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How To Use Postman In Chrome Step By Step

API Testing Blog

Getting Started with Postman in Chrome

Postman is a powerful tool for interacting with APIs. It allows you to send requests, view responses, and test your APIs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps of using Postman in Chrome.

Step 1: Download and Install Postman

  • Navigate to the Postman website: https://www.postman.com/.
  • Click on the “Download” button.
  • Choose the appropriate installer for your operating system.
  • Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Accessing Postman

  • Open your Chrome browser.
  • Click on the Postman icon in your Chrome app drawer.
  • If you are using the Postman app, it will open automatically. If you are using the Chrome extension, it will open as a tab in your Chrome browser.

Step 3: Creating your First Request

How to Use Postman for your First Request:

  • Create a new Request: Click on the “New” button in the top left corner or press Ctrl+N.
  • Select the HTTP method: Choose the appropriate HTTP method for your request (e.g., GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
  • Enter the Request URL: Type the URL of the API endpoint you want to test.
  • Add Headers (if necessary): Click on the “Headers” tab and add any required headers for your API.
  • Send the Request: Click on the “Send” button or press Enter.

Example: Let’s make a GET request to the https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts endpoint to retrieve a list of posts:

  1. Choose GET as the HTTP method.
  2. Enter the URL: https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts
  3. Click “Send.”

Step 4: Viewing the Response

  • Inspect the Response: The response from the API will be displayed in the “Body” tab. You can view the response in several formats, including JSON, XML, HTML, and plain text.
  • Analyze the Status Code: The status code gives you information about the success or failure of the request.
    • For example, a 200 status code indicates success, while a 404 indicates that the resource was not found.
  • Examine Headers: The “Headers” tab shows the HTTP headers sent by the API in the response.

Step 5: Testing with Parameters and Body Data

How to Use Postman to Test with Parameters

  • Add Query Parameters: You can attach query parameters to GET requests to filter or modify the data returned by the API. Click on the “Params” tab and add your parameters.

Example: Let’s modify the previous example to retrieve a specific post with id of 1:

  1. Keep the method as GET.
  2. Enter the URL: https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts
  3. Click on “Params.”
  4. Add id as the key and 1 as the value.
  5. Click “Send.”

How to Use Postman to Test with Body Data

  • Send Body Data (POST, PUT): For requests such as POST and PUT that require data to be sent to the API, you can use the “Body” tab. Choose the appropriate format (JSON, XML, Form data, or Raw) and enter the data for your request.

Example: Let’s send a POST request to create a new post using JSON:

  1. Choose POST as the HTTP method.
  2. Enter the URL: https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts
  3. Click on the “Body” tab.
  4. Select “raw” and choose “JSON” as the type.
  5. Enter the following JSON:
{
  "userId": 1,
  "title": "New Post",
  "body": "This is the body of the new post."
}
  1. Click “Send.”

Step 6: Saving and Organizing Requests

How to Use Postman to Save your Work

  • Create a Collection: Collections help you organize your requests into a meaningful structure. Click on the “New” button and select “Collection.”
  • Add Requests to Collections: Once you’ve created a collection, add your requests to it by clicking on the “Add Request” button.
  • Create Environment Variables: Environment variables enable you to store and manage dynamic values like API keys, URLs, and other sensitive information. Click on the “Settings” button in the top right corner and then “Environment” to manage environment variables.

Conclusion

Postman in Chrome is an essential tool for anyone working with APIs. By mastering these core features, you can easily send requests, view responses, test API endpoints, and increase your efficiency in building and maintaining APIs.

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