mock-api

How to create a public mock API endpoint in 60 seconds

Spin up a public mock API endpoint that returns canned responses in 60 seconds. No backend, no install, no credit card. Includes a side-by-side comparison with running your own Express stub.

Jackson

24 May 2026 — 2 min read

Sometimes you need a public URL that returns canned JSON. Right now. Not after 30 minutes of writing an Express stub, picking a hosting provider, and arguing with ngrok.

This walkthrough gets you there in under a minute on RequestBin's free plan.

What you'll get

A live HTTPS URL on the rbmock.dev domain
Rule-based routing — match a method/path, return a status + body
Every incoming hit captured for inspection (so you can verify the integration actually called it)

The 60-second walkthrough

1. Create a mock endpoint (~10s)

Sign up at requestbin.net (no credit card on the free plan). Click Mock APIs → New Mock API. You'll get a URL like https://abc12xyz.rbmock.dev.

2. Add a rule (~30s)

On the new mock's detail page, click Add rule:

Method: GET
Path: /users/1
Status: 200
Body: { "id": 1, "name": "Test User" }
Content-Type header: application/json

Save the rule.

3. Deploy (~5s)

Click Deploy. The rule is now live on the public URL.

4. Verify (~15s)

curl https://abc12xyz.rbmock.dev/users/1
# > {"id":1,"name":"Test User"}

The request also lands in the Requests tab of the mock detail page so you can confirm the integration actually called it (not just your local curl).

Compare: rolling your own

Equivalent setup with Express:

Write app.get('/users/1', (req, res) => res.json(...))
Pick a hosting provider (Vercel? Fly? Render?)
Configure a project + deploy + wait for build
Get an HTTPS URL — but you still don't have inspection of incoming hits

Or with webhook.site / Beeceptor:

webhook.site doesn't do canned responses (inspection only)
Beeceptor caps free at 50 requests/day per endpoint

When this is the wrong tool

RequestBin's mock APIs aren't a substitute for production. Bodies cap at 100KB, latency isn't tuned for synthetic load testing, and the routing engine is rule-based (not handler code). Use it for: