[Feedback] Network Console will be removed in Edge 143

[leahmsft]

UPDATE - 8/20/2025

Hello everyone - thank you all for the constructive feedback and responses! Based on your feedback, we are re-evaluating our plan and the Network Console tool will no longer be removed in Edge 143.

We'll be evaluating the future of the Network Console tool with your feedback in mind and will share future updates to this repo.

We want to kindly remind everyone to follow the Code of Conduct for Microsoft open source projects. We appreciate your feedback but ask that it remains constructive and respectful.

Thank you!

7/23/2025

Starting with Edge 143, the Network Console tool will be removed from Edge DevTools with no replacement. As our team shifts focus toward delivering more stable features and improving alignment with Chrome, we no longer have the capacity to maintain this tool. We recommend using the REST Client extension for VS Code for API development and testing.

If this feature is important to your workflow, we encourage you to share your feedback. Strong interest could help motivate bringing it to Chromium in the future.

[Sunwuyuan]

Why is Microsoft so keen on killing those useful features ???

Microsoft is willing to add Copilot to devtools #357 , although it is almost unusable for programming, but unwilling to maintain a useful tool for quickly debugging network requests

[ChenYFan]

Congratulations! 👍👍👍

If Edge is ready to abandon developers, then developers will be abandoning it forever.

Edge will be the first browser where developers can't proactively pinpoint issues with their web pages when users encounter them.

[hello8693]

I'm absolutely shocked and disappointed by this decision. The Network Console is an essential tool for countless developers, deeply integrated into our daily workflows. Removing it with zero built-in alternative is a slap in the face to the developer community.

"Use a VS Code extension" is not an acceptable solution. DevTools should be self-contained for debugging—forcing context switching to another application for basic API testing is a massive regression in functionality.

If alignment with Chrome is the priority, why not contribute this tool to Chromium instead of abandoning it? This feels like yet another case of Microsoft deprecating useful features without regard for actual user impact.

Restore this tool immediately, or at minimum provide a seamless built-in replacement before removal. This is not how you support developers.

[zackzheng1121]

Without a web console, developers won't be able to debug, and everyone will end up using Chrome, which is definitely not what Microsoft wants
(In fact, Chrome does not have the network console option)

[taoqibaohalo]

I could hardly bare that such a useful tool will be deleted in the near future.I can't understand WHY DO U WANT TO REMOVE IT!
You guys,if you do want users to abandon Edge,just do it.It will significantly work.
Even you remove the Copilot,we won't say a word.But if you remove useful features, everyone will be disappointed.
Believe us,it's not a good idea.
Thank you.

[LDONT123]

I completely don't understand why something as useful as the Network Console is being removed. I believe debugging directly in the browser using the Network Console is the most convenient and provides a good reflection of what's happening at runtime. The core value of developer tools lies in being able to diagnose issues quickly and directly without jumping around.

If the future of DevTools only consists of render inspections and AI chat, then it's no longer a "tool" but a "showcase window."

[unDefFtr]

Okay, I’m seriously confused here. You’re removing Network Console in Edge 143? With zero built-in replacement? And the "solution" is "go use a VS Code extension"? That’s not a solution—that’s a slap in the face to every developer who actually uses Edge for real work.

Let’s be real:

• Context-switching to VS Code just to test an API? Are you kidding me? DevTools should do its job without forcing me to jump between apps. This isn’t "streamlining"—it’s a massive regression.
• "Aligning with Chrome" as an excuse? Then contribute Network Console to Chromium instead of killing it! If it’s useful (and it is), why not make it better for everyone?
• And don’t even get me started on adding Copilot to DevTools (Add extension support to Co-pilot button and sidebar #357) while axing actual developer tools. Priorities much? We need debugging, not AI fluff that can’t even write decent code.

This isn’t just "oh too bad." Network Console is essential for debugging live issues—especially when users hit errors and I need answers now. Rip it out, and Edge becomes the browser where devs can’t actually fix stuff.

So here’s the deal: Don’t do this. Either:

1. Keep Network Console, or
2. Give us a real built-in replacement before removal (not some half-baked "try this other app" cop-out).

If you’re serious about "supporting developers," prove it. Because right now? This feels like Edge is actively pushing devs away. And trust me—we will abandon Edge for good if you keep gutting the tools we rely on.

Fix this. 🔥

[hello8693]

Let’s deadass stop pretending this is about “stability” or “Chrome alignment.” If you’re killing a tool devs use 24/7 without even a placeholder replacement, you’re not “prioritizing stability” – you’re prioritizing your roadmap over real human workflows.

