Create and send requests

The request pane sits in the center of the TUI. It shows every detail of the selected request: URL, method, headers, query and path params, body, auth, assertions, captures, scripts, tests, and settings.

Create, edit, and send

Open an initialized collection. Press Ctrl+N, enter a name, method, and URL, and save with Ctrl+S. For an existing request, select it from the sidebar. Use the request tabs to edit headers, parameters, auth, and body; Return edits a field and Escape leaves the edit. Save, then press Ctrl+Return to send. Inspect the response status, body, and Results.

For a complete first example, follow Your first request. Continue with Inspect and save responses.

Optional tabs

Empty Assert, Capture, Pre Script, Post Script, and Tests tabs stay behind the + menu at the right of the tab bar. Choose a tab to reveal it; tabs that already contain declarations are always visible. Revealed tabs remain available for that request during the session, and already visible tabs are disabled in the menu.

Click +, or press g then o to focus it and Return to open it. The existing g then v and g then c shortcuts reveal Assert and Capture directly. Use g then d, f, or j for visible Pre Script, Post Script, or Tests tabs. Arrow navigation skips hidden tabs.

Script tabs support inline code or external .js references, completion, diagnostics, and execution-order inspection. See Scripting.

Browse Mode

When the request pane is focused, arrow keys navigate between sections:

Key	Action
↑/↓	Move between sections (URL, headers, params, auth, body)
←/→	Move between items within a section
Return	Enter edit mode on the selected field
Space	Toggle header, param, assertion, or capture rows

Disabled fields are preserved but not sent with the request.

Headers & Params

Headers and query params are lists of key/value pairs. Both work the same way:

Action	Key
Add new row	Arrow down past the last row
Toggle enabled	Space
Edit value	Return to enter edit mode
Delete row	Ctrl+D in browse mode

Path Params

The Path tab holds the required values for :name tokens in the URL. For example, https://api.example.com/users/:userId has a userId path param. Noodle adds and removes matching entries as you change the URL. Path params cannot be disabled; all URL tokens must resolve before sending. Values support environment variables such as $user_id.

Edit Mode

Press Return on any field to edit. A cursor appears.

Key	Action
Return	Commit the edit
Escape	Cancel, revert field to saved value
Tab	Move to next field

Body Types

Press Ctrl+T in the body section to cycle through types. Each type shows different fields:

Type	Fields shown
none	No body
json	JSON code editor
xml	XML code editor
urlencoded	Form entries (key/value)
multipart	Form entries (text or file)
binary	File path

Use Ctrl+Alt+F to format a JSON body. Optional Format on save lives in global Behavior settings; XML remains unchanged. For multipart entries, Ctrl+T toggles between text and file mode.

Assert and Capture

The Assert tab checks a response; Capture saves a response value for reuse. Reveal an empty tab from the + menu or with g, then v (Assert) or g, then c (Capture).

Follow Response assertions or Capture and reuse values for steps, examples, persistence, and Results. Their exact YAML fields are in Collection YAML.

Settings

Below the body section, configure request behavior:

Setting	Description
Timeout	Request timeout in milliseconds. 0 means no timeout
Follow redirects	Toggle automatic redirect following on/off
Max redirects	Maximum number of redirects to follow
TLS verification	Inherit the collection policy, require verification, or disable it for this request
Send Cookies	Send matching cookies from the collection jar
Tags	Case-sensitive suite tags edited in an overlay

Disabling TLS verification weakens transport security. Prefer configuring the required CA bundle in collection Settings; use the request override only when the target is intentionally trusted another way.

Turning off Send Cookies prevents jar cookies from being added to this request and its redirect hops. Noodle still captures response cookies into the collection jar. Disable the jar in collection Settings when neither sending nor capturing should occur.

Open a tag row to add or rename it with suggestions from the collection. Tags also expose a direct delete action. The request combines its own tags with tags from every ancestor folder.

Variable Autocompletion

Type $ in any text field to trigger the autocompletion popup:

Key	Action
↑/↓	Navigate suggestions
Tab / Return	Accept selected suggestion
Escape	Dismiss popup

The popup filters available environment variables by case-insensitive matches within their names and highlights matching text. Scroll or click to select a suggestion. It appears at your cursor position and works in the URL bar, header values, param values, body editor, and auth fields.

Variable Highlighting

All input fields display $variable references with color-coded states:

• Resolved: variable exists in the active environment (theme primary color)
• Missing: variable not found in any environment (theme error color)

This helps you catch typos and missing environment variables before sending.

JSON and XML Body Editor

When body_type is json or xml, the body field stays in the code editor while browsing and editing. Both have syntax highlighting, line numbers, code folding, and variable completion. JSON also has inline validation; XML is sent unchanged after variable substitution and defaults to Content-Type: application/xml when no enabled Content-Type header exists. Press Return on the body field to edit it; Escape returns to the body-type selector without discarding the draft.

