Wireshark

aid: wireshark
name: Wireshark
description: Wireshark is the world's foremost and widely-used free and open-source network protocol analyzer. It lets you
  capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network. Wireshark provides a powerful dissector framework
  with a Lua scripting API, C/C++ plugin architecture, TShark command-line tools, and the libwireshark library for developers
  building network analysis tools.
type: Index
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/wireshark/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
tags:
- Debugging
- Network Analysis
- Open Source
- Packet Capture
- Protocol Analysis
- Security
created: '2025-01-08'
modified: '2026-05-03'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
access: 3rd-Party
position: Consumer
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
apis:
- aid: wireshark:wireshark
  name: Wireshark
  description: Wireshark is a free and open-source network protocol analyzer that captures and interactively browses network
    traffic. It supports hundreds of protocols, runs on multiple platforms, and provides deep inspection of packets. Developers
    can extend Wireshark through its Lua scripting API, C/C++ dissector plugins, Extcap plugin interface, and the Wiretap
    library for custom capture file formats.
  humanURL: https://www.wireshark.org
  tags:
  - Debugging
  - Extcap
  - Lua Scripting
  - Network Analysis
  - Open Source
  - Packet Capture
  - Protocol Analysis
  - Plugins
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.wireshark.org/docs/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://www.wireshark.org/docs/wsdg_html_chunked/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://www.wireshark.org/docs/wsug_html_chunked/
  - type: SDKs
    url: https://www.wireshark.org/docs/wsdg_html_chunked/ChapterDissection.html
    title: Dissector Plugin API (C/C++)
  - type: SDKs
    url: https://www.wireshark.org/docs/wsdg_html_chunked/wsluarm.html
    title: Lua API Reference
  - type: Downloads
    url: https://www.wireshark.org/download.html
common:
- type: Website
  url: https://www.wireshark.org
- type: Documentation
  url: https://www.wireshark.org/docs/
- type: Blog
  url: https://blog.wireshark.org
- type: FAQ
  url: https://www.wireshark.org/faq.html
- type: GitHub
  url: https://github.com/wireshark/wireshark
- type: GitLab
  url: https://gitlab.com/wireshark/wireshark
- type: Support
  url: https://ask.wireshark.org
- type: Downloads
  url: https://www.wireshark.org/download.html
- type: ReleaseNotes
  url: https://www.wireshark.org/docs/relnotes/
- type: Forums
  url: https://www.wireshark.org/lists/
- type: Features
  data:
  - name: Packet Capture
    description: Capture live network traffic from multiple interfaces simultaneously using libpcap/Npcap.
  - name: Deep Packet Inspection
    description: Analyze hundreds of protocols with full decode of packet fields and values.
  - name: Display Filters
    description: Powerful filter language for drilling into captured traffic.
  - name: Lua Scripting
    description: Extend Wireshark with custom dissectors, listeners, and menus using the Lua API.
  - name: Dissector Plugins
    description: Write C/C++ plugins to add support for new protocols.
  - name: TShark CLI
    description: Command-line version of Wireshark for scripting and automation.
  - name: Extcap Interface
    description: Plugin API to add custom capture sources to Wireshark.
  - name: Wiretap Library
    description: Library for reading and writing capture file formats including pcap and pcapng.
- type: UseCases
  data:
  - name: Network Troubleshooting
    description: Diagnose latency, packet loss, and protocol errors in live or captured traffic.
  - name: API Traffic Debugging
    description: Inspect raw HTTP, gRPC, and WebSocket API requests and responses at the packet level.
  - name: Protocol Development
    description: Develop and test new network protocols using Wireshark dissectors.
  - name: Security Analysis
    description: Analyze network traffic for intrusion indicators and malicious patterns.
  - name: Education
    description: Learn networking concepts by capturing and examining real protocol exchanges.
- type: Integrations
  data:
  - name: TShark
    description: Command-line packet analyzer that uses the same dissection engine as Wireshark.
  - name: dumpcap
    description: Minimal capture utility used by Wireshark and TShark.
  - name: editcap
    description: Utility for editing and converting capture files.
  - name: Lua
    description: Scripting language embedded in Wireshark for custom protocol dissectors.
  - name: libpcap/Npcap
    description: Packet capture libraries used by Wireshark on Unix and Windows respectively.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com