Guides · HAR files and network logs

How to export a HAR file from Chrome

Updated Sep 23, 2026

Open DevTools (F12 or Cmd+Option+I), go to the Network tab, tick Preserve log, reproduce the problem, then click the download arrow (Export HAR) in the Network toolbar. Since Chrome 130 the file is sanitized by default: cookies, Set-Cookie and Authorization headers are left out.

Step by step

  1. Open the page with the problem. Open DevTools: F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows and Linux, ⌘⌥I on Mac. Or right-click the page → Inspect.
  2. Click the Network tab.
  3. Tick Preserve log so requests aren't cleared if the page navigates or reloads. Tick Disable cache if the problem might be a stale file.
  4. Check the round record button at the top left is red (recording). Click the clear button (⃠) to start from an empty list.
  5. Reproduce the problem. You'll see requests appear as they happen.
  6. Click the Export HAR button (a download arrow) in the Network toolbar and save the file. You can also right-click any request and choose Save all as HAR.

What Chrome 130+ changed

Since Chrome 130, the default export is sanitized. It leaves out the Cookie, Set-Cookie and Authorization headers. That's the right default, but two things surprise people:

A HAR file alone often isn't enough

A HAR shows what the network did. It doesn't show what the user clicked, what the screen looked like, or the JavaScript error that fired after the bad response. Whoever reads it has to line that up with a separate video and a separate console log, by hand, by timestamp.

Roll records all of it together: the tab video, a HAR 1.2 log of every fetch and XHR request with bodies, the console, and your clicks, on one timeline. It never captures Authorization, cookie or API-key headers, or password and card fields. Download the recording and the HAR is inside as network.har; or share a link and the viewer shows the failed request next to the moment it happened. Note that Roll logs fetch and XHR calls, not images, stylesheets or the page load itself; for those, use DevTools as above.

See the demo recording, or read more about the screen recorder with network logs.

Reading a HAR file

Drag the file onto the DevTools Network panel to import it, or open it in any HAR viewer. Look for red rows (4xx and 5xx) first, then open Response on each. If you're handing it to an AI agent, send the failed requests with their bodies rather than the whole file. The AI bug report template shows how.

Questions

What is a HAR file?

HAR (HTTP Archive) is a JSON file that lists every network request a page made while it was recorded: URL, method, headers, status, timing, and usually the response content. Support teams ask for it because it shows exactly what the browser sent and got back.

Why is my HAR file empty?

DevTools only records network activity while it's open. Open DevTools first, then reload or reproduce the problem. Also check that the record button (red dot) in the Network panel is on and that no filter is hiding requests.

Does a HAR file include passwords?

It can. Since Chrome 130 the default export leaves out cookies, Set-Cookie and Authorization headers, but request bodies (like a login form's JSON) and tokens in URLs stay in. Read how to share a HAR file safely before sending one.

How do I export a HAR file with cookies included?

In DevTools Settings → Preferences → Network, enable 'Allow to generate HAR with sensitive data'. Then long-press the Export HAR button and choose 'Export HAR (with sensitive data)'. Only do this if the person asking really needs it.

How do I export a HAR file in Edge, Firefox or Safari?

Edge works exactly like Chrome. In Firefox, open the Network tab, right-click any request and choose 'Save All As HAR'. In Safari, enable the Develop menu, open Web Inspector → Network, and click Export.