The Application Programming Interface (API) is the primary reason for the smooth functioning of applications in software programs across the world. Millions of API requests are sent out every second over the internet, and it is critical that the APIs work without delay or failure. Quality engineers must test the application logic to reduce errors during functional testing. The API collection must be tested regularly to ensure a bug-free application. Manual testing can take days if there is no idea how the application’s user interface works. API testing is one of the most challenging software testing procedures because of the impending production crisis if it fails after implementation.

API creation and testing come with their own set of challenges. Since its inception, Postman has had over 17 million monthly active users creating over 855 million API requests last year. Postman has become a useful tool for QA Engineers, software developers, DevOps, and other IT professionals. It is used for building and automating RESTful web applications and services. In this blog, we shall look at the uses of the Postman tool.

Postman’s Benefits

Postman Automation is essential for testing applications that have multiple functions. It is one of the leading open-source API automation tools available for users. Given that the primary purpose of quality assurance automation is to reduce the time and effort required to test a product manually, developers and testers trust Postman to deliver accurate outcomes and high-quality results.

The key advantage of using Postman is that it does not need manual entry of JSON commands. It designs and assists users in immediately defining test cases. Postman has made the process of testing and following Continuous Integration / Continuous Development simpler and more convenient for the developers and testers.

Key benefits of using Postman
• Simple Interface – Postman is user-friendly, and its unique features make testing API quick with test suits created by filling a template

• Newman – Newman is Postman’s interface that runs a battery of tests from the command line even if the GUI (Graphical User Interface) is not ready

•Testing Multiple Environments – Postman saves information about multiple environments and uses the appropriate environment settings for test collections

•Store Data – Postman allows data storage from other API variables into global variables that can be used as environmental variables for any API calls

Postman Automated API Testing

The following are the insteps involved in API testing leveraging Postman –

Step 1. Installation and log-in – Postman is an open-source platform that can be easily installed on Windows, Mac, or Linux systems by visiting its website. Postman has a Google Chrome extension that is not recommended owing to compatibility and performance issues. Visit Postman Downloads, select the desired platform, and download the app on the system. When the download is finished, click Run to begin the installation procedure. After the installation, create an account by entering the necessary information. In the final step, choose preferences, and the Postman API test automation project will be ready to deliver.

Step 2. Launch the first API test with Postman

1. Create a new collection by clicking on the + tab. Edit the name and description by selecting the setting based on preferences

2. Right-click on that new collection and add a request to make the first request.

3. Select the newly created request and manually type the API endpoint

4. Add the different methods/protocols as per the requirement

5. Add the header as per the requirement

6. Enter a POST body if required

7. Click send and save to execute the API test to complete the process. All the updates can be seen on the dashboard.

Postman can save QA engineers time as the APIs can be integrated with the developer’s coding configuration using multiple variables sets to test responses and setups. Postman is a user-friendly tool for starting multiple API tests. Postman API automation testing can be learned, created, and executed with basic JavaScript knowledge.

Automated testing is changing how applications are built and made available to end-users. Software testers can use Postman to get consistent and reliable test results, save outsourcing costs, and deliver better quality products with a faster time to market. Postman testing helps in planning for a robust QA strategy. In a fully automated CI/CD method of testing and deployments, Postman creates an automated testing suite that saves energy and money by delivering the best products and services for the market.