> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.stoobly.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.stoobly.com/core-concepts/agent/intercept-modes/mocking.md).

# Mocking

The goal of mocking HTTP requests is to simulate the behavior of an actual API. This can involve:

* Returning hard-coded responses
* Returning recorded reponses
* Generating responses

Stoobly's mocking relies on returning hard-coded or recorded responses.

## How are requests matched?

### Scenario

{% hint style="info" %}
If a scenario is specified, then only requests within that scenario will be considered.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
If no scenario is specified, then any request will be considered.
{% endhint %}

If there are multiple matches in a scenario, then each response will be returned in the order in which they were recorded.

### Components

The following request components are matched in a case-sensitive manner:

* HTTP Method
* Path
* Body
* Query Parameters
* Headers
* Body Parameters

#### HTTP Method

Which HTTP method(s)/verb(s) the rule applies to such as GET, POST, DELETE, etc.

#### Path

e.g. `/users`

#### Body

If provided, a strict matching of the body is required.

{% hint style="info" %}
The following requests components can be marked as optional in the UI. An optional request component will not be used for matching purposes when mocking a request. To learn more, visit [here](/core-concepts/agent/proxy-settings/match-rules.md).
{% endhint %}

#### Query Parameters

e.g. `?organization=1`

The order of the query parameters are sorted in alphabetical order before comparison.

#### Headers

e.g. `Content-Type: application/json`

The order of the headers are sorted in alphabetical order before comparison.

#### Body Parameters

Body parameters are dependent on the `Content-Type` header in the request. If the body is a parseable format, body parameters will be parsed out, sorted in alphabetical order, and compared. The following parseable formats are currently supported:

* `application/json`
* `application/x-www-form-urlencoded`

## When are requests matched?

<figure><img src="/files/BX9l2krBJX03y74wqnIM" alt=""><figcaption><p>Mocking a HTTP request with Stoobly</p></figcaption></figure>