# History and notes

> Guide to the CatSuite History and notes module: how to use and configure the request timeline, filters, search, the notepad and evidence export on your device.

- Language: en
- Canonical URL: https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/history
- Section: Modules
- Updated: 2026-10-06
- Other language (pt-BR): https://netcattest.com/catsuite/docs/modulos/historia

The **History and notes** module is the session's memory in CatSuite. **History** organizes the browser and captured request timeline into per-site sessions, with search, quick filters, interesting marks and a direct hand-off to the [Repeater](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/repeater). The **Notepad** keeps your observations on the device itself, with note creation, editing, pinning and TXT export. Together they are the foundation for building the report of an authorized test without losing any evidence. This page explains how to enable the module, how to read each screen, how to configure capture and retention, and how to turn a session into a report.

> [!NOTE]
> History is disabled on a fresh install. The Notepad is enabled. Both are turned on and off in **Settings > Apps**.

## History and Notepad concepts

Before opening the screen, it helps to pin down the terms used on cards, tags and in the menu.

### Browsing session

History does not show a loose list of requests: it groups records into **sessions**. Every time the [Browser](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/browser) performs a main navigation (a record whose source is **Navigation**), a new session starts. The requests that follow, such as scripts, images, API calls and form submissions, join the most recent open session. If the first available record is not a navigation, the app creates a session from that record itself, so nothing is left out.

Each session has a **main site** (the URL that opened the session), a title built from the domain and path, the list of **domains involved** and the time window between its first and last record.

### Timeline

The **timeline** is the list of sessions, from newest to oldest, ordered by the time of each session's last record. Inside a session, requests also appear from newest to oldest. A circular marker on the left of each card links the sessions; it turns yellow when the session had at least one intercepted request.

### Intercepted, failed and interesting requests

| Mark | When it appears | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| **INTERCEPTED** | The request went through the [Interceptor](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/interceptor). | Tag on the request and the **N INTERCEPTED** counter on the session. |
| **Failure** | HTTP status 400 or higher, or the **FAIL** status (error, cancellation or abort before a valid response). | **N FAILURES** tag with a red border on the session. |
| **INTERESTING** | You marked the request manually with **Mark as interesting**. | Star on the session card, tag on the request and the **N INTERESTING** counter. |

### Displayed statuses

When there is a response, the status is the HTTP code (for example, `200` or `404`). Without a numeric code, History shows a label: **SENT** (a submitted form waiting for the navigation), **REPLACED** (navigation replaced before the final response), **EXTERNAL** (external link), **FAIL** or **PENDING** (still in progress).

### Storage shared with the Interceptor

History reads the same record store as the [Interceptor](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/interceptor) history. Because of that, capture rules, the item limit and clearing apply to both places at once. History is a way of reading those records organized by site, while the Interceptor shows the full technical list.

### Notepad note

A **note** has a title, content, a marker color, a pinned state, and its creation and last edit dates. If the title is left blank, the app uses the first line of the content as the display title; with no text at all, the note appears as **Quick note**.

## The History screen: timeline, detail and menu

History has two pages and a slide-up menu panel. The **HISTORY** title sits at the top and the **MENU** button is always on the right.

### Timeline

The home page shows the summary "See sites, requests, and session events." and the following elements:

| Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
| **SESSIONS** card | Total sites or browsing flows. |
| **REQUESTS** card | Total recorded captures. |
| **INTERCEPTED** card | How many requests went through the Interceptor. |
| Search field | Filters sessions by site, domain, method, URL or status. |
| Active filter tags | **INTERCEPTED ONLY**, **FAILURES ONLY**, **INTERESTING ONLY** and the search term, when applied. |
| Session cards | Opening date and time, title, main site, summary tags and the three most recent requests. |

The summary cards always count the entire session history, even with filters on. When there are no records at all, the screen shows **NO STORIES YET**. When there are records but none match the search or filters, it shows **NOTHING MATCHES THE FILTER**.

