IDE Extensions

MockServer publishes IDE extensions so you can manage MockServer, author expectations with full schema validation, and view the live Dashboard without leaving your editor. Two extensions are available:

VS Code Extension

The MockServer extension for Visual Studio Code provides a MockServer side panel in the Activity Bar with grouped one-click actions, inline JSON Schema validation and completion for expectation files, a status-bar item showing connection state, the dashboard docked in the bottom panel, and tools for authoring, recording, and debugging expectations without leaving the editor.

The status-bar item opens a quick menu of the most common actions:

Installation

Install directly from within VS Code:

1. Open the Extensions view (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for MockServer
3. Click Install

Alternatively, install from the command line:

code --install-extension mockserver.mockserver

For Eclipse Theia, Gitpod, Cursor, and other Open VSX compatible editors, install from open-vsx.org.

Prerequisites

• VS Code 1.80+
• Docker Desktop — required only for the Start (Docker) command. No Docker? Use Start (binary, no Docker) instead, or point the extension at any already-running MockServer instance

Commands

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and type MockServer:

JSON Schema Validation

Files named *.mockserver.json or *.mockserver.jsonc are automatically validated against the bundled MockServer JSON Schema. You get:

• Auto-completion — IntelliSense-style suggestions for expectation fields, matcher options, and action types as you type
• Inline validation — red squiggles on invalid fields with descriptive hover messages, so you catch mistakes before sending expectations to the server
• Hover documentation — descriptions of every field appear on hover, directly from the schema

JSON Snippets

In any .json or .jsonc file (unlike schema validation, snippets are not restricted to *.mockserver.json(c)), type one of the following prefixes and press Tab to expand a full expectation template:

Settings

Configure the extension via Settings > Extensions > MockServer:

• Docker image — override the Docker image used by Start (Docker); defaults to mockserver/mockserver:7.4.0
• Container name — name for the started Docker container
• Port — port MockServer listens on; defaults to 1080
• Binary path (mockserver.binaryPath) — path to a locally-installed binary bundle for Start (binary, no Docker): either the bin/mockserver launcher or the unpacked bundle directory. Leave empty to download and cache the bundle on first use
• Binary version (mockserver.binaryVersion) — bundle version to download; defaults to the extension's own version

Quick Start

1. Run MockServer: Start (Docker) from the Command Palette, or point the extension at an already-running instance via Settings
2. Create a file named expectations.mockserver.json — schema validation and auto-completion activate automatically
3. Run MockServer: Load Expectations (or click the CodeLens button) to send expectations to the server
4. Open the MockServer side panel (the MockServer icon in the Activity Bar) for one-click access to every action — Server, Author, Inspect, and WASM — or run MockServer: Open Dashboard to inspect recorded requests and active expectations in the docked dashboard, without leaving VS Code
5. Run MockServer: Show Drift Report to spot where real upstream responses have drifted from your stubbed expectations

IntelliJ / JetBrains Plugin

The MockServer plugin for IntelliJ IDEA (and all JetBrains IDEs) embeds the live MockServer Dashboard directly inside the IDE, adds a Tools > MockServer menu, and provides a persistent tool window in the bottom panel — so you can author expectations, inspect traffic, and manage the server without switching windows.

The embedded Dashboard is a full-featured JCEF (Java Chromium Embedded Framework) tool window showing the live event log, active expectations, proxied requests, and all other Dashboard views — identical to the browser Dashboard but docked inside your IDE.

Installation

1. Open Settings > Plugins > Marketplace (Ctrl+Alt+S then Plugins)
2. Search for MockServer
3. Click Install and restart the IDE

Prerequisites

• IntelliJ IDEA 2024.3+ (build 243+) or any JetBrains IDE on IntelliJ Platform 2024.3+
• Docker — required only for the Start (Docker) action. No Docker? Use Start (binary, no Docker) instead, or point the plugin at any already-running MockServer instance

Tool Window and Tools Menu

The MockServer tool window appears in the bottom panel. It contains a status line showing connection state, an inline Port field (defaulting to 1080), and grouped icon buttons for every action — useful when you want fast one-click access without opening the Tools menu.

All actions are also available under Tools > MockServer:

Actions

Authoring Expectations in the IDE

Files named *.mockserver.json or *.mockserver.jsonc are automatically validated and completed against the bundled MockServer JSON Schema. IntelliJ's built-in JSON editor provides auto-completion, inline validation, and hover documentation for every expectation field — so you can author complex expectations with full IDE assistance.

Once an expectation file is ready, the Load Expectations action sends it directly to the running server. You can also use Save Recorded Expectations to capture real traffic as a replayable expectation file (JSON) or paste-ready test code (Java DSL).

The Dashboard's expectation builder shows the current expectation in multiple languages — choose the code export that matches your test stack:

Settings

Configure the plugin via Settings > Tools > MockServer:

• Docker image — override the image used by Start (Docker); defaults to mockserver/mockserver:7.4.0
• Container name — name for the started Docker container
• Port — port MockServer listens on; defaults to 1080 (also editable directly in the tool window)
• Binary bundle path (no Docker) — path to a locally-installed binary bundle for Start (binary, no Docker): either the bin/mockserver launcher or the unpacked bundle directory. Leave empty to download and cache the bundle matching the plugin version on first use

Quick Start

1. Install the plugin and restart the IDE
2. Click Start (Docker) in the MockServer tool window (bottom panel), or set the Port field to point at an already-running instance
3. Click Open Dashboard in IDE to open the embedded Dashboard — inspect live traffic and active expectations without switching windows
4. Create a file named expectations.mockserver.json — schema validation and auto-completion activate automatically
5. Click Load Expectations to send expectations to the server, then use Show Drift Report to spot where the real upstream has drifted from your stubs
6. Proxy real traffic, then run Save Recorded Expectations (Java DSL) to turn captured requests straight into paste-ready test code (or (JSON) for a replayable expectation file)

For more information see MockServer Dashboard and Running MockServer.