace an installed app to update it. Use a separate Cargo target directory when preserving an older build.
Tests are available via npm test, npm run test:rust and npm run test:e2e (requires Playwright browsers). These commands describe available checks, not a claim that they have all passed. Broader visual and cross-monitor validation remains open.
Choose Create workspace from the title-bar dropdown. Edit the preselected name, then confirm with ✓ / Enter or cancel with × / Escape. Manage workspaces offers icon-only Open, Set Default and Delete actions, plus Create Workspace at the top right.
The default workspace opens at startup and cannot be deleted. Changing the default does not switch the current session. Save/discard drafts and finish pending operations before switching. Saved tabs are restored per workspace.
Workspace deletion is recoverable, not permanent erasure: after confirmation, the entry disappears from the app but its database files remain on disk. Deleting the active workspace opens the default. There is no in-app Restore button; recovery requires a catalog repair with the app closed. Back up the catalog first. Workspace rename and moving collections between workspaces are not supported yet.
URL: <<api_url>>/users
Header: Authorization: Bearer <<token>>
Collection variables belong only to that collection. Global variables are shared by collections within the same workspace. Both environments can be selected independently; Collection values override Global values with the same name. Hover over a placeholder to inspect its resolved value. Body/multipart variable substitution is not supported.
In the desktop app, click the </> icon immediately left of Save to open Generate Code. The read-only preview includes unsaved edits from the moment the dialog opens. Click Copy cURL to copy the command; a green check appears for two seconds on success. If clipboard access fails, select the code and use Cmd/Ctrl+C. Close with X, a click outside the dialog, or Escape. Generating or copying code does not save or send the request, or add execution history.
Commands target POSIX shells such as zsh and bash. They include the method, URL, enabled query parameters and headers, and JSON/raw or multipart body. URL/query/header variables use the selected environments; body and multipart values stay literal. JSON/raw body formatting is preserved. Multipart files use their original local paths, which must exist where you run the command.
Generated code includes resolved authentication values and local file paths; review it before sharing. PostMen's timeout and redirect settings are not exported. Invalid URLs/headers, unresolved variables, unavailable files and unsupported representations show an error in the dialog. HEAD with an active body and empty multipart forms are not supported.
The Save icon uses the theme's blue/cyan accent when the request has unsaved data changes. It turns gray while saving and stays gray once all changes are saved. If saving fails or newer edits remain after a save, it turns blue again. Undoing changes back to the saved values or discarding the draft also restores gray. This applies to the Save button and Cmd/Ctrl+S; changing editor tabs, scrolling or layout does not mark the request as changed.
Use the sidebar down-arrow to import and up-arrow to export.
- Import: preview the collection and validation warnings before saving. Name conflicts offer explicit overwrite or a new collection with an incrementing
_1suffix. Postman{{variables}}become<<variables>>. Raw text/NDJSON is retained; complete/* … */comments outside strings are stripped. Blank query rows are skipped; meaningful invalid rows report their request/folder location. - Export: select collections, optionally include selected environment variables, set file names and choose a destination. Each collection produces one JSON file. Existing files require Yes, overwrite; successful files remain if part of a batch fails.
Scripts, authentication helpers, response examples and attachment contents are not transferred. Re-select multipart files after import/export and review Content-Type for non-JSON bodies. Collection overwrite and confirmed file replacement have no automatic undo. Exported variables may contain credentials.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Send request | Cmd/Ctrl + Enter |
| Save request | Cmd/Ctrl + S |
| Close request tab | Cmd/Ctrl + W |
| Next / previous tab | Ctrl + Tab / Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
| Toggle sidebar | Cmd/Ctrl + B |
| Toggle response layout | Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L |
Development and production have separate SQLite data, window state and WebView preferences. Their macOS application-data roots are:
Production: ~/Library/Application Support/com.postmen.desktop/
Development: ~/Library/Application Support/com.postmen.desktop.dev/
Within each profile:
postmen.sqlite3 Initial My Workspace data
workspaces/<UUID>/postmen.sqlite3 Additional workspace data
workspaces.v1.json Catalog, default and removed entries
Existing data stays in My Workspace; creating workspaces does not move or copy it. Legacy application databases/users are not migrated. A fresh window starts maximized, not fullscreen; later launches restore the saved size and position.
Data is stored locally in plaintext, not an encrypted secret vault. Unsaved drafts, undo history and response bodies are memory-only and can be lost on a crash or force-quit. Use the normal Quit flow to save/discard changes. Back up the entire profile with the app closed, including its catalog and SQLite sidecar files.
Limits: 100 active workspaces; 2 MiB saved bodies; 1 MiB decompressed response previews; 100 MiB total file uploads. HTTP defaults to a 30-second timeout, with TLS verification enabled. Cross-origin redirects stop at 3xx; automatic proxy configuration, custom CAs and disabling TLS verification are unavailable. HTTP is supported; GraphQL, gRPC and WebSocket modes are not.
frontend/src/ Vue UI, Pinia stores, typed IPC and editor services
src-tauri/ Rust backend, SQLite, native integration and app icons
tests/e2e/ Browser regression tests
scripts/ Build verification and opt-in QA tooling
assets/readme/ Application screenshot
licenses/ Dependency license texts
Detailed plans and historical QA reports live in a private Obsidian archive, exposed locally through the ignored docs symlink. They are not required to build the app. Development fixtures are excluded from production and must not receive real credentials.
MIT — see LICENSE. Asset and dependency attribution is in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md. PostMen is an independent project and is not affiliated with Postman.