Insomnia to Bruno

Convert an Insomnia export into a Bruno collection folder you can open in the app or run with the CLI. Start by exporting the collection from Insomnia. Both the JSON export from Insomnia v4 and the YAML export from Insomnia v5 work. See Import collections for the export steps.

Convert the collection

Install both packages:

npm install @usebruno/converters @usebruno/filestore

The converter returns a JavaScript object. Bruno needs a collection folder, so the script below converts the input and writes that folder in one go. It writes OpenCollection YAML files by default. Change format to 'bru' for .bru files instead.

The script needs Node.js 18 or later.

1. Read the arguments

Import the converter, the file writers from @usebruno/filestore, and Node’s file helpers. Take the paths from the command line and print a usage line if any are missing. format is 'yml' for OpenCollection YAML or 'bru' for classic .bru files.

import { insomniaToBruno } from '@usebruno/converters';
import { stringifyCollection, stringifyFolder, stringifyRequest, stringifyEnvironment } from '@usebruno/filestore';
import { mkdir, readFile, writeFile } from 'fs/promises';
import path from 'path';

const [inputFile, outputDir] = process.argv.slice(2);
if (!inputFile || !outputDir) {
  console.error('Usage: node convert.mjs <insomnia-export> <output-folder>');
  process.exit(1);
}

const format = 'yml';

2. Add the helpers

safeName strips characters that are not allowed in file names. write saves a file and creates any missing parent folders.

const safeName = (name) => name.replace(/[<>:"/\\|?*\x00-\x1F]/g, '-');

const write = async (file, content) => {
  await mkdir(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
  await writeFile(file, content);
};

3. Convert

insomniaToBruno accepts the export as JSON or YAML text and returns the Bruno collection. See the API Reference for the full signature.

const collection = insomniaToBruno(await readFile(inputFile, 'utf8'));

4. Write the collection settings and environments

brunoConfig holds the collection settings. For .bru collections it is written to bruno.json. For yml it is embedded in opencollection.yml. The collection root holds collection-level auth, headers, and scripts. Each environment gets its own file in the environments folder.

const brunoConfig = { version: collection.version, name: collection.name, type: 'collection', ignore: ['node_modules', '.git'] };

const root = stringifyCollection(collection.root || {}, brunoConfig, { format });
if (format === 'yml') {
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'opencollection.yml'), root);
} else {
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'bruno.json'), JSON.stringify(brunoConfig, null, 2));
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'collection.bru'), root);
}

for (const env of collection.environments || []) {
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'environments', `${safeName(env.name)}.${format}`), stringifyEnvironment(env, { format }));
}

5. Write the folders and requests

Each folder becomes a directory and each request a file. Folder-level auth, headers, and scripts go in folder.yml or folder.bru. A stack is used instead of recursion so deeply nested collections are safe.

const stack = collection.items.map((item) => [item, outputDir]);
while (stack.length) {
  const [item, parent] = stack.pop();
  if (item.type === 'folder') {
    const folderDir = path.join(parent, safeName(item.name));
    await mkdir(folderDir, { recursive: true });
    if (item.root) await write(path.join(folderDir, `folder.${format}`), stringifyFolder(item.root, { format }));
    for (const child of item.items || []) stack.push([child, folderDir]);
  } else {
    await write(path.join(parent, `${safeName(item.name)}.${format}`), stringifyRequest(item, { format }));
  }
}

6. Report

Print where the collection was written.

console.log(`Collection written to ${outputDir}`);

7. Run the script

Run the script with Node.js, passing the paths as arguments.

node convert.mjs <insomnia-export> <output-folder>

node convert.js <insomnia-export> <output-folder>

Where:

<insomnia-export>: The export file from Insomnia, JSON (v4) or YAML (v5)
<output-folder>: The folder to create the Bruno collection in. It is created if it does not exist

The output folder looks like this (with format set to 'bru', the files are bruno.json, collection.bru, folder.bru, and .bru requests instead):

my-collection/
├── opencollection.yml
├── environments/
│   └── Base.yml
└── Users/
    ├── List users.yml
    └── Create user.yml

One folder per Insomnia folder, one file per request, and any Insomnia environments under environments.

Full script

The complete script, ready to copy. convert.mjs is an ES module with top-level await. convert.js is the same script as CommonJS, with the steps inside an async main function.

// Converts an Insomnia export into a Bruno collection folder.
// Usage: node convert.mjs <insomnia-export> <output-folder>

import { insomniaToBruno } from '@usebruno/converters';
import { stringifyCollection, stringifyFolder, stringifyRequest, stringifyEnvironment } from '@usebruno/filestore';
import { mkdir, readFile, writeFile } from 'fs/promises';
import path from 'path';

// ---- Arguments ----

const [inputFile, outputDir] = process.argv.slice(2);
if (!inputFile || !outputDir) {
  console.error('Usage: node convert.mjs <insomnia-export> <output-folder>');
  process.exit(1);
}

// 'yml' (OpenCollection YAML) or 'bru' (classic .bru files)
const format = 'yml';

// ---- Helpers ----

// Strip characters not allowed in file names
const safeName = (name) => name.replace(/[<>:"/\\|?*\x00-\x1F]/g, '-');

// Write a file, creating parent folders as needed
const write = async (file, content) => {
  await mkdir(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
  await writeFile(file, content);
};

// ---- Convert ----

const collection = insomniaToBruno(await readFile(inputFile, 'utf8'));

