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Tetiva documentation

Tetiva is a desktop API client that speaks HTTP, gRPC, GraphQL and WebSocket in one window. Collections, environments, cookies and request history live in a SQLite file on your machine, an account is only needed for sync, and the app collects no telemetry. These docs describe what the client does today: installation, your first request, the four protocols, scripting and tests, Postman import, sync, and the built-in MCP server for AI agents.

Start here

How the client works

Data stays on disk. Everything goes into ~/.tetiva/data.db. Collections, environments and history work offline, with no sign-in and no server.

The network is only used when you ask. The client reaches out in three cases: you send a request; the update check is on (a toggle in settings); sync is connected. No analytics, no usage reports.

Four protocols, one interface. Tabs, collections, environments and auth behave the same for HTTP, gRPC, GraphQL and WebSocket — only the request editor changes.

Scripts run in a sandbox. Pre-request and post-response scripts execute on the goja engine with no file system, no network access and a 5-second timeout. See Scripting.

Import and export are Postman-shaped. Collections and environments move in and out as Postman Collection v2.1 JSON, so you can leave whenever you want — see Import and export.

The desktop client is free and open source — download it here. The sections below list every page; each one answers a single question end to end.

Getting started

  • Installation

    Install Tetiva on macOS and Windows: DMG, installer, system requirements, the SmartScreen warning, and where the app keeps its data.

  • Quick start

    Send your first request in Tetiva in two minutes: create a collection and a request, set the URL, hit Cmd+Enter, read the response tabs.

Core features

  • Collections

    How workspaces and collections work in Tetiva: nesting, Markdown descriptions, multi-select, moving items, and deletion.

  • Environments and variables

    Tetiva environments, the {{var}} syntax, resolution order, inline highlighting and hover peek, secret variables, and variables written by scripts.

  • Authentication

    Bearer, Basic and API Key auth in Tetiva: what each type sends, how Inherit walks up the collection tree, and where auth is not applied.

  • Request body

    The six body types in Tetiva — JSON, XML, Raw, Form Data, Binary, None — plus lossless type switching, file uploads, and Content-Type handling.

  • Scripting

    Pre-request and post-response scripts in Tetiva: the full pm.* surface, sandbox limits, inheritance from collections, tests and console.

  • Response viewer

    The response pane in Tetiva: Body, Headers, Cookies and Tests tabs, in-body search, large and binary payloads, and request history.

  • Import and export

    Import Postman v2.1 collections and environments into Tetiva, export them back, and copy any HTTP request as a cURL command.

  • Keyboard shortcuts

    Every keyboard shortcut in Tetiva: sending and saving requests, tabs, editors, response search, and the collection tree.

Protocols

  • HTTP requests

    Methods, URL, query parameters, headers and cookies in Tetiva: what is stored with the request, what is substituted, and how the cookie jar behaves.

  • gRPC

    Unary gRPC calls in Tetiva: schema via server reflection or .proto files, method picker, generated example messages, metadata, and reading the response.

  • GraphQL

    GraphQL in Tetiva: schema introspection, an operation picker that generates examples, the query and variables editor, the schema browser, and the response.

  • WebSocket

    WebSocket requests in Tetiva: connecting over ws:// and wss://, sending messages, the live session log, and what the history actually records.

Sync & account

  • Sync and account

    Set up Tetiva Cloud sync: account, email confirmation, status icon states, offline queue, and what does and does not leave your machine.

Advanced

  • MCP server

    Enable the MCP server built into Tetiva, pass its access token, connect Claude Code or Claude Desktop, and use all 32 tools over collections, requests and sync.

  • Settings

    Tetiva settings: theme, editor font, the MCP server, update checks, the welcome screen, and where the database and logs actually live.

  • Troubleshooting

    SmartScreen and Gatekeeper warnings, starting Tetiva with logs, moving or resetting the data directory, a busy MCP port, and where to report bugs.

Migration