Use Ctrl+Alt+F to format a JSON body. Optional Format on save lives in global Behavior settings; XML remains unchanged. For multipart entries, Ctrl+T toggles between text and file mode.

Random and time body values

Use body placeholders when a request only needs generated test data or a timestamp. They work in JSON, text/XML bodies, and enabled text form values:

body_type: json
body: |-
  {
    "id": "$random.uuid",
    "email": "$random.exampleEmail()",
    "age": $random.number({"min":18,"max":80}),
    "role": $random.pick(["admin","user"]),
    "active": $random.boolean,
    "createdAt": $time.iso,
    "timestampMs": $time.now,
    "timestampSeconds": $time.unix(),
    "date": $time.format("2026-01-01", "YYYY-MM-DD")
  }

$random uses the script random catalog, except seed; $time uses the time methods. Parentheses are optional when no arguments are needed. Arguments must be JSON literals, with double-quoted strings and object keys. JavaScript expressions, nested calls, unknown methods, and invalid options fail before that request’s pre scripts and HTTP. Argument and result values retain the 256 KiB/depth-32 limits and each helper’s option limits.

In JSON, a standalone placeholder preserves the generated type. Quotes make it text and escape it for JSON. Escape argument quotes inside JSON strings:

{"label": "user-$random.pick([\"admin\",\"user\"])"}

Text/XML bodies insert strings literally, without XML escaping; non-string values become compact JSON text. Form encoders escape generated text values as usual. Generation does not apply to URLs, headers, parameters, auth, assertion expectations, form names, file fields, or file paths. $random. and $time. are reserved in supported body values; plain $random and $time remain ordinary variables. Use $$random.uuid or $$time.now for literal text.

Each occurrence expands once before pre scripts on every manual send, CLI run, Runner selection, dataset iteration, or saved child request. Current-time calls share one instant within that request; redirects and authentication retries reuse the prepared body. Generated random values are independent of script seeds. Use a pre script and explicit setters to reuse a generated value across fields. Variables, generated values, script writes, and direct noodle.sendRequest inputs are never scanned again for placeholders.

Type $random. or $time. while editing a body or text form value to see methods with descriptions, signatures, and examples. Suggestions work without an environment and preserve existing arguments. Editing, validation, formatting, and inspection do not generate random data or read the current clock. Saved YAML keeps the placeholders. Generated passwords are registered for redaction; other test data stays visible. Generators do not provide cryptographic credentials or guaranteed uniqueness.

Try the random body and time body examples.

Auth

Navigate to the auth section to set authentication:

Auth type	Fields
None	No auth
Inherit	Nearest parent folder auth
Bearer	Token
Basic	Username and password
NTLMv2	Username, password, optional domain and workstation
API Key	Key, value, and header or query placement
AWS SigV4	Access key, secret key, region, service, optional session token
OAuth 1.0a	Credentials, signature method, private key, placement, and optional signing fields
OAuth 2.0	Grant, discovery URL and type, endpoints, client credentials, PKCE, token lifecycle, client assertion, and delivery fields

Press Return on the type field to cycle through options. For OAuth 2.0 requests, open the command palette to fetch or authorize, copy, or clear the current secure token. See Authentication for setup and security rules.

Creating and Managing Requests

Action	Keybinding
New request	Ctrl+N: set name, folder, method, and URL in a modal
Save	Ctrl+S: writes the .yml file
Clone	Ctrl+K: duplicates the request
Delete	Ctrl+W: deletes with confirmation
Edit in overlay	Ctrl+E: rename, change method/URL, move folder
Edit YAML	Ctrl+Alt+E: edit raw YAML in overlay
New folder	Ctrl+Alt+N: creates a folder
Expand pane	F2: expand request pane to full width

The collection directory is created automatically on first save.

Importing and Generating Code

Open the command palette with Ctrl+P to import a cURL command as a new request. The importer supports the request details represented by the cURL flags it recognizes, including headers, authentication, query parameters, bodies, forms, uploads, redirects, and timeouts.

With a selected request, choose Generate Code in the command palette to create a client snippet. Choose a language and, where applicable, a library; press i to interpolate the active environment and c to copy the generated snippet.

Code generation is unavailable for NTLMv2, AWS SigV4, OAuth 1.0a, and OAuth 2.0 requests because those schemes require a connection exchange, request-specific signature, or external secure token state.

Reverting

Key	Action
Ctrl+D	Revert current field to last saved value
Ctrl+R	Revert all fields in this request
Ctrl+Z	Undo all pending changes across all requests, folders, and environments

Sending

Press Ctrl+Return or ^J to send, or click Send at the right end of the URL bar. The control shows an in-place sending indicator while the request is running, and the response appears in the response pane.