Posel

A native API client for REST, GraphQL, and tRPC. Your requests are files.

Posel stores your requests as plain .toml files in a folder you own.

Diff them, review them, branch them — collaboration is just git.

No account, no sync server, no telemetry. Not now, not later.

Download · Docs · Architecture · Contributing

Your requests are files

This is a whole request — variables, and tests that run on every send:

name = "Get a user"
method = "GET"
url = "{{base_url}}/users/{{username}}"

[[assertions]]
target = "status"
op = "equals"
value = "200"

[[assertions]]
target = "json"
path = "login"
op = "equals"
value = "{{username}}"

Commit it. Review it in a PR. Run it in CI with posel-cli test.

Features

• REST, GraphQL, and tRPC — GraphQL gets schema introspection, schema-aware autocomplete, formatting, and inline validation.
• Native, not a webview — responses stream on a tokio runtime and render incrementally, so a 100 MB body opens and scrolls without jank.
• Environments & variables — {{base_url}} per environment, with a switcher.
• Secrets stay out of the repo — only the {{secret:name}} reference is written to disk.
• Assertions & a headless CLI — posel-cli test runs the same requests in CI.
• Import & export — bring in OpenAPI 3.x specs or a curl command; copy any request back out as curl or JS fetch.
• Keyboard-first — command palette, quick-open, env switcher, multi-tab. Ctrl+Enter sends.

Install

Grab a build from the Releases page:

Platform	Download
macOS	.dmg (universal — Apple Silicon + Intel)
Linux	.AppImage (portable) or .deb
Windows	.msi

First launch on macOS or Windows

Releases aren't code-signed yet, so the OS warns the first time:

• macOS 15 (Sequoia) and later — the first open is blocked; dismiss the dialog, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open Anyway. (Right-click → Open no longer bypasses this on Sequoia.) Terminal alternative: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Posel.app
• macOS 14 and earlier — right-click the app → Open → Open
• Windows — SmartScreen → More info → Run anyway

This goes away once signing and notarization are set up.

Or build it yourself — see CONTRIBUTING.md.

Linux: Posel renders on the GPU and needs a Vulkan driver. On a VM or a machine without one, install Mesa's software renderer (mesa-vulkan-drivers on Debian/Ubuntu) and it runs on the CPU.

Quick start

There's a ready-made workspace in examples/github-api: 36 requests across seven collections, REST and GraphQL, two environments — and a Meta collection that needs no token.

cargo run -p posel-app -- examples/github-api   # or File ▸ Open Workspace…

Pick Meta ▸ Get zen and hit Ctrl+Enter. Same thing headless:

posel-cli send examples/github-api Meta/get-zen.toml
posel-cli test examples/github-api Meta/get-zen.toml   # run its assertions

Secrets

Secret values never enter your workspace — only the {{secret:name}} reference does, so the folder stays safe to commit. Values come from your OS keychain by default; a local file, environment variables, or a shell command (pass, 1Password, gh auth token) all work too. See docs/SECRETS.md.

Why shouldn't I use Posel?

• It's pre-1.0. It works and it's a usable daily driver, but expect breaking changes.
• Builds aren't signed yet, so first launch takes an extra click on macOS and Windows.
• No Postman/Insomnia collection import yet — OpenAPI and curl are supported, those aren't.
• If you want cloud sync or a team workspace server, this isn't it — and won't be.

Docs

• SPEC.md — what Posel is and the product decisions behind it
• ARCHITECTURE.md — how it's put together
• SECRETS.md — secret backends and how to pick one
• PLAN.md — the phased roadmap
• CONTRIBUTING.md — build it, run the tests, send a PR

Status

Public beta on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Built in Rust on GPUI, the framework behind the Zed editor.

License

Dual-licensed under either of Apache-2.0 or MIT, at your option.