### Session detail

Tapping a card opens the detail. The header switches to a back button labeled **HISTORY** and shows the session's time window. The page has four blocks:

1. **Session summary:** title, main URL (with the count of domains involved), the **N INTERCEPTED** or **NO INTERCEPTION** tag, **N REQUESTS**, **N FAILURES**, **N INTERESTING** (when present) and **N DOMAINS**, plus the **MAIN SITE** line.
2. **SESSION REQUESTS:** the list of requests with method, URL, status, source and the **INTERCEPTED** and **INTERESTING** tags. The selected request is highlighted in yellow.
3. **REQUEST DETAIL:** URL, source, domain, content type, time, status, status detail, and whether the request was intercepted or marked as interesting, followed by the action buttons.
4. **REQUEST** and **RESPONSE:** the raw captured content, in a monospaced font with selectable text.

### History menu

The **MENU** button opens the **HISTORY MENU** panel ("Review the session, apply filters, or clear history."). It contains:

- the **SESSIONS**, **REQUESTS**, **INTERCEPTED**, **FAILURES** and **INTERESTING** counters;
- the **VIEW** section, with the quick filters;
- the **DOMAINS SEEN** section, with up to 12 main session domains in alphabetical order;
- the red **CLEAR HISTORY** button at the bottom of the panel.

### Screen with the module disabled

If History is turned off, the screen shows **HISTORY DISABLED** and the **ACTIVATE HISTORY** button, which goes straight to **Settings > Apps**.

## The Notepad screen

The Notepad is opened from the main menu and has two pages: the list and the editor.

### Note list

The header shows the **LOCAL ORGANIZATION** label, the **NOTEPAD** title and three counters: **NOTES** (total), **PINNED** and **TODAY** (notes edited today). Below are the **Search notes** field, the **PINNED** section ("They always stay on top until you unpin them.") and the **ALL NOTES** section ("The most recent appear first."). During a search, the second section is renamed **RESULTS** and reports how many items were found. A floating button with a pencil icon creates a new note.

Each card shows the note color, the title, a content summary, the date, a pin button to pin or unpin, and the three-dot menu with the note actions.

### Note editor

The editor opens with the title **NEW NOTE** or **EDIT NOTE**. It has:

| Area | Function |
|---|---|
| Back (**NOTEPAD**) | Returns to the list and asks for confirmation if there are unsaved changes. |
| **SAVE** | Stores the note on the device. |
| Preview | Shows the title and content as you type. |
| Title field | Short identifying text, with the hint "Example: today's plan". |
| Content field | Free text: "Write freely. Each line can become an idea, checklist or reminder." |
| Color picker | Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink, Orange, Purple or Graphite. |
| **PIN TO TOP** | Keeps the note in the pinned section. |
| Information | **CHARACTERS**, **COLOR**, **STATUS** (**PINNED** or **NORMAL**) and **LAST EDITED** (on saved notes). |
| **DUPLICATE** and **DELETE** | Shown only when editing an existing note. |

## Options and how to configure the module

History and Notepad options live in three areas of the settings.

| Option | Values | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| **ACTIVATE HISTORY MODULE** (Settings > Apps) | On or off | Off | Shows or hides History in the main menu. |
| **ACTIVATE NOTEPAD** (Settings > Apps) | On or off | On | Shows or hides the Notepad in the menu and enables the **NOTES** action in text selection. |
| **INTERCEPTOR HISTORY** (Settings > History) | On or off | On | Turns new entries on or pauses them without deleting what was already captured. |
| **CAPTURE ONLY IN CONDITIONS** (Settings > History) | ALL, WI-FI, DATA or LOAD | ALL | Defines when new requests can be recorded. |
| **HISTORY LIMIT** (Settings > History) | 100, 300, 500, 1000, 2000 or 5000 | 300 (100 on lower-end devices) | How many requests are kept before the oldest ones are removed automatically. |
| **RECOVER SESSION AFTER CLOSING** (Settings > Personalization > Session and Data) | On or off | On | Restores the browser, history and temporary contexts after an unexpected close. |
| **DO NOT SAVE TIMELINE WITHOUT HISTORY** (Settings > Personalization > Session and Data) | On or off | Off | Stops new timeline entries while History is turned off. |
| **DELETE NOTES WHEN DEACTIVATING THE MODULE** (Settings > Personalization > Session and Data) | On or off | Off | Deletes saved notes when the Notepad is disabled. |

