HTTP Logging

HTTP logging records the requests and responses that pass through your TCP port forwards, so you can debug API calls. It is off by default and you turn it on for each config.

The HTTP logs video shows the desktop logs opened in an editor.

Enabling HTTP loggingCopy Anchor Link

Logging starts for new connections. Connections that were open before you turned it on stay unlogged until they reconnect.

Config fieldsCopy Anchor Link

The current HTTP logger appends to files without applying these size and retention settings. Check disk usage and delete old logs manually.

This example saves a 20 MiB size setting and 14-day retention preference:

{
  "alias": "api-debug",
  "target": "app=backend,version=v2",
  "namespace": "staging",
  "local_port": 3000,
  "remote_port": 8080,
  "context": "my-k8s-cluster",
  "workload_type": "pod",
  "protocol": "tcp",
  "http_logs_enabled": true,
  "http_logs_max_file_size": 20971520,
  "http_logs_retention_days": 14,
  "http_logs_auto_cleanup": true
}

Log file locationCopy Anchor Link

HTTP logs live in the http_logs folder inside the configuration directory. kftray looks for the directory in this order:

1. KFTRAY_CONFIG
2. $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/kftray
3. ~/.kftray

Each port forward writes its own file, named <config id>_<local port>.http:

Log formatCopy Anchor Link

The .http files are plain text. The # lines and ### separators match the VS Code REST Client format. Each request and each response is its own entry.

# ----------------------------------------
# Trace ID: a1b2c3d4
# Request at: 2026-02-09T14:32:15.123+00:00
POST /api/users HTTP/1.1
Host: localhost:8080
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 87

{"email":"[email protected]","name":"Jane Doe","role":"admin"}

###

# ----------------------------------------
# Trace ID: a1b2c3d4
# Response at: 2026-02-09T14:32:15.168+00:00
# Took: 45 ms
HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 156

{"id":"usr_123","email":"[email protected]","name":"Jane Doe","role":"admin"}

###

kftray decodes response bodies sent with Content-Encoding: gzip, br or a stacked value such as gzip, br. It shows other encodings as received. The preformatted-response path cuts decoded bodies at 10 MiB and adds a truncation marker. Other response-formatting paths do not share that limit.

Viewing and replaying in kftuiCopy Anchor Link

Press V to open the HTTP logs viewer. It has two modes.

List mode is the default:

• It shows all requests with timestamps and status codes.
• ↑ ↓ move through requests and PageUp PageDown scroll by ten entries.
• Enter opens the detail view for a request.
• a turns automatic scrolling for new requests on or off.
• Esc closes the viewer.

Detail mode shows the full request and response, including headers and body:

• ↑ ↓ and PageUp PageDown scroll the details.
• r replays the selected request. kftui sends it to http://localhost:<local_port> of the forward, unless the request path is already a full HTTP URL.
• Esc goes back to list mode.

Press o to open the log file in your external editor. Request replay exists in kftui only.

CleanupCopy Anchor Link

Delete old logs manually:

rm ~/.kftray/http_logs/*.http

If you changed KFTRAY_CONFIG or XDG_CONFIG_HOME, use that directory's http_logs folder instead. HTTP logging can produce large files for busy services, so check disk use now and then.