Variables & Auth
Cluster-level variables with {{interpolation}}, a dedicated variable editor, set-from-response, and auth inheritance (inherit/bearer/basic).
Variable System
Variables let you reuse values across requests. Define them at the cluster level and reference them with {{variableName}} anywhere — URL, headers, params, body, or auth fields.
Defining Variables
There are three ways to define variables:
- Variable Editor Tab — Right-click a cluster → Variables (or click the VAR button in the cluster header). Opens a dedicated singleton tab with a key/value/enabled table. New rows are auto-appended as you type. A badge in the tab shows the variable count.
- Cluster Overview — Open the cluster’s Overview tab and use the quick-action Variables button in the sidebar.
- From Scripts — Use
vx.clusterVariables.set('key', 'value')in post-response scripts to save values programmatically.
Using Variables
In any request field, type {{base_url}}/users and VortexHQ will resolve it at send time. Variables are highlighted in real-time:
- Cyan — Resolved variable (value found in cluster variables)
- Rose — Unresolved variable (no matching key found)
Hover over a {{variable}} in the URL bar to see a tooltip with its resolved value.
Recursive Resolution
Variables can reference other variables. For example, if api_url = {{base_url}}/api/{{version}}, VortexHQ resolves the chain recursively.
Set Variable from Response
After sending a request, click the Set Variable button in the response panel. A JSON path picker appears showing up to 3 levels of nested paths from the response body. Search and filter paths, select the one you need, give it a name, and it is saved to the cluster’s variables.
You can also right-click any node in the JSON tree and choose Set as Variable.
Value Colorization
In key-value editors (headers, params), values are intelligently colorized beyond just variables:
- Auth prefixes (
Bearer,Basic) — pink - MIME types (
application/json) — green - URLs — blue
- Booleans (
true/false) — green/red - UUIDs — purple
- Dates — cyan
- Numbers — amber
- Emails — purple
Authentication
Each request supports four auth modes:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Inherit | Uses the auth setting from the parent cluster. This is the default for all new requests. |
| None | No authentication header sent. |
| Bearer Token | Adds Authorization: Bearer {token} header. The token field supports {{variables}}. |
| Basic Auth | Adds Authorization: Basic {base64(user:pass)} header. Both username and password fields support {{variables}}. |
Cluster-Level Auth
Set default authentication at the cluster level:
- Right-click the cluster → Auth, or use the sidebar quick-action in the Cluster Overview.
- A dedicated Auth Editor tab opens (singleton — reuses the same tab).
- Choose the auth type and enter your credentials. All requests set to Inherit will use these values.
The auth is injected at send time — Bearer adds the header directly, Basic base64-encodes username:password. Variables are resolved before injection.