// ---- Write the collection folder ----

// Collection settings: bruno.json for .bru, embedded in opencollection.yml for yml
const brunoConfig = { version: collection.version, name: collection.name, type: 'collection', ignore: ['node_modules', '.git'] };

// Collection-level auth, headers, and scripts
const root = stringifyCollection(collection.root || {}, brunoConfig, { format });
if (format === 'yml') {
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'opencollection.yml'), root);
} else {
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'bruno.json'), JSON.stringify(brunoConfig, null, 2));
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'collection.bru'), root);
}

// One file per environment
for (const env of collection.environments || []) {
  await write(path.join(outputDir, 'environments', `${safeName(env.name)}.${format}`), stringifyEnvironment(env, { format }));
}

// Folders become directories, requests become files. A stack avoids recursion on deep trees.
const stack = collection.items.map((item) => [item, outputDir]);
while (stack.length) {
  const [item, parent] = stack.pop();
  if (item.type === 'folder') {
    const folderDir = path.join(parent, safeName(item.name));
    await mkdir(folderDir, { recursive: true });
    // Folder-level auth, headers, and scripts
    if (item.root) await write(path.join(folderDir, `folder.${format}`), stringifyFolder(item.root, { format }));
    for (const child of item.items || []) stack.push([child, folderDir]);
  } else {
    await write(path.join(parent, `${safeName(item.name)}.${format}`), stringifyRequest(item, { format }));
  }
}

// ---- Report ----

console.log(`Collection written to ${outputDir}`);

// Converts an Insomnia export into a Bruno collection folder.
// Usage: node convert.js <insomnia-export> <output-folder>

const { insomniaToBruno } = require('@usebruno/converters');
const { stringifyCollection, stringifyFolder, stringifyRequest, stringifyEnvironment } = require('@usebruno/filestore');
const { mkdir, readFile, writeFile } = require('fs/promises');
const path = require('path');

// ---- Arguments ----

const [inputFile, outputDir] = process.argv.slice(2);
if (!inputFile || !outputDir) {
  console.error('Usage: node convert.js <insomnia-export> <output-folder>');
  process.exit(1);
}

// 'yml' (OpenCollection YAML) or 'bru' (classic .bru files)
const format = 'yml';

// ---- Helpers ----

// Strip characters not allowed in file names
const safeName = (name) => name.replace(/[<>:"/\\|?*\x00-\x1F]/g, '-');

// Write a file, creating parent folders as needed
const write = async (file, content) => {
  await mkdir(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
  await writeFile(file, content);
};

// CommonJS cannot use top-level await, so the steps run inside an async function
async function main() {
  // ---- Convert ----

  const collection = insomniaToBruno(await readFile(inputFile, 'utf8'));

  // ---- Write the collection folder ----

  // Collection settings: bruno.json for .bru, embedded in opencollection.yml for yml
  const brunoConfig = { version: collection.version, name: collection.name, type: 'collection', ignore: ['node_modules', '.git'] };

  // Collection-level auth, headers, and scripts
  const root = stringifyCollection(collection.root || {}, brunoConfig, { format });
  if (format === 'yml') {
    await write(path.join(outputDir, 'opencollection.yml'), root);
  } else {
    await write(path.join(outputDir, 'bruno.json'), JSON.stringify(brunoConfig, null, 2));
    await write(path.join(outputDir, 'collection.bru'), root);
  }

  // One file per environment
  for (const env of collection.environments || []) {
    await write(path.join(outputDir, 'environments', `${safeName(env.name)}.${format}`), stringifyEnvironment(env, { format }));
  }

  // Folders become directories, requests become files. A stack avoids recursion on deep trees.
  const stack = collection.items.map((item) => [item, outputDir]);
  while (stack.length) {
    const [item, parent] = stack.pop();
    if (item.type === 'folder') {
      const folderDir = path.join(parent, safeName(item.name));
      await mkdir(folderDir, { recursive: true });
      // Folder-level auth, headers, and scripts
      if (item.root) await write(path.join(folderDir, `folder.${format}`), stringifyFolder(item.root, { format }));
      for (const child of item.items || []) stack.push([child, folderDir]);
    } else {
      await write(path.join(parent, `${safeName(item.name)}.${format}`), stringifyRequest(item, { format }));
    }
  }

  // ---- Report ----

  console.log(`Collection written to ${outputDir}`);
}

main();

Open the collection in the app or run it with the CLI

Open the folder in the app, or run it with the CLI:

Bruno app
Bruno CLI

Click the + button in the top-left corner and select Import Collection.
Choose Bruno Collection, then browse to the output folder.
Click Import.

See Import Collections for more detail.

cd <output-folder>
bru run

To use an environment, pass its name with --env:

bru run --env <environment-name>

See bru run for more options.

Formats

OpenAPI

OpenCollection YAML

Converters

Bru Lang

Convert the collection

1. Read the arguments

2. Add the helpers

3. Convert

4. Write the collection settings and environments

5. Write the folders and requests

6. Report

7. Run the script

Full script

Open the collection in the app or run it with the CLI

​Convert the collection

​1. Read the arguments

​2. Add the helpers

​3. Convert

​4. Write the collection settings and environments

​5. Write the folders and requests

​6. Report

​7. Run the script

​Full script

​Open the collection in the app or run it with the CLI

Convert the collection

1. Read the arguments

2. Add the helpers

3. Convert

4. Write the collection settings and environments

5. Write the folders and requests

6. Report

7. Run the script

Full script

Open the collection in the app or run it with the CLI