No CLI to automatically reverse-engineer private app APIs for automation

Builders who need to automate internal dashboards, enterprise tools, or apps with no public API have no good CLI workflow. They must manually intercept traffic with mitmproxy or Charles Proxy, piece together requests, and build brittle scrapers by hand. Multiple HN discussions + a YC W26 company validate this as a wide pain: 1,529 total engagement across 3 sources.

Score Breakdown

1,529

Social Proof 3 sources

All the data can be yours: reverse engineering APIs

noleary · 11/11/2024

773 HN

Show HN: API Parrot - Automatically Reverse Engineer HTTP APIs

pvarghav · 1/1/2025

573 HN

Launch HN: Kampala (YC W26) - Reverse-Engineer Apps into APIs

alexblackwell_ · 4/1/2026

183

Gap Assessment

UnderservedExisting solutions leave gaps

Kampala (YC W26) and API Parrot exist but both are desktop/paid with no open CLI; mitmproxy2swagger is partial; wide-open for a lightweight open-source CLI.

Virality Score

1,529

across 1 platforms

Details

Signalissue

EcosystemTool

Sources3

Platforms1

Updated2h ago

Trend→ stable

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267AI coding agents build UI code with no built-in visual verification loop