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How To Use Postman To Schedule Test

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How to Use Postman to Schedule API Tests

Postman is a powerful tool for API testing. It offers a user-friendly interface for building, sending, and testing requests, as well as a robust collection management system. But did you know Postman also allows you to automate and schedule your tests? This feature can be invaluable for continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) workflows, ensuring your APIs remain stable and functional over time.

Understanding Postman Collections

Postman Collections organize your requests into reusable groups. This makes it easy to execute a set of tests related to a specific API endpoint or functionality. Collections are essential for scheduling tests because they allow you to define a sequence of tests and execute them automatically.

How to Create a Postman Collection and Add Tests

  1. Create a new collection: Click the “New” button in the Postman app and choose “Collection”. Give your collection a descriptive name.
  2. Add requests: Click the “Add Request” button in your new collection and create a new request. This request represents an API endpoint you want to test.
  3. Write test scripts: Click the “Tests” tab in the request editor. Here, you can write JavaScript code to test your API responses. Postman provides built-in test assertions like pm.test to check different aspects of the response (status code, response body, headers, etc.).

Example test script:

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


pm.test("Response body contains 'success'", function () {
    pm.expect(pm.response.text()).to.include('success');
});

Using the Postman Runner to Execute Tests

Postman’s Runner allows you to execute your collection in a controlled environment. This lets you run all requests within a collection simultaneously or sequentially.

  1. Open the Runner: Go to “Runner” in the left sidebar.
  2. Select your collection: Choose the collection you want to run from the dropdown menu.
  3. Configure settings: You can adjust the number of iterations, delay between requests, and environment variables within the Runner.
  4. Run your tests: Click the “Run” button to execute your test collection.

Setting Up Postman Monitors to Schedule Tests

Postman Monitors allow you to schedule automated test runs at regular intervals. You can define frequency, time zones, and even receive notifications when tests fail.

  1. Create a Monitor: Click “Monitors” in the left sidebar and choose “New Monitor”.
  2. Select your Collection: Choose the collection containing your test cases.
  3. Configure scheduling: Select a schedule for your test runs, like every hour, daily, or weekly. You can also choose the time zone.
  4. Configure notification: Choose how you want to be notified about failed tests, such as email, Slack, or Webhook.
  5. Start Monitoring: Click the “Create Monitor” button to start your scheduled test runs.

Practical Example: Testing a User Authentication API

Let’s create a basic collection to test a hypothetical user authentication API.

  1. Create Collection: Create a collection named “User Authentication”.
  2. Add Requests: Add two requests:
    • “Login” (POST request to /login)
    • “Get User” (GET request to /users/me)
  3. Write Test Scripts:

    • Login:

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

      pm.test("Response body contains 'token'", function () {
          pm.expect(pm.response.text()).to.include('token');
      });

    • Get User:

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

      pm.test("Response body contains user name", function () {
          pm.expect(pm.response.text()).to.include('john.doe'); // Replace with actual username
      });
  4. Create Monitor: Create a monitor for your “User Authentication” collection, scheduling it to run every hour. Configure notifications to receive alerts about failed tests.

Benefits of Scheduling Tests with Postman

  • Automated Continuous Testing: Regularly scheduled tests ensure your APIs remain functional over time.
  • Early Issue Detection: Catch potential bugs and regressions before they impact users.
  • Improved CI/CD Pipelines: Integrate Postman Monitors into your CI/CD workflows for seamless testing and deployment.
  • Reduced Manual Effort: Automate repetitive testing tasks, allowing you to focus on more complex challenges.

Postman offers a user-friendly and powerful way to schedule automated API tests. By using collections, the runner, and monitors, you can ensure the reliability and functionality of your APIs, making your development workflow more efficient and robust.

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