Charles Web Debugging Proxy is a software application developed by XK72, a company founded by Karl von Randow. Charles is a powerful tool used for monitoring HTTP and HTTPS traffic between a user's computer and the internet. This software acts as a proxy server to allow developers to view all of the traffic, including requests, responses, and HTTP headers, which contain crucial cookies and caching information.
Designed with developers in mind, Charles is particularly useful for debugging web applications and understanding data exchange in network calls. It provides insights into the structure of the data being communicated, making it easier to diagnose and fix problems. Charles offers features such as SSL Proxying, which enables developers to view SSL requests and responses in plain text; Bandwidth Throttling, to simulate slower internet connections; and AJAX debugging, which is helpful for analyzing XML and JSON requests and responses.
Moreover, Charles includes tools for repeat requests to test back-end changes and provides metrics for performance analysis. Its ability to manipulate and edit requests enables testing of different inputs and server behaviors. As a cross-platform tool, Charles supports Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, which makes it versatile and accessible for developers across various platforms.