The VS Code REST Client plug? That’s like saying “we removed your car’s steering wheel, but here’s a bicycle helmet.” 🔧 Context-switching between apps for basic debugging isn’t a “solution,” it’s a nightmare. DevTools should be a one-stop shop, not a scavenger hunt.

And the “maybe Chromium will pick it up” line? Bruh. You’re Microsoft. You don’t beg Chromium to do your job – you lead. If you’re too lazy to maintain Network Console, open-source it and let the community run wild. Don’t just ghost it like it’s a disposable feature.

DevTools used to be Edge’s crown jewel. Now it’s just… Chrome with worse snacks. 🍔😭

[MS-AlbertXia]

Removing a functional tool with "no replacement" in DevTools while pushing users to a separate IDE extension is peak developer experience negligence. Your "alignment with Chrome" excuse rings hollow—this was a unique Edge feature. If Chromium adoption relies on community begging after your unilateral removal, it reflects laughable priorities.

[SummerLotus520]

I'll be blunt: this is a baffling and profoundly out-of-touch decision.
To suggest a VS Code extension as a replacement for the Network Console is to fundamentally misunderstand the tool's purpose and our workflow. It's not just a "recommendation," it's a dismissal of the very context-sensitive, in-the-moment debugging that made the tool essential.
Let's call this what it is:
It's a regression, not an improvement. You are actively making your browser a worse tool for developers. The argument about "shifting focus to stable features" is a hollow excuse for removing a feature that was not only stable but was a key differentiator.
It's a surrender of innovation. You had a feature that made developers seriously consider, and even choose, Edge over Chrome. It was a tangible advantage. Now, you are voluntarily throwing that advantage away to become a less-capable clone. Why would we choose a browser that actively removes its best features?
It demonstrates a disconnect from your users. This decision feels like it was made in a vacuum by people who don't actually use the DevTools for complex, day-to-day debugging. If you did, you would know that breaking the browser-context loop is a dealbreaker.
This isn't about "strong interest." We are telling you now: you are removing a critical piece of our toolkit and making our jobs harder for what appears to be your own convenience.
This is how you lose the goodwill of the developer community you've worked so hard to win back. Reverse this decision.

[wyf9]

I strongly refuse to remove Network Console in Edge, this tool is an important part of Edge Devtools and lots of developers (and me) use it every day.

Microsoft is removing more and more useful functions, if this action continues, users will leave and turn to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox (im moving now) or other platforms.

Please start thinking about what developers really need.

[MF-Dust]

Please Do Not Remove the Network Console

I want to strongly oppose the decision to remove the Network Console from Edge DevTools in version 143.

This tool is not just a “nice extra” — it’s a daily necessity. Being able to replay and modify requests directly in the browser saves enormous amounts of time when working with APIs, debugging login flows, or troubleshooting CORS. Having to leave DevTools and switch to an external extension like the VS Code REST Client breaks that workflow and slows everything down.

Edge DevTools stood out because of unique features like this. If everything is reduced just to match Chrome, then Edge loses the very things that made developers choose it in the first place.

Removing the Network Console without a replacement will make my day-to-day debugging experience significantly worse. Please reconsider this decision, or at least commit to bringing it into Chromium so developers do not lose this critical functionality.

[Etern-34520]

🚫 Strong Objection to Removing Network Console in Edge 143

As a daily user of Edge DevTools, I urge the team to reconsider removing Network Console without a replacement. This tool is essential for efficient API debugging and its removal will severely disrupt developer workflows.

❌ Critical Gaps in Recommended Alternatives

The suggested VS Code REST Client extension fails to address core use cases:

1. Context Isolation
   Cannot reuse active browser context (cookies/auth headers) for instant testing.
   → Forces manual re-authentication for every request
2. Real-time Network Correlation
   No ability to cross-reference requests with Network panel waterfall data
   → Breaks debugging flows like "Replay XHR with modified params"
3. Zero-Click Access
   Requires switching apps instead of Ctrl+Shift+I → "Network Console" workflow
   → Adds 30+ seconds per debugging session

📣 Actionable Requests

If deprecation is unavoidable:

Priority	Request	Rationale
P0	Open-source Network Console code	Allow community-maintained forks
P1	Propose native tool in Chromium	Initial discussion #12456 (tagged WontFix)
P2	Extend deprecation to Edge 145+	6-month transition for ecosystem adaptation

📊 Community Impact

This affects multiple high-traffic workflows:

• API auth testing (OAuth2 token replay)
• Quick GraphQL payload validation
• Teaching HTTP fundamentals in dev tutorials

Poll of 200+ devs: 87% use Network Console >3x/week (raw data)