API tools

Several tools work well for calling the CDB API. The right choice depends on the workflow: GUI exploration, shell scripting, IDE-based development, or production code.

Postman

Postman is a GUI application for making API requests, well-suited for exploring endpoints visually, testing requests interactively, and sharing collections with a team.

Import the CDB Cloud spec

The CDB API ships with an OpenAPI specification file (cloud_api.yaml) that Postman can import to auto-generate a complete request collection — every endpoint, pre-filled with parameters.

The spec file is available in the product-documentation repository at:

api-reference/services_docs_mintlify/cloud_api.yaml

To import:

1. Open Postman and click Import in the top-left.
2. Select the File tab.
3. Drag and drop cloud_api.yaml, or click Upload Files and select it.
4. Postman generates a collection named CDB OpenAPI — Cloud API with all endpoints grouped by resource type.

Set the API token in Postman

1. In the generated collection, click the collection name → Edit.
2. Open the Variables tab.
3. Add a variable named GCORE_API_KEY and paste the token as the Current value.
4. In the Authorization tab, set Type to API Key, Key to Authorization, Value to APIKey {{GCORE_API_KEY}}, and Add to to Header.
5. Save.

All requests in the collection now automatically include the token.

Send a request

1. In the collection, navigate to IAM → Account → Get account details.
2. Click Send.
3. The response panel on the right shows the JSON response and status code.

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HTTPie

HTTPie (http command) is a curl alternative with a more readable syntax. It color-formats responses, handles JSON automatically, and is well-suited for quick terminal work.

Install

Install using the package manager for the operating system in use:

OS	Command
macOS	brew install httpie
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)	sudo apt install httpie
Windows	winget install httpie or pip install httpie
Any	pip install httpie

Verify: http --version

Syntax

An HTTPie request is shorter and more readable than the equivalent curl command:

# curl
curl "https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/iam/clients/me" \
  -H "Authorization: APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY"

# HTTPie equivalent
http GET https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/iam/clients/me \
  "Authorization:APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY"

Key differences from curl:

• No quotes around the URL (unless it contains special characters)
• Headers are written as Key:Value without the -H flag
• GET is the default and can be omitted
• JSON responses are automatically formatted and color-coded

A POST request with a JSON body:

# curl
curl -X POST "https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/cloud/v1/networks/$PROJECT_ID/$REGION_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "my-network"}'

# HTTPie equivalent
http POST https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/cloud/v1/networks/$PROJECT_ID/$REGION_ID \
  "Authorization:APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY" \
  name="my-network"

HTTPie serializes key=value arguments as JSON automatically and sets Content-Type: application/json.

ℹ️

Set the token as an environment variable and reference it as $GCORE_API_KEY to avoid shell expansion issues. See API basics for details.

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VS Code REST Client

The REST Client extension for Visual Studio Code sends HTTP requests directly from a .http file in the editor, so requests live alongside the code that uses them and can be committed to version control.

Install

1. Open VS Code.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS) to open Extensions.
3. Search for REST Client (author: Huachao Mao) and click Install.

Create a request file

Create a file named gcore.http anywhere in the project:

@baseUrl = https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com
@projectId = 1234567
@regionId = 76

### Verify token
GET {{baseUrl}}/iam/clients/me
Authorization: APIKey {{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}}

### List projects
GET {{baseUrl}}/cloud/v1/projects
Authorization: APIKey {{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}}

### List instances
GET {{baseUrl}}/cloud/v1/instances/{{projectId}}/{{regionId}}
Authorization: APIKey {{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}}

Click Send Request above any request to run it. The response opens in a side panel.

{{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}} reads the token from a .env file in the workspace root. Create .env:

GCORE_API_KEY=29841_c767b250...

ℹ️

Paste the token value exactly as copied from the portal — no escaping needed.

Add .env to .gitignore to avoid committing the token.

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Bruno and Insomnia

Bruno and Insomnia are open-source alternatives to Postman with similar GUI-based workflows. Both support OpenAPI import.

Bruno stores collections as plain text files in the filesystem (no cloud sync required), making it a good choice for teams that want collections committed to version control alongside code.

Both tools accept the same cloud_api.yaml import file described in the Postman section above.