Mock Server

A full HTTP mock server lives inside Tigrister. You can spin up a local server on any port, define endpoints with their own method, path, request body, response body, headers, status code, and delay, and then start or stop the server with a single button — without installing a separate tool, writing a config file, or leaving the app.

What the Mock Server Is For

A mock server replaces a real backend with a fake one you fully control. You decide what every endpoint returns, how long it takes to answer, and which response is served when the incoming request matches a specific condition. A few common situations where this is useful:

  • Frontend ahead of backend: the API is not ready yet, but you still need realistic responses to build the UI against.
  • Third-party bypass: the real service is slow, flaky, rate-limited, or costs money per call — you prefer a fast local replica for day-to-day work.
  • Edge-case rehearsal: you need to see how your client behaves against a 500, a timeout, an empty array, or a malformed payload — cases that are hard to reproduce against a real server.
  • Demo and teaching: you want a predictable server you can point a workshop, a screenshot, or a customer demo at.

What You Can Control

Each endpoint in the mock server is fully described by a handful of fields. Everything listed below is editable from the panel — no file editing, no restart required between edits while the server is running:

  • Method and path: any standard HTTP method and any path that begins with a forward slash.
  • Request body variants: one or more request bodies, each with its own content type, used for documentation and optional body matching.
  • Query parameters and request headers: key-value rows you can enable, disable, or edit individually.
  • Response variants: one or more response bodies, each with its own content type. Exactly one variant is marked as the default; the others are picked by rules.
  • Rules: per-variant conditions on the incoming body, a JSON path inside the body, or a request header. If the rules match, that variant is the one returned.
  • Status code and delay: any HTTP status between 100 and 599 and any delay in milliseconds.
  • Response headers: custom headers plus an auto-generated Content-Type that follows the chosen body type.

What This Chapter Covers

The sub-sections below walk through the mock panel from the first moment you open it to the moment a running server is answering requests on a local port. They are ordered to match the natural flow of building a mock: open the panel, create a server, add endpoints, describe the request, describe the response, add rules if you need branching, then start the server.

  • Getting in: Opening the Panel, Creating a Server, Server List Sidebar, Server Header & Start/Stop.
  • Shaping an endpoint: Endpoint Tabs, Method & Path, Request Panel, Response Panel.
  • Branching behaviour: Response Variants & Default, Rules — Conditional Responses, Status & Delay, Headers.
  • Bonus: Body Preview & Random Variables, Best Practices.