Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har

Patrick Vega
By Patrick Vega
11 Min Read

Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har (HTTP Archive) are two popular tools used by web developers and testers to debug and analyze network traffic. Fiddler is a powerful web debugging proxy that logs HTTP(S) traffic between your computer and the internet. It captures requests and responses, allowing you to examine headers, cookies, content, and more. Meanwhile, the HAR (HTTP Archive) format is an open standard used to record HTTP interactions in a structured JSON format, which can be viewed and analyzed in a browser or specialized tools.

Converting Fiddler .saz files to the HAR format is a common task for developers and testers who want to share their network traffic logs in a more standardized and widely supported format. In this article, we will explore how to convert a Fiddler .saz file to HAR format and why you might need to do so.

What Is a Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har?

A Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har Archive File, which is essentially a compressed format containing session data captured by Fiddler during an HTTP(s) traffic session. It holds detailed information such as the requests sent from your computer, the responses received from the server, headers, cookies, and any errors or anomalies that occurred during the session.

A .saz file can be exported from Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har for future analysis or sharing with colleagues. The format is proprietary to Fiddler, which means other tools may not natively support it.

What Is Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har Format?

The HAR format is a JSON-based file format that contains detailed information about HTTP interactions. The HAR format is widely used for web performance analysis because it can capture all of the requests and responses that a web browser makes to load a page. This includes the timing data (e.g., how long it took to send the request, receive the response, or render the page), headers, cookies, and content.

HAR files are often used in:

  • Web performance analysis
  • Debugging network issues in web applications
  • Sharing network traffic with others (such as technical support or during security assessments)

The HAR format is supported by many tools, including browser developer tools, web performance analysis tools (like Google Lighthouse), and third-party HTTP analysis tools.

Why Convert .saz to HAR Format?

There are several reasons you may want to convert a Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har .saz file to the HAR format:

  1. Wider Tool Compatibility: HAR files are a standardized format, supported by many tools, including browser developer tools (e.g., Chrome DevTools, Firefox Developer Tools), web performance tools, and web automation frameworks. By converting Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har sessions to HAR, you can easily import and analyze them in other tools that do not support .saz files.
  2. Data Sharing: If you need to share session data with others (e.g., for bug reporting or collaborative troubleshooting), HAR is a more commonly accepted format. Many bug tracking tools, such as Jira, allow attaching HAR files for easier troubleshooting.
  3. Cross-Platform Accessibility: HAR files are JSON-based and can be read and processed by other programming languages and platforms. If you need to automate the analysis or extract data from the Fiddler session logs, a HAR file is much easier to work with programmatically than a .saz file.
  4. Browser Developer Tools: If you want to view the captured data using browser-based tools, HAR files are compatible with the network inspection tools in Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers. These tools allow you to visually inspect network traffic, analyze load times, and troubleshoot performance issues.

Steps to Convert Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har Format

Method 1: Using Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har Built-in Export Feature

Fiddler provides a built-in option to export sessions to HAR format directly. Here’s how you can convert your .saz file to HAR format using Fiddler:

  1. Open Fiddler: Launch Fiddler on your computer and open the .saz file that contains the session data you wish to convert to HAR.
  2. Export the Sessions:
    • In Fiddler, go to the File menu and select Export Sessions.
    • In the dialog box that appears, choose the session(s) you want to export. You can either select individual sessions or all sessions within the .saz file.
  3. Select HAR Format:
    • Under Save as type, select HTTP Archive (*.har) from the dropdown.
  4. Choose the Location:
    • Choose the directory where you want to save the HAR file and give it an appropriate name.
  5. Save the File:
    • Click Save, and Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har will export the selected sessions to a HAR file in the location you specified.
  6. Open the HAR File:
    • You can now open the HAR file in a browser’s developer tools or any tool that supports HAR files to inspect the captured network traffic.

Method 2: Using Third-Party Tools

If for some reason, you cannot use Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har built-in export feature or you want more control over the export process, you can use third-party tools or scripts to convert .saz files to HAR format.

Using FiddlerCap

FiddlerCap is a simpler version of Fiddler designed for basic web traffic capture, but it also has the option to export traffic in the HAR format. The process is similar to the one described above for exporting from Fiddler, with the added benefit that it might be easier to use for quick capture and export tasks.

  1. Capture Traffic: Open FiddlerCap and capture the relevant traffic.
  2. Export to HAR: Once the capture is complete, use the Export feature to save the captured sessions as a HAR file.

Using Python Script (fiddler2har)

If you’re comfortable with scripting, you can use a Python tool called fiddler2har, which converts .saz files to HAR. The script works by reading the .saz file (which is essentially a ZIP archive containing .xml files representing the traffic) and converting it into a HAR file.

Here are the steps to use the fiddler2har Python script:

  1. Install Dependencies:
    Ensure you have Python installed, then install the necessary dependencies by running:
    bash
    pip install fiddler2har
  2. Run the Script:
    After installing the dependencies, you can run the script to convert your .saz file to a HAR file. For example:
    bash
    fiddler2har mysession.saz -o mysession.har
  3. Verify the Output:
    The script will generate a HAR file in the specified output location. You can then open it using browser developer tools or other tools that support HAR files.

Method 3: Manual Extraction and Conversion (For Advanced Users)

If you’re an advanced user, you might want to extract data from a .saz file manually and convert it into a HAR file. Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Unzip the .saz File: A .saz file is essentially a ZIP archive. You can unzip it using any ZIP extraction tool or programmatically using Python or other scripting languages.
    • Extract the contents of the .saz file to a folder.
  2. Parse Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har Session Files:
    Inside the .saz file, you’ll find individual XML files for each captured HTTP session. You will need to parse these XML files and convert the data into the corresponding HAR format. Each session includes HTTP request and response data, including headers, cookies, and body content.
  3. Format Data as HAR:
    The HAR format is JSON-based, so you will need to construct a JSON object that represents the session data in HAR format. You can refer to the HAR 1.2 specification for details on how to structure the data.
  4. Save as HAR:
    Once you’ve gathered all the data and structured it in the HAR format, save the result as a .har file.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Missing Data: When converting a .saz file to HAR, ensure that the data is captured correctly in Fiddler before exporting. Missing session data might result in incomplete HAR files.
  • Corrupted .saz File: If your .saz file is corrupted or can’t be opened, it may not be possible to convert it to HAR. Ensure the .saz file is not corrupted by testing it in Fiddler first.
  • Browser Compatibility: After converting to HAR format, if you’re having issues viewing the file in your browser’s developer tools, make sure you’re using the latest version of the browser, as older versions might not support all HAR features.

Conclusion

Converting Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har format is a useful skill for web developers and testers who want to share, analyze, or automate network traffic analysis. While Fiddler provides a straightforward method for exporting to HAR format, there are also third-party tools and scripting options that can help if you need more control over the process.

By understanding the various methods for converting .saz files to HAR, you can work more effectively with network traffic data and ensure that your analysis is compatible with a wide range of tools and environments. Whether you are troubleshooting a web application or conducting a performance audit, being able to convert Convert Fiddler Saz File to Har sessions to HAR is an essential skill.

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