How To Use Curl Request In Postman

Harnessing the Power of cURL in Postman for API Testing

Postman, a popular tool for API testing and development, provides a user-friendly interface for crafting and executing API requests. However, sometimes you may need to leverage the raw power of cURL for advanced API interactions. This guide will walk you through how to integrate cURL requests directly within Postman, enhancing your API testing capabilities.

1. Understanding cURL

cURL, short for “client URL”, is a command-line tool that allows you to transfer data from or to a server using various protocols, including HTTP. It’s known for its flexibility and the extensive range of options it supports.

2. Sending Simple GET Requests

Let’s start with a basic GET request to fetch data from a REST API.

Step 1: Create a New Postman Request

Open Postman and create a new request. Choose “GET” as the HTTP method.

Step 2: Paste the cURL Command

In the “Code” tab, select “cURL” and paste the following command:

curl -X GET https://reqres.in/api/users

Step 3: Execute the Request

Click “Send” to execute the request. The response will be displayed in the response body.

3. Sending POST Requests with Payload

To send data to an API endpoint, utilize a POST request.

Step 1: Create a New Postman Request

Create a new request and select “POST” as the HTTP method.

Step 2: Paste the cURL Command

In the “Code” tab, paste the following cURL command:

curl -X POST https://reqres.in/api/users -d '{"name": "morpheus", "job": "leader"}' -H 'Content-Type: application/json'

Step 3: Execute the Request

Click “Send” to execute the request. The response will include the details of the created user.

4. Setting Headers for Authentication

Many APIs require authentication headers to authorize requests.

Step 1: Create a New Postman Request

Create a new request and select the appropriate HTTP method.

Step 2: Paste the cURL Command

In the “Code” tab, paste the following cURL command:

curl -X GET 'https://reqres.in/api/users/2' -H 'Authorization: Bearer your_access_token'

Step 3: Execute the Request

Click “Send” to execute the request. You’ll need to replace your_access_token with your actual access token.

5. Utilizing cURL Options for Advanced Testing

cURL offers various options to customize API requests. For example:

Setting a User Agent:

curl -X GET https://reqres.in/api/users -H 'User-Agent: MyCustomAgent'

Setting a Timeout:

curl -X GET https://reqres.in/api/users -m 5

Verifying SSL Certificates:

curl -X GET https://reqres.in/api/users --insecure

6. Integrating cURL into Postman Workflows

For complex testing scenarios, you can integrate cURL commands into Postman’s powerful workflows. You can create multiple requests, including cURL steps, and chain them together to simulate real-world user scenarios.

Conclusion

By integrating cURL commands into Postman, you gain access to a wider range of options for controlling your API requests and testing complex scenarios. Utilize cURL’s power to enhance your API testing process, ensuring the robustness and reliability of your applications.