How to Get a HAR File in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari

A HAR file is a log of the network requests your browser made while its developer tools were recording. Support teams ask for one when a page fails to load, an action returns an error, or something is slow and the cause is not visible on screen. This guide covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, what to check before you send the file, and a message support agents can copy and send to customers.

Menu names were checked against the official Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox documentation on 13 October 2026. Browser menus change between versions, so the wording on your screen may differ slightly.

Before you start

• Open developer tools before you reproduce the problem. The browser only records requests while the Network panel is open.
• Use a desktop browser. Phone browsers do not offer a HAR export on their own (see the mobile section below).
• Treat the file as sensitive. It can contain the pages you visited, form data, and in some exports, cookies or access tokens. Send it only to the support team that asked for it.

How to get a HAR file in Chrome

1. Go to the page where the problem happens.
2. Open developer tools: select the ⋮ menu, then More tools > Developer tools. You can also press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows, or Cmd+Option+I on Mac.
3. Select the Network tab.
4. Tick Preserve log so requests are kept if the page reloads or redirects. Tick Disable cache if support asked you to.
5. Make sure recording is on (the round button at the top left is red), then select the Clear button (a circle with a line through it) to start with an empty list.
6. Reproduce the problem.
7. Select Export HAR (sanitized)…, the download arrow in the Network panel’s top bar, and save the file.

The sanitized export leaves out the Cookie, Set-Cookie and Authorization headers. That is the right choice for almost every support request. Only if the support team explicitly asks for sensitive data, open DevTools Settings > Preferences > Network, enable Allow to generate HAR with sensitive data, and use Export HAR (with sensitive data).

How to get a HAR file in Microsoft Edge

1. Go to the page where the problem happens.
2. Open developer tools: select Settings and more (…), then More tools > Developer tools, or press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Option+I on Mac).
3. Open the Network tool and tick Preserve log.
4. Clear the request list, then reproduce the problem.
5. Select Export HAR (sanitized) in the Network tool’s action bar and save the file.

Edge follows the same sanitized default as Chrome. You can also right-click any request and select Copy > Copy all as HAR (sanitized), but saving a file is easier to attach to a ticket.

How to get a HAR file in Firefox

1. Go to the page where the problem happens.
2. Open the Network Monitor: press Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+Option+E on Mac. You can also open the ☰ menu, then More tools > Web Developer Tools, and select Network.
3. Open the Network Monitor’s settings menu (the gear icon) and enable Persist Logs.
4. Reproduce the problem.
5. Open the same settings menu and select Save All As HAR, or right-click any request and choose Save All As HAR. Save the file.

Firefox does not document a sanitized export like Chrome’s, so assume the file can contain cookies and authorization headers. A support agent can remove them with a HAR sanitizer before forwarding the file.

How to get a HAR file in Safari

1. Enable developer features: open Safari > Settings > Advanced and tick Show features for web developers. Older versions of Safari call this Show Develop menu in menu bar.
2. Go to the page where the problem happens.
3. Select Develop > Show Web Inspector (Cmd+Option+I) and open the Network tab.
4. Reproduce the problem with the Network tab open.
5. Select Export in the Network tab and save the HAR file.

How to get a HAR file on a phone

Mobile browsers have no built-in HAR export. If you can, reproduce the problem on a computer instead. If it only happens on a phone, a technical colleague can use remote debugging: Safari’s Web Inspector on a Mac can inspect Safari on a connected iPhone or iPad (through the Develop menu), and desktop Chrome can inspect Chrome on a connected Android device through chrome://inspect. The HAR file is then exported from the desktop browser using the steps above.

Check the file before you send it

• It includes the problem. Open it in the HAR file viewer and check that it contains the page or action that failed. An empty file usually means recording started after the problem.
• It is the right size to attach. HAR files are plain text and can be large. Compressing the file into a .zip usually makes it much smaller and easier to attach.
• It has a clear name. For example, checkout-error-2026-10-13.har. Avoid putting a full web address in the file name.
• It goes to the right place. Attach it to your support ticket. Do not post HAR files in public forums or community threads.

Message template for support agents

Copy this into a macro or saved reply. Replace the bracketed parts, and keep only the browser sections your customers use.

Hi [name],

Thanks for the details. To see what is happening behind the scenes, could you send us a HAR file? It is a log of what your browser loads while the problem happens.

In Chrome or Edge:
1. Go to [page where the problem happens].
2. Press F12 (Windows) or Cmd+Option+I (Mac) and open the Network tab.
3. Tick "Preserve log".
4. Reproduce the problem: [the exact action, e.g. click Export].
5. Click the download arrow "Export HAR (sanitized)" and save the file.

In Firefox:
1. Press Ctrl+Shift+E (Windows) or Cmd+Option+E (Mac).
2. Reproduce the problem.
3. Right-click any line in the list and choose "Save All As HAR".

Then reply to this ticket with the file attached. Please do not share it anywhere else, as it can contain information about your session.

Full instructions with screenshots: https://blog.screendesk.io/how-to-get-a-har-file/

Thanks,
[agent name]

When to ask for a screen recording instead

A HAR file answers network questions: which request failed, what the server returned, and how long it took. It does not show what the customer saw or clicked, and many customers find developer tools confusing. If the problem is visual, depends on a sequence of steps, or you are not yet sure it is a network issue, a screen recording is often a faster first step.

With Screendesk, agents send a recording link from Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, Help Scout and other helpdesks. The customer records in a desktop browser without installing anything, and in supported workflows the recording returns to the ticket. Console and network logs are captured on the Enterprise plan with the supported capture setup. On other plans, send the recording request first, then ask for a HAR file if engineering needs the network detail.

Frequently asked questions

What does a HAR file contain?

Every request the browser made while recording: the URL, method, request and response headers, status code, timings, and often the response content. Depending on the browser and export option, it can also contain cookies, form data and authorization headers.

Is it safe to send a HAR file?

Send it only to the team that asked for it, through your support ticket. Chrome’s and Edge’s sanitized exports remove the most sensitive headers. Firefox and Safari exports may not, so a support team should sanitize the file before forwarding it to anyone else.

Can I create a HAR file without developer tools?

Not in standard desktop browsers. The HAR export is part of each browser’s developer tools. Some screen recording and bug reporting tools capture network activity alongside a recording instead.

How do I open a HAR file?

Use the free HAR file viewer, which runs in your browser, or import it into the Network panel of Chrome, Edge or Firefox developer tools.