httmock: Mock HTTP Requests for Python Tests

Overview

httmock is a Python library for intercepting HTTP requests made through requests and supplying mocked responses. It helps developers test API clients and other code that uses requests without depending on live services, network availability, or real API data.

It is suited to tests that need to control which requests are intercepted and what status, headers, cookies, or content they receive. The project README documents support for Python 2.7 and Python 3.4+.

Key Features

• Intercepts requests made with the requests library.
• Matches requests by URL using the urlmatch decorator.
• Provides an all_requests decorator for handling all requests in a test context.
• Allows mocked responses to be returned as dictionaries or created with the response helper.
• Supports response status codes, content, headers, and cookies.
• Activates handlers within an HTTMock context manager.

Use Cases

• API client authors can test success and error handling without calling a live API.
• Library maintainers can verify code that uses requests internally with predictable responses.
• Test authors can simulate particular hosts while leaving unmatched requests unaffected by conditional matching.
• Developers can check response handling for status codes, headers, JSON content, or cookies.

Project Facts

• Language: Python
• License: NOASSERTION
• Stars: 472
• Forks: 56
• Topics: http, mock, python, requests
• Archived: no

Getting Started

Install with pip install httmock. See the README for usage details.

Alternatives

• HTTPretty: HTTPretty intercepts HTTP traffic at the socket level, while httmock focuses on mocking requests with URL-based matchers.
• responses: responses mocks the requests library with a registry of expected calls and responses, while httmock uses URL-matching handlers to configure responses.

Considerations

httmock is designed for the requests library, so it is not presented as a general-purpose mock for every Python HTTP client. The README lists Python 2.7 and 3.4+ as supported versions; check the project documentation and your environment when using newer Python versions. The input reports the license as NOASSERTION, so verify licensing details before adopting it where that matters.