Launch APIs without a backend

If your frontend team is blocked waiting on an API, getrequest lets you stand up a realistic mock in under 60 seconds — no server, no code, no docker compose.

Create a Static API endpoint

Open your project and click New Endpoint.
Set the Action to Static API.
Define the response body your frontend expects:

{
  "id": "usr_01HXYZ",
  "email": "alice@example.com",
  "plan": "pro",
  "created_at": "2024-01-15T09:00:00Z"
}

Click Create. The endpoint is live immediately at a unique, auto-generated URL:

https://e.getrequest.io/{unique_id}

Your frontend can start calling it right now. The response is returned in milliseconds with the status code 200 — there’s no backend behind this yet, so there’s nothing to be slow or unavailable.

Matching real API shape

A mock is only useful if it looks like the real thing. Make your response mirror what the real backend will eventually return, and you prevent a wave of breaking changes on the day you switch to it. For a paginated list endpoint, mock the envelope too:

{
  "data": [
    { "id": "req_001", "method": "POST", "status": 200 },
    { "id": "req_002", "method": "GET", "status": 404 }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "next_cursor": "req_002",
    "has_more": true
  }
}

Switch to your real backend — zero downtime

Once your backend exists, turning the mock into the real thing is a single edit — not a migration.

Change Action from Static API to Sync API.
Set the Destination URL to your backend:

https://api.yourapp.com/v1/users/me

Save. All future requests are proxied to your backend — no changes needed in your frontend. The URL your frontend has been calling all along doesn’t change.

getrequest forwards the original request body verbatim. Headers pass through a fixed allow-list (common headers plus anything X-prefixed) rather than every header unconditionally — see Limits, timeouts & error responses for the exact list, and Capture and inspect webhooks for why that matters if you’re relying on a provider’s signature header.

Useful patterns

Different responses per environment Create a separate endpoint for each environment (dev, staging) — each one gets its own unique URL, so there’s no naming collision to manage. Point each environment’s frontend env var at that environment’s specific endpoint URL. Error state mocking To simulate a 422 validation error, set the response body to match your error schema. Your frontend error handling will work against real error shapes before your backend ships:

{
  "message": "The email field is required.",
  "errors": {
    "email": ["The email field is required."]
  }
}

Static API endpoints always return HTTP 200. If you need to test non-200 status codes, switch to a Sync API endpoint pointed at a local server or a service like httpstat.us.

Every mock request is logged

You’re not just unblocking your frontend team — you’re building a record while you do it. All requests to Static API endpoints are captured in Logs, so your frontend team can verify what they sent, and your backend team can see the real shape of traffic before their code ships. That log is also how you know you’re ready to switch: once the requests hitting your mock look exactly like what your real backend expects, flipping the Action is the only thing left to do.

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Launch APIs without a backend

Create a Static API endpoint

Matching real API shape

Switch to your real backend — zero downtime

Useful patterns

Every mock request is logged

​Create a Static API endpoint

​Matching real API shape

​Switch to your real backend — zero downtime

​Useful patterns

​Every mock request is logged

Create a Static API endpoint

Matching real API shape

Switch to your real backend — zero downtime

Useful patterns

Every mock request is logged