Export/Import & Record Traffic

When debugging APIs or webhooks, context is everything, but that context is often temporary and short-lived.

Requests disappear once they are processed
Debugging happens across machines, teams, or time zones
Reproducing issues requires replaying entire request histories
Sharing “what actually happened” is harder than sharing logs or screenshots

Inspectr allows you to export all captured operations — requests, responses, metadata, and context into a structured JSON file.

That file can then be:

Stored outside Inspectr
Shared with teammates
Imported into another Inspectr instance
Reviewed for debugging or investigations

This turns Inspectr into more than a live debugger; it becomes a portable traffic archive.

If you want to automate exports (for example, export on shutdown), jump to Automation: CLI & YAML.

Exporting Operations

You can export operations at any time from the Request History view.

In the top navigation bar, you can find the buttons: Export, Import and the Recording toggle.

To export operations, click the Export button, which opens a modal.

Time Range Options

Inspectr supports two export modes:

Preset Range

Export everything captured since:

Last hour
Last 24 hours
Last 7 days
Last 30 days
Since start Inspectr
Since first operation

This is ideal for quick exports based on logical time periods.

Custom Range

Define an explicit start and end time to export only the relevant slice of traffic.

This is ideal when:

Investigating a specific incident
Exporting traffic from a test run
Sharing only the minimal reproduction set

Export Format

The export format JSON, is a portable, Inspectr-native structure containing:

Request & response data
Headers and payloads
Timing & metadata
Correlation context

The exported file is fully compatible with Inspectr’s import feature.

Importing Operations

Exported files can be loaded into any Inspectr instance.

Once imported:

All operations appear in Request History
Tracing, filtering, and inspection behave exactly the same
No live traffic or backend is required

This makes Inspectr a powerful review and analysis tool, not just a proxy.

Record Mode

Export becomes even more powerful when combined with Record Mode.

What Is Record Mode?

Record Mode allows you to:

Explicitly start capturing incoming traffic
Clearly define when recording begins and ends
Export only what was recorded during that session

This is especially useful when:

Running automated test suites
Capturing webhook deliveries
Debugging transient production issues
Collecting traffic for later analysis or sharing

Think of it as a session recorder for API traffic.

Example Workflow

Enable Record Mode
Trigger webhooks or API calls
Stop recording once the scenario completes
Export recorded operations as JSON
Import them into another Inspectr instance
Inspect, trace, and analyze — without touching the original system

Typical Use Cases

Sharing Issues with Teammates Export the exact traffic that caused a bug and let others inspect it locally — no backend access required.
Test & QA Reviews Capture requests during a test run, export them, and review behavior offline or in CI/CD workflows.
Archiving & Auditing Store request histories outside Inspectr for compliance, audits, or long-term reference.
Cross-Environment Debugging Capture traffic locally, import it on another machine, or replay analysis without re-triggering systems.
Documentation Use real request data when documenting APIs or explaining flows to new team members.

Automated exports

For automated workflows, you can export operations on shutdown using the CLI or .inspectr.yaml.

Export on exit via CLI
Export when running via YAML

inspectr --export

export: true

This is powered by Inspectr’s export-on-exit option, which writes a timestamped JSON export containing the operations captured during the run. It’s a simple way to turn “what happened” into a portable artifact you can archive, share, or attach to a ticket.

For full details (including export folder and filename format), see: Export Operations on Shutdown →

Automated exports use-cases

CI / test runs as artifacts Capture traffic during an end-to-end run and publish the exported JSON as a build artifact.
Repro packs for bugs & analysis Export the exact requests/responses that triggered a problem and import them into another Inspectr instance for review.
Short-lived sessions with a trail Keep staging smoke tests, nightly checks or load-test sessions without running Inspectr permanently.

Summary

Inspectr’s Export & Import feature lets you:

Capture real traffic
Preserve full context
Share and replay API behavior anywhere