### How to enable History in the settings

Open **Settings > Apps** and turn on **ACTIVATE HISTORY MODULE**. The item then appears in the main menu. The same path is opened by the **ACTIVATE HISTORY** button on the disabled screen.

### Capture conditions

The **CAPTURE ONLY IN CONDITIONS** option has four values: capture in all circumstances, on Wi-Fi only, on mobile data only, or only while charging (device plugged in and battery above 50%). The **CAPTURE STATUS** item right below shows **ACTIVE** or **PAUSED** according to the chosen condition and the device's current state.

### History limit and interesting items

The limit counts only **unmarked** requests. When the total exceeds the limit, the app removes the oldest requests that are not interesting. Requests marked as interesting are preserved, which makes the star the safest way to protect important evidence during long sessions.

> [!TIP]
> On devices with little memory, keep the limit at 100 or 300 and mark as interesting everything that will go into the report. That way the automatic cleanup does not take away what matters.

### History turned off and background capture

With **DO NOT SAVE TIMELINE WITHOUT HISTORY** turned off (the default), records keep being stored in the Interceptor history even while History is hidden, and they appear on the timeline as soon as you re-enable the module. Turn this option on if you prefer that nothing is recorded while History is disabled.

## Buttons and actions

### History actions

| Button or gesture | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| **MENU** | Top of the screen | Opens the **HISTORY MENU**. |
| Tap a session card | Timeline | Opens the session detail. |
| Back (**HISTORY**) | Top of the detail | Returns to the timeline. |
| Tap a request | Detail | Selects the request and refreshes the detail, request and response. |
| Long press a request | Detail | Opens the request quick menu. |
| **Send to Repeater** | Detail and quick menu | Opens the request in the [Repeater](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/repeater) to edit and resend it. |
| **Mark as interesting** / **Unmark as interesting** | Detail and quick menu | Turns the request highlight on or off. |
| **COPY URL** | Detail and quick menu | Copies the full address. |
| **COPY REQUEST** | Detail and quick menu | Copies the raw captured request. |
| **COPY RESPONSE** | Detail | Copies the displayed response. |
| **COPY cURL** | Detail and quick menu | Copies a ready-made cURL command with method, headers, body and URL. |
| **ACTIVATE HISTORY** | Disabled screen | Opens **Settings > Apps**. |

### History menu actions

| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| **See only intercepted sessions** | Shows only sessions with at least one request that went through the Interceptor. |
| **See only failed sessions** | Filters for errors, cancellations and failed responses. |
| **See only sessions with interesting requests** | Shows only sessions with at least one request marked as interesting. |
| **Clear quick filters** | Turns off the three filters and also clears the search term. |
| **CLEAR HISTORY** | Asks for confirmation and deletes all captured history. |

### Text selection menu

In the **REQUEST** and **RESPONSE** blocks, the request detail, the session summary and the search field, selecting a passage opens the CatSuite menu with **COPY**, **DECODER** (sends the passage to the [Decoder](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/decoder)), **NOTES** (sends the passage to the Notepad, when the module is enabled) and **EVERYTHING** (selects all the text).

