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Collections and Folders

Collections and Folders

A collection is a named group of API requests. Inside a collection you can create folders to organise requests by feature, team, or workflow. Folders can be nested as deeply as you need.

Think of it like a filing cabinet: the collection is the drawer, folders are the dividers, and requests are the individual documents inside.

Collections sidebar — nested folders, request list, and context menu

Creating a Collection

  1. In the Collections sidebar, click the + button at the top.
  2. Type a name for your collection and press Enter.

The collection appears in the sidebar, empty and ready for requests.

Creating a Folder

  1. Right-click any collection or existing folder.
  2. Choose New Folder.
  3. Type a name and press Enter.

Adding Requests to a Collection

From an open tab: Build and configure your request, then press Cmd/Ctrl S or click More ▾ → Save. A dialog asks for a name and lets you pick the target collection or folder.

Directly from the sidebar: Right-click any collection or folder and choose New Request. A new blank request tab opens pre-assigned to that location.

Managing Collections, Folders, and Requests

Right-click any item in the sidebar to access its context menu:

ActionWhat it does
RenameEdit the name directly in the sidebar
DuplicateMake an exact copy — useful when two requests are similar
DeletePermanently remove the item and everything inside it
Move to…Relocate to a different collection or folder
ExportDownload the collection as a JSON file for backup or sharing
Copy as cURLGenerate a ready-to-paste terminal command for a request
Add to FavoritesPin the collection to the top of the list for quick access

Collection Variables

Each collection can hold its own set of variables — values shared across all requests inside it, separate from any environment.

This is useful for values that are specific to one API: a fixed apiVersion, a shared clientId, or a base path that never changes regardless of which environment you are targeting.

To add collection variables:

  1. Click the collection name in the sidebar to open the collection details.
  2. Go to the Variables tab.
  3. Add key-value pairs.

Use them in requests with {{variableName}} — the same syntax as environment variables. If the same variable name exists in both the environment and the collection, the environment value takes priority.

Collection-Level Authentication

Rather than configuring authentication on every individual request, set it once on the collection.

  1. Click the collection name in the sidebar.
  2. Go to the Auth tab.
  3. Configure your auth scheme (Bearer, OAuth 2.0, API Key, etc.).
  4. Ensure each request inside is set to Auth → Inherit.

When you update a token or rotate a key, change it in one place and every request in the collection picks it up automatically.

Exporting and Sharing a Collection

Right-click any collection and choose Export. Curlex saves a .json file containing all requests, folders, auth settings, variables, and scripts.

Secret variable values are blanked on export. The keys are preserved but the actual values are removed — safe to share or commit to version control.

To import a collection on another machine, click Import in the header bar and select the file.