HTTP Archive File
May 01, 2020
Today I learned about HTTP Archive (HAR) files.
While attempting to replicate a bug, I asked the reporter to share her testing credentials so that I could replicate the bug and investigate the network traffic in my browser.
Another colleague suggested she simply share her network traffic with me by exporting a HAR file.
You can think of a HAR file as a snapshot or record of all network request between a browser and a server. Each time the browser makes an additional request, another entry is appended the HAR file. Each entry contains pertinent information one would need to debug a failed network requests:
- URL
- method
- request/response headers
- cookie values
- response HTTP status code
- response content
- and more
If this list feels familiar that is because the network tab in Chrome developer tools is a UI layer on top of a HAR file!
To export/import a HAR file in Chrome, open developer tools and navigate to the “Network” tab and use the appropriate arrow:
