Cloud Mock

Cloud Mock is Apidog's cloud-hosted mock server that provides 24/7 availability and team-wide access. Unlike Local Mock (which runs on your computer), Cloud Mock is deployed on Apidog's servers, making it accessible from anywhere, anytime.

In this article, we'll learn how to enable and use Cloud Mock for the Pet Store API, enabling better team collaboration and continuous availability.

1. What Is Cloud Mock?

Cloud Mock is a mock server hosted on Apidog's cloud infrastructure. Unlike Local Mock (which runs on your computer), Cloud Mock runs on Apidog's servers, providing:

24/7 availability: Works even when your computer is off

Team-wide access: All team members share the same mock URLs

Accessible from anywhere: Use it from any device or location

Ideal for collaboration: Perfect for team development, public documentation, and CI/CD pipelines

Cloud Mock vs. Local Mock

Feature	Local Mock	Cloud Mock
Location	Your computer	Apidog's servers
Availability	Only when Apidog is open	24/7, always available
Access	Personal (each team member has their own)	Shared (team-wide)
Best for	Local development and debugging	Team collaboration, public APIs, CI/CD

2. When to Use Cloud Mock

Use Cloud Mock when you need:

Team collaboration: Multiple developers need to access the same mock data

Continuous integration: CI/CD pipelines need always-available mock endpoints

Public documentation: Share mock APIs in public API documentation

Remote access: Access mock data from different devices or locations

Stable testing: Need mock endpoints that don't depend on individual machines

3. Enabling Cloud Mock

Let's enable Cloud Mock for your Pet Store API project:

Step 1: Open Project Settings

In your Apidog project, click the Settings icon (usually in the top-right corner)

Select "Project Settings"

Navigate to "Mock Settings"

Step 2: Enable Cloud Mock

Find the "Cloud Mock" toggle

Turn it ON

Cloud Mock is now enabled for your project

4. Using Cloud Mock

Once enabled, you can access Cloud Mock in several ways:

Method 1: Get Cloud Mock URL

Open any endpoint in your project (e.g., GET /pets/{id})

Switch to the "Mock" tab

Click the "Cloud Mock" button

Copy the cloud mock URL

The URL will look like:

https://mock.apidog.com/m1/1138249-1130478-default/pets/{id}

For example, to get a pet with ID pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK:

https://mock.apidog.com/m1/1138249-1130478-default/pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK

Method 2: Use Request Button

In the Mock tab, click the "Request" button

Apidog will send a request to the Cloud Mock server

View the response in the response panel

Method 3: Switch Environment

In the top-right corner, click the environment switcher

Select "Cloud Mock" from the dropdown

All requests in Apidog will now go to Cloud Mock instead of the actual API

5. Access Control (Optional)

For security, you can enable token authentication for Cloud Mock:

Enable Token Authentication

Go to Project Settings → Mock Settings

Set Access Permission to "Token Authentication"

A token will be generated for your project

Using Authenticated Cloud Mock

When token authentication is enabled, you need to include the token in your requests:

Option 1: URL Parameter

https://mock.apidog.com/m1/1138249-1130478-default/pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK?apidogToken=YOUR_TOKEN

Option 2: Header Parameter

Add apidogToken to your request headers:

apidogToken: YOUR_TOKEN

Option 3: Body Parameter (for form-data or x-www-form-urlencoded)

Add apidogToken to your request body parameters.

6. Example: Using Cloud Mock with Pet Store API

Let's see Cloud Mock in action:

Step 1: Enable Cloud Mock

Enable Cloud Mock in Project Settings (as shown above)

Step 2: Get the Cloud Mock URL

Open GET /pets/{id} endpoint

Go to the Mock tab

Click "Cloud Mock" to get the cloud mock URL

Step 3: Test the Cloud Mock

Copy the cloud mock URL

Replace {id} with a pet ID (e.g., pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK)

Paste the URL in your browser or use it in your application

You'll receive Smart Mock-generated data from the cloud

Example URL:

https://mock.apidog.com/m1/1138249-1130478-default/pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK

Example Response:

{
  "id": "pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK",
  "species": "CAT",
  "name": "Whiskers",
  "breed": "Domestic Shorthair",
  "ageMonths": 18,
  "size": "MEDIUM",
  "color": "Orange Tabby",
  "gender": "MALE",
  "goodWithKids": true,
  "goodWithPets": true,
  "adoptionFee": 75,
  "description": "Friendly and playful orange tabby looking for a loving home",
  "status": "AVAILABLE",
  "intakeDate": "2024-06-15",
  "photos": [
    "https://cdn.petstoreapi.com/pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK/photo1.jpg",
    "https://cdn.petstoreapi.com/pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK/photo2.jpg"
  ],
  "medicalInfo": {
    "spayedNeutered": true,
    "vaccinated": true,
    "microchipped": true,
    "specialNeeds": false
  }
}

You can also test other endpoints, such as:

List Pets: GET https://mock.apidog.com/m1/1138249-1130478-default/pets

Create Pet: POST https://mock.apidog.com/m1/1138249-1130478-default/pets

Share the cloud mock URL with your team members. They can use the same URL to access the same mock data, ensuring consistency across the team.

7. Key Takeaways

Cloud Mock provides 24/7 availability and team-wide access to mock APIs

Always available: Works even when your computer is off

Team collaboration: All team members share the same mock URLs

Easy to enable: Just toggle it on in Project Settings

Access control: Optional token authentication for security

Multiple access methods: URL, Request button, or environment switching

Same functionality: Supports Smart Mock, Mock Expectations, and Mock Scripts

Cloud Mock enables seamless team collaboration and continuous availability for your mock APIs. In the next article, we'll learn about Mock Scripts—how to create dynamic mock responses that maintain logical relationships between request and response data.

Continue with → Mock Scripts

1. What Is Cloud Mock?#

Cloud Mock vs. Local Mock#

2. When to Use Cloud Mock#

3. Enabling Cloud Mock#

Step 1: Open Project Settings#

Step 2: Enable Cloud Mock#

4. Using Cloud Mock#

Method 1: Get Cloud Mock URL#

Method 2: Use Request Button#

Method 3: Switch Environment#

5. Access Control (Optional)#

Enable Token Authentication#

Using Authenticated Cloud Mock#

6. Example: Using Cloud Mock with Pet Store API#

Step 1: Enable Cloud Mock#

Step 2: Get the Cloud Mock URL#

Step 3: Test the Cloud Mock#

Step 4: Share with Your Team#

7. Key Takeaways#