### Notepad actions

| Action | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Floating button (pencil) | List | Opens the editor for a new note. |
| **Edit** | Card menu | Opens the note in the editor. Tapping the card does the same. |
| **Pin to top** / **Unpin** | Card menu and pin icon | Toggles the note's pinned state. |
| **Duplicate** | Card menu and editor | Creates an unpinned copy titled "Copy of …". |
| **Copy** | Card menu | Copies the title and content to the clipboard. |
| **Download TXT** | Card menu | Exports the note as a `.txt` file. |
| **Delete** | Card menu and editor | Asks for confirmation and removes the note from the device. |
| **SAVE** | Editor | Stores the note. Requires a title or content. |
| **CLEAR SEARCH** | List with no results | Removes the search term. |

## Timeline filters and search

Search is case-insensitive and looks for the term in the session title, the main site, the domains involved and, for each request, in the URL, method, source, status label and status description. A single matching request is enough for the whole session to appear.

Quick filters add up: with **See only intercepted sessions** and **See only failed sessions** on, only sessions that meet both conditions are shown. The three filters are saved and come back active when you reopen the app; the search term does not.

```text
api.example.com
POST
/login
403
FAIL
Form
```

## Reopening items in the Repeater and the Interceptor

To reproduce a request, open the session, select the request and tap **Send to Repeater**. CatSuite switches to the [Repeater](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/repeater) with the raw request already loaded, ready to edit and resend. The same hand-off is available in the long-press menu.

Because History and the [Interceptor](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/interceptor) history share the same store, every request on the timeline is also in the Interceptor list. History has no dedicated button to open the item in the Interceptor; use **COPY URL** and look up the URL in the Interceptor history, where you find the technical filters and export to TXT, cURL, JSON and HAR.

## Notepad: creating, editing and exporting notes

### Create and edit

Tap the floating button, write a title and the content, choose a color and, if you want, turn on **PIN TO TOP**. Tap **SAVE**. The message "Note created successfully." confirms it was stored; when saving an existing note, "Updated note." appears. If you try to go back with pending changes, the app asks **Discard changes?** and offers **CONTINUE** or **DISCARD**.

### Send History passages to a note

Select a passage in the request, the response or the detail and tap **NOTES**. The editor opens with a suggested structure:

- multi-line text whose first line has up to 72 characters: the first line becomes the title and the rest becomes the content;
- single-line text with up to 72 characters: it becomes the title only;
- any other case: the whole text goes into the content.

### Export to TXT

In the card menu, tap **Download TXT**. The file name comes from the lowercase title, with spaces, accented letters and symbols replaced by hyphens (for example, "Login findings" becomes `login-findings.txt`). The file has a fixed header followed by the content. In the current version, the header labels inside the file are written in Portuguese:

```text
BLOCO DE NOTAS

Título: Login findings
Fixada: Sim
Criada em: 06/10/2026 14:02
Atualizada em: 06/10/2026 15:40
Cor: #F2C94C

CONTEÚDO

POST /api/login has no attempt limit
200 response with a different message for unknown users
Session cookie without the Secure flag
```

## Clearing History and notes data

The **CLEAR HISTORY** button opens the **Clear history** confirmation: "This deletes requests, interesting marks, full bodies, cookies, cache, and web storage, ending active website sessions." After confirming with **Clear**, the timeline is empty again and "Successfully cleared history." appears.

> [!DANGER]
> Clearing cannot be undone. It also deletes requests marked as interesting, clears the Interceptor history, releases unchanged any requests that were paused in the interception queue, and ends the logins open in the Browser. Export and note down everything you need before clearing.

Notes are not affected by **CLEAR HISTORY**. They only leave the device when you delete each one, when you disable the module with **DELETE NOTES WHEN DEACTIVATING THE MODULE** turned on, or when you use **Settings > Reset app**.

## Local storage on the device

Everything stays on the device. Notes are stored in the app's local storage and survive the app being closed. The request history is kept by the app and, with **RECOVER SESSION AFTER CLOSING** on, it is restored after an unexpected close. Records from the [Network Proxy](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/proxy) are only included in that recovery when they are marked as interesting. No account or cloud service is required.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Requests and responses can contain tokens, cookies and personal data from the target. Protect the device with a screen lock and read [Security, vault and data protection](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/security) before sharing exported files.

