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Postman
Postman is a popular API testing tool designed to simplify API
development and testing

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What is an API?

 API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of rules and

protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with
each other. APIs work like messengers: they take your request to a system,
get the needed data or action, and deliver the response back to you.

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Types of APIs
Web APIs (HTTP APIs)Definition: These Open APIs (Public APIs):
APIs allow applications to communicate
over the internet using the HTTP/HTTPS These are publicly available APIs that
protocol. anyone can use.
Examples:
➢ REST APIs (Representational State
Transfer):Used for simple, ▪ Google Maps API: Developers use this
lightweight communication. to embed maps in their apps or
▪ Example: A weather app fetching the websites.
current temperature from a server. ▪ OpenWeather API: Fetch weather
data for any city.
➢ SOAP APIs (Simple Object Access
Protocol):Used for more complex
systems requiring high security and
structure.
▪ Example: Payment processing in
banking systems.

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Types of APIs
Internal APIs (Private APIs): Partner APIs:
These are designed for use within an These are shared with specific
organization to improve its internal business partners to allow limited
operations. access to systems.

Examples: Examples:

▪ A company's HR system ▪ Uber’s API for restaurants to

communicating with the payroll integrate delivery services.
system to process salaries. ▪ Expedia’s API for hotels to manage
▪ A logistics company's tracking app room bookings via their platform.
accessing its database to update
shipment statuses.

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Types of APIs
Composite APIs: GraphQL APIs:
These combine multiple API calls into a Allows clients to request exactly the
single request, reducing the number of data they need, reducing over-fetching
round trips between client and server. or under-fetching data.
Examples: Examples:
▪ An e-commerce website fetching Facebook's GraphQL API: Fetch a user's
product details, reviews, and seller posts and friends list in a single,
information in one request. customized query.
▪ A travel app retrieving flight options,
hotels, and car rentals
simultaneously.

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Types of APIs- Real-Life Analogy
 Open API: Like a restaurant menu—anyone can order.
 Internal API: Like the chef’s recipe—only kitchen staff can
access it.
 Partner API: Like a special menu for VIP customers—only
certain people get access.
 Composite API: Like ordering a combo meal—one request
gives you everything you need.
 GraphQL API: Like customizing your meal order—ask for
exactly what you want (e.g., burger without pickles, fries,
and soda).

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Collections Multiple Request Types
➢ What it Means: You can group similar ➢ What it Means: Postman supports
API requests into folders for easy different API actions like:
organization.
➢ GET: Fetch data
➢ Example: For a shopping app, you
can group the APIs for login, product ➢ POST: Send data
search, and checkout into one ➢ PUT: Update data
collection. It’s like putting related
files into one folder for quick access. ➢ DELETE: Remove data
➢ HEAD:A HEAD request is similar to a
GET request, but it only fetches the
headers (metadata) of the response,
not the actual data (body).It’s useful
to check if a resource exists or to get
details like size or type without
downloading the full content.
➢ OPTIONS: An OPTIONS request asks
the server what actions are allowed
for a resource.
It’s often used to check which HTTP
methods (like GET, POST, etc.) are
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resource.
Test Development Environment Support
➢ What it Means: Add tests to check if ➢ What it Means: You can test the
APIs work correctly, like verifying same APIs on different setups
they give the expected output or (development, testing, or live)
show a "200 OK" status. without making new requests for
each.
➢ Example: You’re testing an API to
check your bank balance. A test ➢ Example: Test your app on:
ensures it shows your balance
▪ A testing server:
correctly and doesn’t display an
test.myapp.com
error.
▪ The live server: myapp.com
By switching environments, you
use the same test requests
without changes.

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CI/CD Integration Debugging
➢ What it Means: Postman works with ➢ What it Means: Postman has a
tools that automate testing every console to find and fix issues in APIs.
time you update your app or add new
➢ Example: If the login API gives an
features.
error, you check the console to see
➢ Example: When you release a new the problem (e.g., you forgot to
feature for your app, Postman include the password).
automatically runs all API tests to
check that everything still works.

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Header
The header section contains key tools for creating and managing API requests and
environments.

 New: Create a new request, collection (group of requests), or environment

(test setup).
 Import: Import environments or collections from files, links, or code
repositories.
 Runner: Run multiple API tests using the Collection Runner tool.
 Workspace Name: Displays the active workspace (e.g., My Workspace) and
allows you to share it with team members.

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Response Section
This area displays the results of an API request after you hit "Send." It includes:

 Response Body: The actual data returned by the API (e.g., JSON, XML).
 Status Code: Indicates the success or failure of the request (e.g., 200 OK, 404
Not Found).
 Time: How long it took for the server to respond.

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Sidebar
The sidebar organizes your API requests, collections, and history for easy navigation.

 Collections: Group API requests into folders for better management.

 History: View past requests and re-run them if needed.

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Builder Section
This is the central workspace where you create and execute API requests.

 Request Tab: Contains the request type (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) and
the API URL.
 Send Button: Executes the API request.
 Save Button: Saves the request for future use.

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Tabs in Builder:
Params (Query Parameters)
➢ What it is:Query parameters are extra pieces of information added to the URL
to filter or modify a request. They look like ?key=value in the URL.
➢ Example:
▪ Scenario: You want to search for "laptops" on an e-commerce site.
▪ URL: https://example.com/search?query=laptops&page=2query=laptops is
the parameter saying, "Search for laptops."page=2 specifies which page of
results to display.
➢ Usage:
When calling an API to get user details:
https://api.example.com/users?userId=123
The userId=123 tells the API to fetch data for user 123.
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Tabs in Builder:
Authorization
 What it is:This ensures only authorized users can access a resource. It
involves tokens, API keys, or login credentials.
Example:
▪ Scenario: You use a food delivery app. The app needs your login token to
confirm who you are.
▪ Authorization Header:
Authorization: Bearer your-token-here
 Usage:
For secure APIs:
API Key: Authorization: API-Key abc123xyz
OAuth Token: Authorization: Bearer token123

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Tabs in Builder:
Headers
 What it is:Metadata sent along with a request to give the server more
information about what you're sending.
 Example:
▪ Scenario: When uploading an image, the server needs to know the file type.
▪ Header: Content-Type: image/png
 Usage:
To tell the server you're sending JSON data:
Content-Type: application/json
Example: Adding headers for language preferences:Accept-Language: en-US

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Tabs in Builder:
Body
 What it is:The actual data sent in a request, typically used in POST or PUT
requests
 Example:
▪ Scenario: You sign up for a service and send your details.
▪ Body (JSON format):
▪ { "name": "John Doe", "email": "[email protected]", "password": "123456"}
 Usage:
For creating a new blog post via an API:
{ "title": "My First Blog", "content": "This is the body of my blog post."}

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Tabs in Builder:
Pre-req. (Pre-request Scripts)
 What it is:Code that runs before sending the API request to set or modify data
dynamically.
 Example:
▪ Scenario: Generating a unique user ID for each signup request.
▪ Script:
pm.test("Status code is 200", function () { pm.response.to.have.status(200);});
Usage:
pm.test("User ID is correct", function () {
pm.expect(pm.response.json().userId).to.eql("12345");});

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