Request bodies

The Body tab of an HTTP request chooses what the request sends. Pick the type in the menu at the top of the tab; the tab label then shows it, for example Body JSON.

Zorvik keeps what you typed for every type. Switching from JSON to Form and back loses nothing; only the selected type is sent.

Body types

Type (menu)	In the file (body.type)	Sends	Content-Type added
None	none	No body	—
JSON	json	The text as typed	application/json
Text	text	The text as typed	The type chosen next to the menu (default text/plain)
XML	xml	The text as typed	application/xml
Form URL-encoded	formUrlencoded	key=value&…, URL-encoded	application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Multipart form	multipart	Text fields and files	multipart/form-data; boundary=…
Binary file	binary	The bytes of one file	Guessed from the file name
GraphQL	graphql	{"query", "variables", "operationName"} as JSON	application/json

Bodies are sent with any method, GET included, as long as the type isn’t None.

Content-Type

Zorvik adds the Content-Type above only when no Content-Type header is set, whether on the request, a folder or the workspace. To send JSON as application/vnd.api+json, keep the body type JSON and add that Content-Type header yourself.

JSON, Text and XML

These types have a code editor with syntax highlighting, search (Mod+F) and {{variable}} highlighting and suggestions.

{
  "name": "{{name}}",
  "email": "{{$randomEmail}}",
  "age": {{age}}
}

• Variables are replaced as text, anywhere in the body. Put quotes around them for JSON strings ("{{name}}"); leave the quotes out for numbers, booleans and objects ({{age}}).
• Zorvik doesn’t check that a JSON body is valid before sending it. Beautify (JSON only) re-indents the body with two spaces and keeps numbers, string escapes and {{variables}} exactly as typed. When the body isn’t valid JSON, it says Body is not valid JSON and changes nothing.
• Text has a second menu for its Content-Type: text/plain, text/html, text/csv, application/javascript, application/graphql or application/yaml. A different type set in the file (for example by an import) is kept and shown there too.

Form URL-encoded

A table of keys and values, like the query parameter table:

Key	Value
grant_type	password
username	{{user}}
note	a & b

With user set to alice, this sends grant_type=password&username=alice&note=a+%26+b.

• Keys and values can contain {{variables}}; they are resolved first, then URL-encoded (a space becomes +).
• Switched-off rows and rows without a key are not sent.
• Rows can be reordered by dragging.

Multipart form

Each row is one part. The menu before the value chooses Text or File:

• Text: the value is sent as the part’s content.
• File: the value is a file path. Choose Browse to pick one. The part gets the file’s name as filename and a Content-Type guessed from its extension (application/octet-stream when unknown).

------ZorvikBoundary3f2a…
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="description"

Profile photo
------ZorvikBoundary3f2a…
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="photo"; filename="avatar.png"
Content-Type: image/png

<the file's bytes>
------ZorvikBoundary3f2a…--

• Part names, text values and file paths can contain {{variables}}.
• A part can carry its own contentType in the request file (imports from Postman and cURL set it). On a file part it replaces the guessed type; on a text part it adds a Content-Type line. There is no field for it in the table.
• The boundary is ----ZorvikBoundary followed by a random id, new for every send.

See Files for which files may be sent.

Binary file

Sends the bytes of one file as the whole body. Type the path or choose Browse…. The path can be absolute, or relative to the workspace folder, and can contain {{variables}}.

Content-Type is guessed from the file name, for example application/pdf for report.pdf, and is application/octet-stream when the extension is unknown. Set a Content-Type header to send something else.

Files

Multipart file parts and binary bodies read files from disk when the request is sent. The same rules apply to both:

Rule	Detail
Relative paths	Resolved against the workspace folder, so they work for everyone who clones it. Prefer these for files you commit.
Only files inside the workspace	By default, a path that points outside the workspace folder, through .. or a symbolic link included, is refused: Body file ’…’ is outside the workspace folder. This stops a shared workspace from uploading private files such as ~/.ssh/id_rsa. Turn on Settings → Data & privacy → Files outside the workspace to allow any file on this computer.
Size	At most 100 MB per file.
Regular files only	Devices, pipes and folders are refused.
Missing file	The request fails before sending: Body file ’…’ and the reason. A binary body with no path says No file selected for the request body.

GraphQL

GraphQL sends a GraphQL operation as JSON:

{"query": "query User($id: ID!) { user(id: $id) { name } }", "variables": {"id": "42"}, "operationName": "User"}

• The query, the variables (JSON text) and the operation name can all contain {{variables}}.
• After variables are resolved, the variables must be valid JSON, or the request fails with GraphQL variables are not valid JSON. Undefined {{variables}} are sent as written and reported, like in other bodies.
• Variables are sent exactly as typed, so large numbers keep their precision. Empty variables and an empty operation name are left out.
• Choosing GraphQL for a GET request switches the method to POST. When the current body is JSON shaped like {"query": …}, its query, variables and operation name are carried over.

The GraphQL editor fetches the endpoint’s schema for autocomplete and checks, using the request’s own URL, headers and auth. New GraphQL requests (New → GraphQL request) start with this body type.

In the request file

The request file keeps the data of every type you filled in; type decides what is sent.

body:
  type: multipart
  multipart:
    - key: description
      value: Profile photo
    - key: photo
      value: fixtures/avatar.png
      file: true
      contentType: image/png
  text: |
    { "draft": true }

Field	Used by
type	Which of the fields below is sent
text	json, text, xml
contentType	text (default text/plain)
form	formUrlencoded: rows of key, value, enabled, description
multipart	multipart: rows of key, value, file, contentType, enabled
file	binary: the file path
graphql	graphql: query, variables (JSON text), operationName

See Workspace format.