## Step by step: building the session report

1. Open **Settings > Apps** and turn on **ACTIVATE HISTORY MODULE** and **ACTIVATE NOTEPAD**.
2. In **Settings > History**, check that **CAPTURE STATUS** shows **ACTIVE** and set the **HISTORY LIMIT** to the size of the test.
3. Browse the authorized target in the [Browser](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/browser) and use the [Interceptor](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/interceptor) whenever you need to pause and edit requests.
4. Open **HISTORY** and find the session for the tested flow using search or the **MENU** filters.
5. Open the session, select each relevant request and tap **Mark as interesting**.
6. To confirm a finding, tap **Send to Repeater**, reproduce the variation and return to History.
7. Select the passages that prove the issue in the request or response and tap **NOTES** to bring them into the Notepad.
8. In the editor, complete the note with impact, reproduction steps and a recommendation, turn on **PIN TO TOP** and tap **SAVE**.
9. Use **COPY cURL** to record a reproducible command for each finding inside the note.
10. In the note menu, tap **Download TXT** and, if you need the full captures, export the Interceptor history as HAR or JSON.
11. Combine the note TXT files and the Interceptor export into the final report. Only then, if you want, use **CLEAR HISTORY**.

## Examples

### Copied request detail

```text
URL: https://app.example.com/api/login
Source: Form
Domain: app.example.com
Type: JSON
Time: 06/10/2026 14:02:31
Status: 200
Detail: Response received
Intercepted: YES
Interesting: YES
```

### Raw request copied with COPY REQUEST

```http
POST /api/login HTTP/1.1
Host: app.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
Accept: application/json

{"username":"test","password":"test-password"}
```

### Command generated by COPY cURL

```bash
curl -X POST -H 'Host: app.example.com' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json' --data-raw '{"username":"test","password":"test-password"}' 'https://app.example.com/api/login'
```

### Finding note template

```text
Login without an attempt limit

Target: https://app.example.com/api/login
Severity: Medium
Evidence: 30 consecutive sends in the Repeater, all with a 200 response
Reproduction: cURL below
Recommendation: enforce a per-account and per-IP limit
```

## Common problems and FAQ

### History does not appear in the menu

The module ships turned off. Turn on **ACTIVATE HISTORY MODULE** in **Settings > Apps**.

### The screen shows "NO STORIES YET"

There are no records yet. Open pages in the Browser and check in **Settings > History** that **INTERCEPTOR HISTORY** is on and **CAPTURE STATUS** shows **ACTIVE**. With the WI-FI, DATA or LOAD condition, capture pauses outside that situation.

### The screen shows "NOTHING MATCHES THE FILTER"

There are records, but the search or the filters hid all of them. Open the **MENU** and tap **Clear quick filters**, which also clears the search.

### Old requests disappeared

The **HISTORY LIMIT** was reached and the oldest unmarked requests were removed. Raise the limit or mark the important ones as interesting.

### The filters were back on after reopening the app

That is the expected behavior: the three quick filters are saved. Turn them off in the **MENU**.

### The NOTES action does not appear when selecting text

It only exists when the Notepad is enabled in **Settings > Apps**.

### SAVE shows "Write a title or content before saving."

The note is empty. Fill in at least the title or the content.

### "Unable to download note in TXT." appears

The file could not be written. Try again and check the free space and the chosen destination. If you cancel the destination picker, no error message is shown.

### Does clearing History delete my notes?

No. **CLEAR HISTORY** only affects requests, marks and browser data. Your notes stay on the device.

## Next step

- [Interceptor](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/interceptor)
- [Repeater](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/repeater)
- [Browser](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/browser)
- [Decoder](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules/decoder)
- [Security, vault and data protection](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/security)
- [CatSuite modules](https://netcattest.com/catsuite/en/docs/modules)