Introduction to API Testing
Modern APIs use JSON for data exchange. Learn to test request/response cycles, validate data, handle errors.
REST API Basics
GET, POST, PUT, DELETE methods. Status codes (200, 404, 500). Headers and body structure.
Request Format
Content-Type: application/json header. JSON in request body. Proper encoding and structure.
Response Validation
Check status code, validate JSON structure, verify data types, test error responses.
Testing Tools
Postman
Popular GUI tool. Collections, environments, automated testing. JSON visualization built-in.
cURL
Command-line testing. Quick requests. Good for automation and CI/CD.
REST Client
VS Code extension. Test in editor. Save requests as files.
Authentication
Bearer tokens in headers. API keys. OAuth flows. JWT validation.
Test Scenarios
Happy path, error cases, edge cases, invalid JSON, missing fields, wrong types.
Automated Testing
Jest, Mocha for JavaScript. pytest for Python. Continuous integration with tests.
Response Parsing
Extract values with JSONPath. Validate with schemas. Use our JSON Editor to inspect responses.
Error Handling
HTTP status codes. Error message structure. Retry logic. Timeout handling.
Best Practices
Test all endpoints, validate responses, handle timeouts, test error cases, document tests.