restViz — Ditch Postman & Swagger for a Native Express API Sandbox
After months of hacking away, I finally built what I always wanted in a Node.js project: a zero-setup, in-app API docs + live testing tool, all in Express.
Introducing restViz — a middleware that turns your Express app into a live, interactive API testing sandbox.
What it does:
- Lists all your routes — including nested ones from Express v5
- Auto-generates interactive documentation
- Lets you send live requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) directly from your docs
- Customize headers, bodies, and see responses instantly
No Swagger config.No Postman tabs. No jumping between tools.
Just drop in this into your Express app:
const { init } = require("restviz");
app.use(init(express, { title: "My API Docs" }));
Boom. Your docs + API tester are live.
Why I built it?
Swagger felt bloated for small projects. Postman is great — but it lives outside the dev workflow. I wanted something native, clean, and integrated into the stack I already use every day.
Now with full Express v5 support, restViz handles even deeply nested routers without breaking a sweat.
If you're building APIs with Express and want a faster workflow, give restViz a shot.
GitHub: restviz
Website: restviz
Happy to get feedback, ideas, or collab with anyone interested in open source tooling :)
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