# Collections

> Group captured requests into named collections to keep examples, reproduce bugs and share a set of requests with your team or outside it.

Source: https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/collections

A collection is a named list of captured requests in a bucket. Use one to keep the requests that reproduce a bug, the examples a partner should look at, or the failures from an incident, so nobody has to search for them again. Your teammates see the bucket's collections, and you can share a collection with anyone through a public link.

## Before you begin

- **Plan.** Creating collections, editing them and adding requests needs a plan that includes **Collections**. Your plan can also limit how many collections the account keeps at once. If the plan no longer includes collections, existing ones stay readable, and you can still remove requests from them, share them and delete them.
- **Sharing.** Public links also need **Share links** on your plan. See [Share requests and collections](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/sharing).
- **Role.** Any member of the account can create, edit, share and delete collections.
- **Bucket.** Collections belong to one bucket and hold requests from that bucket.

## Collections in the sample data

The **Sample: Acme Store API** bucket comes with two collections that the sample scenario refills every day:

| Collection | What it holds |
| --- | --- |
| **Payments incident: failed captures** | Captures that failed with 502 during the daily 14:00–14:40 UTC payments incident. |
| **Checkout issues to review** | Checkouts that did not complete: validation errors, declined cards, sold-out items and an inventory race. |

The sample bucket is read-only, so you can open these collections but not change or share them.

*The two collections in the sample bucket.*

![Collections page listing the two sample collections with their request counts](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/images/collaborate/collections-list.png)

## Create a collection

**Open Collections**

In the left navigation, under **Workspace**, select **Collections**. Select **New Collection**.

**Name it**

Enter a **Name**, such as `Authentication Flow`, and optional **Details** that say what the collection is for. Details appear under the name in the list, on the collection page and on the public page if you share it. Select **Create**.

*The Create Collection dialog.*

![Create Collection dialog with Name and Details fields and a Create button](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/images/collaborate/collections-create-1-dialog.png)

You can also create a collection while you add a request to it, as described next.

## Add requests to a collection

**Open the request**

Find the request in the request log and open it.

**Choose Add to Collection**

Open the request's actions menu (the **⋮** button) and choose **Add to Collection**.

*Add to Collection in a request's actions menu.*

![Request actions menu with Copy Request, Find Similar, Add to Collection, Add to WAF and Share options](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/images/collaborate/collections-add-1-menu.png)

**Pick the collection**

In the **Add to Collection** panel, enter an optional **Request Name**, such as `Login POST request`, so the request is easy to recognize in the list. Choose the collection under **Select Collection** and select **Add**.

To put the request in a new collection, select **New Collection**, enter a **New Collection Name** and select **Create & Add**.

*Choosing a collection for the request.*

![Add to Collection panel with Request Name, Select Collection and Add button](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/images/collaborate/collections-add-2-panel.png)

> **Note:** Add to Collection only appears on buckets you can change and when your plan includes collections. It isn't offered on the sample bucket.

## Work with a collection

Select a collection's name, or its view button, to open it. Each request is listed by the name you gave it (or its request ID) with its **Status** and when it was **Added**. Select a request to expand its full detail, the same view as in the request log.

*A collection with one request expanded.*

![Collection detail page listing failed capture requests with status badges, one expanded to show its request detail](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/images/collaborate/collections-detail.png)

From the collection page you can:

- **Rename** a request in the collection. This changes only its name in the collection.
- **Remove** a request from the collection. The request itself stays in your request log.
- **Share** the collection with a public link.

From the **Collections** list you can also **Edit** a collection's name and details, or **Delete** it. Deleting a collection doesn't delete its requests, and any public link to it stops working.

> **Warning:** A collection holds references to requests, not copies. When a request ages out of your plan's retention period, it stays listed in the collection but its detail can't be loaded any more.

## Share a collection

A shared collection is a read-only public page. Anyone with the link can see the collection's name, details and every request in it, without signing in. It always shows the collection as it is now, so requests you add after sharing appear on the shared page too.

**Open the share panel**

Select **Share** on the collection page, or the share button on its row in the **Collections** list.

**Set up the link**

Enter an optional **Name** to recognize the link later, such as `API examples for partner`, and choose a **Link Expiration**: **24 hours**, **7 days**, **30 days** or **No expiration**. Select **Create Share Link**.

*Creating a share link for a collection.*

![Share Collection panel with Name and Link Expiration fields and a Create Share Link button](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/images/collaborate/collections-share-1-panel.png)

**Copy the link**

Select **Copy** next to **Share Link** and send it. The panel shows when the link expires. To stop sharing, select **Revoke Share Link**.

A collection has one active share link at a time. Opening **Share** again shows the existing link rather than making a new one. To change the expiry, revoke the link and create a new one.

*What people see when they open a shared collection.*

![Public shared collection page with the collection name, details, request list and one expanded request](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/images/collaborate/collections-share-2-public.png)

Before you share, read [what a public link exposes](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/sharing#what-a-shared-link-exposes).

## Collections and AI assistants

Assistants connected to the [MCP server](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/integrations/mcp-server) can read your collections with `list_collections` and `get_collection`, so you can point one at "the requests in Checkout issues to review" instead of describing them.

## Troubleshooting

**I don't see Add to Collection on a request**

It isn't offered on the sample bucket, or when your plan doesn't include **Collections**. Open a request in one of your own buckets.

**Creating a collection fails**

Your plan may limit how many collections the account can keep. Delete collections you no longer need, or change your plan.

**A request in a collection won't load**

In the app the request shows **Could not load request details.**, and on a shared page **Request data is no longer available.** If **Retry** doesn't help, the request is older than your plan's retention period or was deleted. The collection keeps the entry so you can see it was there.

## Related

- [Share requests and collections](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/sharing):
    Public links, expiry, revoking and what a link exposes.

- [Request details](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/traffic/request-details):
    Everything you see when you open a request.

- [Stream views](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/traffic/saved-views):
    Save a filter instead of a fixed list of requests.

- [MCP server](https://www.apitraffic.io/docs/integrations/mcp-server):
    Let an AI assistant read your collections.