URL Swap (Dev Helper)

About

# URL Swap (Dev Helper)

**Instant URL redirects for web developers**

URL Swap is a lightweight Chrome extension that helps developers redirect matching URLs to another host, port, or scheme directly in the browser.

Debug production builds against localhost, switch between staging and development, test new backends, or route requests to mock APIs without changing application code.

## Why developers use URL Swap

### Redirect requests instantly
Send matching URLs to localhost, staging servers, mock services, or another environment in seconds.

### No code changes required
Test different backends without editing frontend code, environment files, reverse proxies, or your hosts file.

### Fully client-side
No external proxy, no SaaS dependency, and no traffic sent through third-party infrastructure.

### Built for modern web apps
Works well for React, Next.js, Vue, Angular, Svelte, and other frontend or full-stack setups.

### Keeps path and query parameters intact
Only the scheme, host, or port changes, so your request structure stays the same.

### Quick enable or disable toggle
Turn rules on or off with one click without losing your saved configuration.

### Chrome Sync support
Keep your rules available across Chrome devices where sync is enabled.

## Common use cases

- Redirect `api.example.com` to `http://localhost:8080`
- Point a production frontend to a local backend
- Test staging APIs without rebuilding the app
- Route requests to mock servers during frontend development
- Switch between API versions during migrations
- Test microservices in different local or remote environments
- Debug WebSocket connections in development

## Works with

- Fetch
- XHR / AJAX
- Images
- Scripts
- API calls
- WebSockets

## Great for

- Frontend development
- Full-stack development
- Localhost debugging
- API testing
- Staging environment testing
- Mock backend workflows
- Migration between backend services
- QA and developer testing flows

## How it works

1. Open the extension
2. Enter a URL fragment, host, or path to match
3. Enter the destination host, port, or scheme
4. Save and enable the rule
5. Reload your site

Matching requests are now redirected directly in your browser.

## A practical alternative to

- Editing the hosts file
- Rebuilding with different environment variables
- Running a reverse proxy for simple redirects
- Changing app code for temporary backend switching

Whether you are testing a new API, debugging localhost integrations, or switching between development and staging, URL Swap helps you move faster.

## SEO keywords

Chrome extension for URL redirect, URL rewrite, backend switching, localhost debugging, local API proxy, staging server testing, mock API testing, frontend testing, React development, Angular development, Vue development, Next.js development, WebSocket redirect, developer productivity tool.

**Install URL Swap (Dev Helper) and redirect URLs on the fly.**