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Postman API Testing Tips

How To Use Postman Runner

API Testing Blog

Harnessing the Power of the Postman Runner for Efficient API Testing

Postman’s Runner is an invaluable tool for streamlining your API testing process. It allows you to execute collections of API requests, automate your tests, and gain insightful reporting, significantly enhancing your efficiency and test coverage. Let’s dive into the practical aspects of effectively using the Postman Runner.

1. Setting Up Your Collections for Execution

The first step is organizing your API requests within collections. Collections in Postman are essentially folders that group related API requests.

  1. Creating a Collection: In Postman, click on the New button and select Collection. Give your collection a descriptive name.

  2. Adding Requests: Within your collection, click on “Add Request” to create individual API requests. Each request can be defined with its HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.), URL, headers, body, and other essential details.

Example: Let’s create a collection for testing a simple ‘Todos’ API. Here’s how one request within the ‘Todos’ collection might look:

// Request Name: Get All Todos
// URL: https://api.example.com/todos
// Method: GET

This request fetches all the Todos from the API.

2. Understanding the Postman Runner Interface

Navigating the Postman Runner interface is intuitive.

  1. Accessing the Runner: Click on the Runner tab in the Postman interface.

  2. Selecting Your Collection: Choose the collection you’d like to run from the available options.

  3. Environment & Data Files: Specify your environment variables (for managing API keys, URLs, etc.) and data files (to parameterize your requests).

  4. Iteration & Execution: You can configure the Runner to run your collection multiple times, potentially with different data inputs.

3. Running Your Collections with the Runner

  1. Configure Environment Variables: In the Runner panel, select the environment you’ve created, containing your API keys, base URLs, and other dynamic data.

  2. Specify Data Files: If you need to parameterize your requests with different sets of data, you can upload data files like CSV or JSON.

  3. Running the Collection: Click on the “Run” button. The Runner will execute the requests sequentially within your collection.

Example: Imagine you have a data file user_data.json with the following data:

[
  {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john.doe@example.com"
  },
  {
    "name": "Jane Smith",
    "email": "jane.smith@example.com"
  }
]

You can use this data file in your ‘Todos’ collection to create multiple users, each with their own email addresses.

4. Analyzing Test Results and Generating Reports

After your collection has run, the Runner provides a detailed report of the test results:

  1. Visual Summary: Get an overview of the number of passed, failed, and skipped requests.

  2. Individual Request Details: For each request, the Runner displays detailed information like response time, status code, and response headers.

  3. Assertions & Validation: You can define assertions within your requests to check specific criteria in the response. The Runner will highlight any failed assertions.

Example: You can add an assertion to ensure the status code of your ‘Get All Todos’ request is 200 (OK).

pm.test("Status code is 200", function () {
  pm.response.to.have.status(200);
});

5. Leveraging the Postman Runner for Advanced Scenarios

The Postman Runner provides features for more sophisticated API testing.

  1. Data Driven Testing: Parameterized testing empowers you to run your requests with different sets of data, allowing you to test various scenarios.

  2. Test Scripting with Postman Sandbox: You can use Javascript in the Postman Sandbox to write custom test scripts, allowing for complex logic and validations within your requests.

Example: You can use a test script to verify the response body of a specific API request:

pm.test("Check response body for specific item", function () {
  var jsonData = pm.response.json();
  pm.expect(jsonData.hasOwnProperty('title')).to.be.true;
  pm.expect(jsonData).to.have.deep.property('title', 'My Todo Item');
});

6. Automating Your Testing Workflow with Postman Runner

The Postman Runner integrates seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines, enabling automated API testing for continuous integration:

  1. Integration with CI Tools: Use Postman’s CLI commands or APIs to integrate the Runner with CI/CD tools like Jenkins or Azure DevOps.

  2. Automated Test Execution: Configure your CI/CD pipeline to automatically execute your Postman collections on every code change or scheduled build.

  3. Report Generation and Notifications: Integrate report generation and email notifications for test results, ensuring transparency and immediate feedback on potential issues.

By leveraging the power of the Postman Runner, you can elevate your API testing process, increase efficiency, and ensure the robust quality of your APIs. The detailed reports and automated test execution capabilities empower you to manage your API quality with confidence.

API Testing Blog