Tutorials

Welcome to the MockForge tutorials! These step-by-step guides walk you through common workflows and real-world scenarios.

Each tutorial is designed to be completed in 5-10 minutes and focuses on a specific goal.

Getting Started Tutorials

Your First Mock API in 5 Minutes

Time: 5 minutes | Level: Beginner

The fastest way to get started with MockForge. Create a simple REST API from scratch and test it.

You’ll learn:

• Basic YAML configuration
• Template variables
• Starting the server
• Testing endpoints

Perfect for: First-time users who want to see MockForge in action immediately.

Common Workflow Tutorials

Mock a REST API from an OpenAPI Spec

Time: 3 minutes | Level: Beginner

Automatically generate mock endpoints from your OpenAPI/Swagger specification.

You’ll learn:

• Loading OpenAPI specs
• Auto-generated responses
• Request validation
• Overriding specific endpoints

Perfect for: Teams with existing API documentation who want instant mocks.

Admin UI Walkthrough

Time: 5 minutes | Level: Beginner

Discover MockForge’s visual interface for managing your mock server without editing config files.

You’ll learn:

• Dashboard navigation
• Live request logs
• Fixture management
• Latency and fault simulation
• Full-text search

Perfect for: Visual learners and teams who prefer UI over CLI.

Add a Custom Plugin

Time: 10 minutes | Level: Intermediate

Extend MockForge with plugins for custom authentication, data generation, or business logic.

You’ll learn:

• Installing pre-built plugins
• Using plugins in configs
• Creating your own plugin
• Plugin security and permissions

Perfect for: Developers who need custom functionality beyond built-in features.

Scenario-Based Tutorials

Coming Soon

We’re working on tutorials for these common scenarios:

• Frontend Development Workflow: Set up mocks for a React/Vue/Angular app
• Microservices Testing: Mock a multi-service architecture
• Team Collaboration: Share mocks with Git and workspace sync
• CI/CD Integration: Use MockForge in automated testing pipelines
• Performance Testing: Simulate load and measure application behavior
• WebSocket Real-Time Apps: Mock chat, notifications, and live updates
• gRPC Service Development: Work with Protocol Buffers and streaming

Want to see a specific tutorial? Open an issue with your suggestion!

Tutorial Format

Each tutorial follows this structure:

1. Goal: What you’ll accomplish
2. Time: How long it takes
3. Prerequisites: What you need before starting
4. Step-by-step instructions: Clear, numbered steps
5. Code examples: Ready-to-use configurations
6. Troubleshooting: Common issues and solutions
7. What’s next: Related guides and advanced topics

How to Use These Tutorials

For Beginners

Start with “Your First Mock API in 5 Minutes”, then move to “Mock a REST API from an OpenAPI Spec” if you have existing API documentation.

For Teams

Have team members complete “Admin UI Walkthrough” to get comfortable with the visual interface, then explore “Team Collaboration” (coming soon) for multi-user workflows.

For Developers

Jump straight to “Add a Custom Plugin” if you need advanced customization, or start with the basic tutorials to understand core concepts first.

Contributing Tutorials

Found a tutorial helpful? Have ideas for new ones? We welcome contributions!

See our Contributing Guide for details on how to submit tutorial ideas or write your own.

Quick Reference

Ready to start? Pick a tutorial above and follow along. Each one is designed to give you hands-on experience with MockForge’s powerful features.