# Yaak > Yaak is a local-first desktop API client for HTTP, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, and Server-Sent Events (SSE), for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It needs no account, stores workspaces as plain files you can version with Git, and is open source under the MIT license. Yaak is free for personal use; commercial use requires a license (see Pricing). It imports from Postman, Insomnia, Bruno, OpenAPI, and curl, and ships a CLI and an MCP server for coding agents. Every docs page is available as markdown by adding `.md` to its URL, and [llms-full.txt](https://yaak.app/llms-full.txt) has all docs in one file. ## Docs - [Docs index](https://yaak.app/docs): All documentation, grouped by topic - [Installation](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/installation.md): How to install Yaak on macOS, Windows, and Linux - [CLI and Agents](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/cli-usage.md): Install and use the Yaak CLI to send requests and manage resources from the command line - [MCP Server](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/mcp-server.md): Connect AI assistants and LLM tools to Yaak using the Model Context Protocol - [Security and Privacy](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/security-and-privacy.md): Where your data lives, what leaves your machine, and how secrets are protected ## Product - [Download](https://yaak.app/download): Download Yaak for macOS, Windows, and Linux - [Pricing](https://yaak.app/pricing): Free for personal use, licenses for commercial use - [Source code](https://github.com/mountain-loop/yaak): The MIT-licensed source on GitHub - [About Yaak](https://yaak.app/about): Product, creator, company, and key facts - [Changelog](https://yaak.app/changelog): Release notes ## Comparisons - [Postman alternatives](https://yaak.app/postman-alternatives): Six API clients compared, with a feature matrix and pricing - [Yaak vs Bruno](https://yaak.app/compare/bruno): A Bruno alternative built for everyday API work. A focused interface, built-in request chaining, powerful plugins, and encrypted Git sharing. From the creator of Insomnia. - [Yaak vs Insomnia](https://yaak.app/compare/insomnia): Why Insomnia’s original creator built Yaak: a responsive interface, local workspaces, encrypted Git sharing, and a license you can keep using. - [Yaak vs Postman](https://yaak.app/compare/postman): Use Postman mainly to send requests and debug APIs? Compare Yaak’s local workspaces, Git sharing, and built-in tools for dynamic requests. ## Docs: Getting Started - [Installation](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/installation.md): How to install Yaak on macOS, Windows, and Linux - [Security and Privacy](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/security-and-privacy.md): Where your data lives, what leaves your machine, and how secrets are protected - [How the Web Proxy Works](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/web-proxy.md): What happens when you send an API request from Yaak in your browser - [Keyboard Shortcuts](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/keyboard-shortcuts.md): Customize keyboard shortcuts and choose Vim, VSCode, or Emacs editor key bindings - [CLI and Agents](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/cli-usage.md): Install and use the Yaak CLI to send requests and manage resources from the command line - [MCP Server](https://yaak.app/docs/getting-started/mcp-server.md): Connect AI assistants and LLM tools to Yaak using the Model Context Protocol ## Docs: Request Types - [HTTP Requests](https://yaak.app/docs/request-types/http-requests.md): Send REST API requests with any HTTP method, headers, and body types - [GraphQL Requests](https://yaak.app/docs/request-types/graphql-requests.md): Build and execute GraphQL queries and mutations with schema-aware autocomplete - [gRPC Requests](https://yaak.app/docs/request-types/grpc-requests.md): Send and test gRPC API calls with automatic schema discovery - [WebSocket Connections](https://yaak.app/docs/request-types/websockets.md): Connect to WebSocket servers and exchange messages - [Server-Sent Events](https://yaak.app/docs/request-types/server-sent-events.md): Stream real-time events from SSE endpoints ## Docs: Authentication - [Request Inheritance](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/request-inheritance.md): Apply authentication or headers to an entire workspace or folder - [Cookies and Cookie Jars](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/cookies.md): Manage cookies across requests with automatic capture and cookie jars - [API Key Authentication](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/api-key.md): Authenticate requests with API keys in headers or query parameters - [AWS Signature v4](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/aws-signature.md): Sign requests for AWS services and S3-compatible APIs - [Basic Authentication](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/basic-auth.md): Authenticate requests with username and password credentials - [Bearer Token Authentication](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/bearer-token.md): Authenticate