Ideally, when you’re writing code to test your application and start using Postman to make requests, you’ll want the most efficient and effective test process possible to get your application running smoothly and quickly.
There are plenty of reasons why an application may not be working properly. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to track down these bugs and fix them. Here are ten expert Postman testing tips to help you improve your day-to-day development process.
10 Expert Postman Testing Tips
Write tests
Without API testing, developers lack any sense of their API’s behavior, consistency, or backward compatibility. If your code changes over time, writing and running tests may save you some time and frustration because they will alert you when changes cause your program to do something you don’t want it to.
A single line of code can test HTTP status codes, response times, and headers in Postman.
In addition, you can write JavaScript logic to check custom business rules, validate responses, persist data to variables, or even dynamically control Postman’s workflow.
Utilize bulk editing to copy and paste
Within the Header and Params section, the bulk Edit button can be found on the top right side of the tables. Selecting it allows you to view headers and params as a list rather than in the grid view. This allows you to copy and paste the text and move to your new request.
On the same page of your new request, select Bulk Edit again, then copy and paste the text onto the page. By selecting the Key Values option, all the data headers and parameters will appear in a table format.
Don’t combine documentation and tests
Several people use Postman Collections for documenting their APIs as collections of example requests that can be shared easily with teammates or as public API documentation for customers.
For both use cases, a set of descriptions of your API endpoints, an explanation of common API workflows, lists of possible error responses, authentication requirements, etc., might make sense.
Automate your tests with Newman
While Postman collection runners are a great way to run your Postman tests and view the results, they require you to initiate the run manually. If you want your Postman tests to run automatically as part of your Continuous Integration or Continuous Delivery pipeline, you will need to use Newman CLI.
It can easily be integrated into AppVeyor, Jenkins, CodeShip, Bamboo, Travis CI, Circle CI, and other code deployment pipeline tools.
Make use of variables within a folder.
Variables are one of the most powerful features of Postman. They allow you to store values that can be reused throughout a request or a collection. When testing an API, variables are incredibly helpful in creating dynamic requests. Here are a few pieces of advice to help you out with using variables with Postman:
- Use global variables if you need to share data between collections or environments.
- Use local variables within a request or collection to store data that is only used within that context.
- Create custom variables within a request so you can assign values from other responses only needed for that request.
Use folder variables when defining values that need to be shared between requests within a folder or subfolder. It will help keep your tests organized and easy to maintain.
Test your requests in bulk
QA is a necessity for any developer, regardless of your preference. Postman makes it easy to test multiple requests from the same script. To do this, click on the folder/collection that contains the requests you want to test. You can click on the ‘Test tab’ at the top and enter the test code to be run against your request. You are now able to run your collection and test multiple requests simultaneously.
Take advantage of pre-request and test scripts.
When writing postman scripts, it’s helpful to take advantage of pre-request and test scripts. Pre-request scripts will prepare the service environment before executing your tests and can be used to simulate a user signing in, checking out an item, or adding a new item to their cart.
Test scripts are used as assertions that can include parameters such as a string value or number value. Test scripts will return true or false values and can be combined with conditional statements to create complex test cases.
Leverage Postman monitors
A Postman Monitor is an invaluable tool that will let you automatically run your Postman tests on a set interval, and you will receive a notification whenever they fail. You can also integrate this invaluable tool with PagerDuty, Slack, and more.
Your results are displayed in the same familiar layout as the Postman collection runner, so it is easy to compare them.
Use the Postman API
The Postman API is a powerful and versatile tool for testing APIs. It has many elements that allow you to quickly and easily test any API, including running automated tests and debugging.
Using the Postman API can help you obtain the most out of your Postman testing experience.
Use the Postman API Explorer to explore API endpoints and discover new ones quickly. The API Explorer allows you to quickly understand an API’s functionality without writing tests for each endpoint.
Get involved in the Postman community.
A postman is a powerful tool, but one of the things that makes it so powerful is also what can make it difficult to learn: the breadth and depth of its functionality. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get involved with others in the community!
There are many online forums where you can discuss tips and tricks, ask questions about using Postman’s features, or even find out what others are using it for. One of our favorite resources is this YouTube playlist with videos on Postman’s features. And lastly, you might want to look at some blog posts that offer additional tips on getting started with Postman.
Conclusion
Postman is an essential tool when it comes to testing APIs. This is because it lets us send requests and see the responses easily. It is a great tool used by testers, developers, and operations engineers. That being said, it is important to use the app wisely to get the most out of it.
TestGrid is the best automation testing tool because it has enterprise-grade capabilities and enables you to scale easily. With TestGrid, you don’t have to spend time developing your test scripts or going through the learning curve of a new tool. You can also create custom workflows that enable you to test your application on different browsers, devices, data sets, and configurations with a few clicks. It is another reason that TestGrid is the best automation testing tool.