Documentation

Guides and reference documentation for Trace.

Getting started

Installation

Download and install Trace on your iOS device. System requirements and initial setup instructions.

Configuration

Configure Network Extension and enable traffic capture. Set up filters and customize capture behavior.

TLS certificate

Install root certificate for HTTPS inspection. Trust configuration and security implications.

User guide

Capturing traffic

Start capture from Settings tab and view traffic in the Network tab. Filter by HTTP, WebSocket, SSE, or TCP flows with saved presets. Group by domain or session for better organization.

Inspecting requests

Tap any request to view complete details: headers, body (JSON, XML, images, SVG, multipart), timing breakdowns, TLS certificate chains, and HTTP/2 HPACK tables. Compare requests side-by-side and search across all content.

Modifying and replaying

Use Request Builder to craft custom requests or import cURL commands. Configure rewrite rules, request maps, host overrides, breakpoints, and JavaScript scripts in the Tools tab. Apply network condition profiles to simulate different connectivity scenarios.

Exporting data

Export/import HAR files from Settings → Data. Export TCP flows as CSV or JSON. Export and import configuration including rewrite rules, request maps, scripts, and hosts.

Developer documentation

Building from source

Clone repository and build in Xcode. Configure signing and capabilities. Deploy to physical device for testing.

Contributing

Development setup and workflow. Coding standards and pull request process. Testing and quality requirements.

Architecture overview

System design and component interaction. Network Extension implementation details. Data flow and storage architecture.

API reference

Core types and protocols. Extension points and customization. Internal APIs and implementation notes.

Advanced topics

Certificate pinning bypass

Techniques for debugging apps with certificate pinning.

Custom protocol handlers

Extending Trace to support custom or proprietary protocols.

Performance optimization

Minimizing impact on device performance and battery life.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions. Debugging capture problems.

Additional resources

Detailed documentation is maintained in the GitHub repository. README, wiki, and inline code documentation provide comprehensive coverage.

This documentation page provides an overview of available topics.

Complete documentation content will be added as the project matures.