requests with access tokens, API keys, and custom prefixes - [JWT](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/jwt.md): Generate and sign JSON Web Tokens for API authentication - [NTLM](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/ntlm.md): Authenticate with Windows NTLM for corporate and legacy systems - [OAuth 1.0](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/oauth1.md): Authenticate requests using OAuth 1.0 signed requests - [OAuth 2.0](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/oauth2.md): Authenticate with OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) providers - [Client Certificates](https://yaak.app/docs/authentication/client-certificates.md): Authenticate with TLS client certificates ## Docs: Templating - [Environments and Variables](https://yaak.app/docs/templating/environments-and-variables.md): Reference values across multiple requests - [Template Functions](https://yaak.app/docs/templating/template-functions.md): Use dynamic values from anywhere in Yaak - [Template Function Reference](https://yaak.app/docs/templating/template-function-reference.md): Every built-in template function, with its arguments - [Request Chaining (Scripting)](https://yaak.app/docs/templating/request-chaining-scripting.md): How to chain together multiple requests - [Pre/Post Request Scripting](https://yaak.app/docs/templating/pre-post-request-scripting.md): How to do common scripting tasks with template tags instead of scripts - [1Password Vault Integration](https://yaak.app/docs/templating/1password-vault-integration.md): Access 1Password secrets directly from Yaak - [Generating Fake Data](https://yaak.app/docs/templating/generating-fake-data.md): Generate realistic fake data for testing with FakerJS ## Docs: Collaboration - [Local Directory/Git Sync](https://yaak.app/docs/collaboration/local-directory-git-sync.md): Sync a workspace to the filesystem, for use with Git or other tools - [Import Curl Commands](https://yaak.app/docs/collaboration/import-curl-commands.md): Import curl commands directly into Yaak - [Secrets Encryption](https://yaak.app/docs/collaboration/secrets-encryption.md): Encrypt secrets for secure backup and collaboration - [Import and Export Data](https://yaak.app/docs/collaboration/import-and-export-data.md): Share workspaces with one-time data import and export ## Docs: Migration Guides - [Migrate from Postman](https://yaak.app/docs/migration/postman.md): Export Postman collections and environments, import them into Yaak, and prepare your workspace for a team - [Migrate from Bruno](https://yaak.app/docs/migration/bruno.md): Import Bruno collections into Yaak, including folders, environments, and authentication - [Migrate from Insomnia](https://yaak.app/docs/migration/insomnia.md): Migrate your Insomnia workspaces and environments to Yaak - [Import OpenAPI & Swagger](https://yaak.app/docs/migration/openapi-swagger.md): Generate Yaak requests from OpenAPI 3.x and Swagger 2.0 specifications ## Docs: Plugin Development - [Plugins Quick Start](https://yaak.app/docs/plugin-development/plugins-quick-start.md): Create your own Yaak plugin, in minutes ## Docs: Teams and Licensing - [Lifetime Fallback License](https://yaak.app/docs/teams-and-licensing/lifetime-fallback-license.md): Keep using your last covered version of Yaak for commercial use - [Team License Management](https://yaak.app/docs/teams-and-licensing/team-license-management.md): Inviting your team and managing licenses - [Single Sign-On](https://yaak.app/docs/teams-and-licensing/single-sign-on.md): Let organization members sign in through your identity provider - [User and Group Provisioning](https://yaak.app/docs/teams-and-licensing/user-group-provisioning.md): Automatically manage team members from your identity provider - [Contact Sales](https://yaak.app/docs/teams-and-licensing/contact-sales.md): For bulk purchases and other inquiries ## Docs: Advanced - [Request Settings](https://yaak.app/docs/advanced/request-settings.md): Configure request timeouts, SSL/TLS certificate validation, and redirects - [Proxy Configuration](https://yaak.app/docs/advanced/proxy-configuration.md): Route requests through HTTP proxies with authentication and bypass rules - [Working With Large Values](https://yaak.app/docs/advanced/working-with-large-values.md): Reference large values without affecting performance - [Running Multiple Requests](https://yaak.app/docs/advanced/running-multiple-requests.md): Run a folder or workspace in order, and where collection runner features stand - [Code Snippets](https://yaak.app/docs/advanced/code-snippets.md): Generate code for any request in 21 languages ## Docs: Troubleshooting - [Troubleshooting](https://yaak.app/docs/troubleshooting/troubleshooting.md): How to debug and troubleshoot issues - [Blank screen or crash on Linux](https://yaak.app/docs/troubleshooting/linux-graphics-issues.md): Fix blank screens and startup crashes on Linux caused by Wayland, NVIDIA drivers, or WebKitGTK ## Optional - [Plugins](https://yaak.app/plugins): Plugin directory - [Blog](https://yaak.app/blog): Posts and announcements - [Feedback](https://yaak.app/feedback): Feature requests and the roadmap