WimExplorer exposes a local REST API served by an Express.js process running on your machine. The frontend communicates with this API exclusively; you can also call it directly from scripts or tools like curl.
Base URL
The server only binds to localhost. It is not reachable from other machines on your network and requires no authentication.
| Direction | Format |
|---|
| Request body (most endpoints) | application/json |
| Request body (file uploads) | multipart/form-data |
| Response | application/json |
| Log stream | text/event-stream (SSE) |
{
"error": "Descriptive error message"
}
| Code | Meaning |
|---|
400 | Missing or invalid request parameter |
404 | File or resource not found |
500 | Internal server error or wimlib/7-Zip failure |
Server state
The server maintains a currentWim state object in memory:
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|
path | string | null | Absolute path of the currently open WIM/ESD/SWM file |
imageIndex | number | Index of the currently selected image (1-based) |
images | array | Metadata for all images in the open file |
currentWim. Open a WIM file with POST /api/open before calling browse or file-operation endpoints.
Endpoint quick reference
WIM Operations
| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|
POST | /api/open | Open a WIM/ESD/SWM file and load its image metadata |
GET | /api/browse | Return a recursive file tree for the current image |
File Operations
| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|
POST | /api/extract | Extract files or directories to a local folder |
POST | /api/add | Upload and add files into the WIM |
POST | /api/delete | Delete files or directories from the WIM |
POST | /api/replace | Replace a single file in-place |
POST | /api/batch-import | Bulk-upload files with automatic conflict handling |
POST | /api/check-conflicts | Check which files already exist in the current image |
System & Utility
| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|
GET | /api/status | Active operation count and current WIM path |
GET | /api/wimlib-version | Installed wimlib-imagex version |
GET | /api/7z-status | Current 7-Zip detection status |
POST | /api/7z-test | Re-detect and verify 7-Zip |
POST | /api/7z-install | Install 7-Zip via winget |
POST | /api/7z-set-path | Set a custom 7-Zip directory |
GET | /api/pick-file | Open a native Windows file picker dialog |
GET | /api/pick-folder | Open a native Windows folder picker dialog |
POST | /api/wimlib-cmd | Run an arbitrary wimlib-imagex command |
GET | /api/logs/stream | Subscribe to the real-time SSE log stream |
GET | /api/logs/history | Retrieve the last 200 log entries |
POST | /api/exit | Shut down the WimExplorer server process |
