How to stop requests capture by Postman interceptor in Chrome browser? #postman #api #backend

18.04.2024

Postman Interceptor is a powerful tool that allows developers to capture HTTP requests from the browser. However,
there are times when you may want to pause or stop capturing requests to avoid unnecessary data collection or focus on
specific testing. In this article, we will guide you through the process of stopping request capture in Postman
Interceptor, enhancing your API testing workflow.

Understanding Request Capture in Postman Interceptor

When working with Postman Interceptor, it intercepts HTTP requests from your browser and sends them to Postman for
inspection. While this feature is valuable for debugging and testing APIs, it can become overwhelming when you don’t
need to capture every request. This is where the ability to stop or pause request capture becomes essential for a
more efficient testing process.

Why You Might Want to Stop Capturing Requests

  • To avoid noise in your logs from unrelated requests.
  • To focus on specific API endpoints without clutter.
  • To reduce the amount of captured data, making your debugging workflow simpler.

By stopping capture, you ensure that only relevant data is collected, saving you time and making your tests more
efficient.

How to Stop Requests Capture in Postman Interceptor

To stop capturing requests in Postman Interceptor, follow these simple steps:

  1. Open Postman and navigate to the Interceptor tab on the top-right corner.
  2. Ensure that Interceptor is connected to your browser by clicking the toggle button.
  3. Once connected, you’ll see an option to pause or stop the capture. Click on Stop Capture to disable it.

If you want to pause capture instead of stopping it entirely, click Pause Capture. This will allow you to
temporarily halt the request capture without fully disconnecting from the browser. Once you’re ready to resume, simply
click Resume Capture.

Advantages of Pausing Request Capture

  • Increased control over your testing environment.
  • UI clarity by reducing unnecessary captured data.
  • Improved focus on specific requests that are relevant to your testing scenarios.

How to Ensure Postman Interceptor Stops Capturing

Sometimes, you might stop the capture, but Postman Interceptor could still be tracking certain requests. To
ensure it stops completely, you may need to disconnect the Interceptor extension from Chrome.

Follow these steps:

  • Go to Chrome’s extensions section.
  • Find Postman Interceptor and click Disable.
  • Re-enable it when you want to use capture features again.

Additional Tips for Managing Request Capture

If you’re finding it challenging to manage request capture effectively, consider these tips:

Use specific filters in Postman to limit the types of requests being captured, such as focusing
only on GET or POST requests.

By using these filters, you can avoid capturing irrelevant data, streamlining your workflow and making
debugging easier.

Conclusion

Learning how to stop request capture in Postman Interceptor is a crucial skill for developers working with APIs.
Whether you’re testing a specific endpoint or trying to optimize your debugging process, controlling when and how
requests are captured can make a significant difference.

With Postman Interceptor, you can always adjust your capture settings to suit your needs. So next time you find
yourself flooded with unnecessary requests, just follow these steps to stop or pause the capture and regain control
over your API testing environment.

Yan Hadzhyisky

fullstack PHP+JS+REACT developer