Headers in Postmate Client (API Header Management Made Easy)

Managing HTTP headers in REST APIs shouldn’t slow you down. Postmate Client is a fast, privacy-first VS Code API client that lets you create, edit, and reuse HTTP headers with ease — making it a powerful Postman alternative for developers who want speed, control, and local-first security.

What Are HTTP Headers in REST APIs?

HTTP headers are key-value pairs sent with every API request and response. They provide metadata such as authentication, content type, caching rules, and more.

Common examples include:

• Authorization (Bearer tokens, API keys)
• Content-Type (JSON, form data)
• Accept (response format)

Postmate Client makes managing these headers faster and less error-prone with autocomplete and reusable configurations.

No more retyping headers, fixing typos, or copying values between requests.

Mode 1 — Tabular Mode (Default) — Fast & Structured Header Editing

The Headers tab opens in tabular mode by default — perfect for clarity and control.

Each header is represented as a row with:

• Checkbox — enable or disable a header without deleting it
• Key — the header name (e.g. Authorization, Content-Type)
• Value — the header value (supports variable syntax)
• Delete icon — remove the row permanently

This mode is ideal for:

• Debugging API requests
• Toggling headers quickly
• Avoiding mistakes in header formatting
• Managing API headers efficiently inside VS Code

Use Variables in Headers (Dynamic API Requests)

Postmate Client supports environment variables directly in headers — making your API requests dynamic and reusable.

Authorization: Bearer {{token}}
X-Tenant-ID:   {{tenantId}}
X-API-Key:     {{apiKey}}

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Raw Mode — Bulk Edit HTTP Headers Faster

For bulk editing, switch to Raw mode by checking the Raw checkbox in the top-right corner of the Headers tab.

• Toggle using the Raw checkbox
• Edit headers as plain text
• One header per line

Example:

accept: */*
user-agent: Postmate Client (postmateclient.com)
authorization: Bearer {{token}}
content-type: application/json

Best for:

• Copy-pasting headers from docs
• Bulk updates
• Quick prototyping

TIP

Raw mode is great when you have many headers to add at once — paste them all in a block and switch back to tabular mode to fine-tune individual values.

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Header Autocomplete — Save Time on Every API Request

Autocomplete is where Postmate Client really shines.

As you type a header name:

• Get instant suggestions
• Auto-fill both key + value
• Avoid typos and formatting errors

Setup Header Autocomplete (One-Time Setup)

Step 1 — Open Manage Headers

• Go to Env tab
• Click Manage Headers
• Opens postmateHeaders.json in VS Code

Step 2 — Add Common Headers

[
  {
    "key": "content-type",
    "value": "application/json",
    "default": false
  },
  {
    "key": "Authorization",
    "value": "Bearer {{token}}",
    "default": false
  },
  {
    "key": "User-Agent",
    "value": "Postmate Client (postmateclient.com)",
    "default": false
  },
  {
    "key": "Accept",
    "value": "*/*",
    "default": false
  }
]

Step 3 — Save & Use

• Press Ctrl + S
• Autocomplete is instantly available — no restart required.

How Autocomplete Works

Start typing in the Headers tab:

• a → Authorization, Accept
• u → User-Agent
• co → content-type

Select a suggestion → Postmate auto-fills both key and value.

Common HTTP Headers Cheat Sheet

Header	Common Values
Content-Type	application/json, application/x-www-form-urlencoded, multipart/form-data
Authorization	Bearer , Basic
Accept	application/json, */*
Cache-Control	no-cache, no-store
User-Agent	Postmate Client (postmateclient.com)
X-API-Key
X-Request-ID

Why Postmate Client is Better for Managing HTTP Headers

• ⚡ Faster than traditional API tools
• 🔐 Fully local — your API data stays private
• 🧠 Smart autocomplete reduces errors
• 🔄 Dual editing modes (structured + raw)
• ♻️ Reusable headers with environment variables

If you're testing APIs daily inside VS Code, Postmate Client helps you move faster with fewer errors — without sending your data to the cloud.

Reading Response Headers

Response headers are accessible in post-request scripts via RESPONSE.headers:

const contentType = RESPONSE.headers['content-type'];
const rateLimit   = RESPONSE.headers['x-ratelimit-remaining'];

pm.log('Remaining API calls: ' + rateLimit);