Postman and API Development
Postman is a comprehensive API development and testing platform that simplifies every stage of the
API lifecycle 1 . It was originally released in 2012 as a Google Chrome extension 2 . Today it boasts
over 30 million users and is used by about 500,000 organizations worldwide 3 . Postman provides a
user-friendly interface for constructing HTTP requests, sending them to servers, and inspecting the
responses 1 . By abstracting away raw command-line work, Postman streamlines tasks such as
endpoint testing, debugging, and automation 1 4 . It also offers collaboration features (Workspaces,
comments, version control) so teams can share API work and build software faster 1 4 .
What Is an API?
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and protocols that allows different
software applications to communicate 5 . In essence, an API serves as an intermediary: it defines how
one program can request services or data from another program 6 5 . APIs power many features we
use every day – for example, logging into an app via social media, processing online payments, or
fetching search results. These actions typically involve the app sending a request to an external service’s
API, which returns data or confirmation in response 7 8 . In login or payment scenarios, for instance,
Postman’s documentation notes that social logins (e.g. “Log in with Facebook”) and “Pay with PayPal”
functionality are implemented using APIs 7 8 . Thus, APIs expose functionality (like user
authentication or transaction processing) in a standardized way so software components can interact
seamlessly.
Why Use Postman?
Postman offers several advantages for API work: it is easy to use, supports all standard HTTP methods,
and enables powerful automation and debugging. According to documentation and tutorials, Postman
provides “a user-friendly interface to send requests and analyze responses,” and it natively supports HTTP
methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE 1 9 . This means you can simply select the method (e.g. GET to
fetch data or POST to submit data), enter the URL, add headers or body if needed, and click Send.
Postman will display the HTTP status code, headers, and response body (usually JSON or HTML) in an
easy-to-read panel.
In addition, Postman automates testing. Users can write JavaScript test scripts that validate responses
(e.g. check status codes, JSON contents) and run them on-demand or via automated runs 10 . As
Postman’s blog explains, teams are increasingly “automating their approach to API testing,” which saves
development time and lets developers focus on innovation 11 . Debugging is also simplified: Postman
highlights errors (by red status codes or failed tests) and allows inspection of entire request-response
logs. Overall, Postman “simplifies each step of the API lifecycle” and “streamlines collaboration, enabling
teams to build better APIs faster” 4 .
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Core Postman Features
Postman’s platform includes many features for API development and testing:
• Collections: Groups of saved API requests. You can organize related endpoints (e.g. all user-
related APIs) into a collection for easy access 12 . Collections can be run sequentially or with
varying data sets.
• Environment Variables: Key-value pairs that store reusable data (like base URLs, auth tokens,
user IDs). Variables prevent hardcoding values in many requests; you define them once and
reference them with {{variableName}} 13 14 . For example, you can set base_url =
https://api.example.com so if the domain changes, you update it only in one place 13 14 .
• Pre-request and Test Scripts: You can attach JavaScript code to run before or after a request.
Pre-request scripts can compute dynamic data, and test scripts (written in the “Tests” tab) can
assert that a response meets expectations. Postman has a built-in Postman Sandbox (Node.js
environment) and even built-in Chai assertions for writing readable tests 10 15 .
• Mock Servers: Postman can simulate your API endpoints with mock servers. By defining
example responses in a collection, you can spin up a mock server so front-end developers can
work before the real backend exists 16 17 . The mock server returns example responses, letting
clients test as if the API were live.
• Monitors: Scheduled runs of collections that continuously check API health and performance.
Monitors can automatically email alerts on failures or high latency 18 19 . They are useful for
ongoing uptime checks.
• API Documentation: Postman auto-generates documentation for any collection. The generated
docs list each endpoint’s method, URL, parameters, headers, body schema, and sample
requests/responses 20 . You can add human-readable descriptions and even publish the docs
online for team or public consumption 20 .
• Collaboration & Workspaces: Teams can work together by sharing Workspaces and Collections.
Postman’s collaborative features (version control, commenting, role-based access) keep
everyone on the same page. Official docs note Postman “enables you to collaborate with your
teammates… by organizing, sharing, and communicating work to your APIs” 4 .
Installing Postman
Postman is available as a standalone app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as via a web
interface. You can download the desktop client from postman.com/downloads 21 . After installation (or
by opening the web version), you can optionally sign in with email or Google. Signing in syncs your data
(collections, environments) to the cloud so you can access them on any device 21 . The initial steps are
straightforward: launch Postman, then start creating requests and collections. (Signing in is not strictly
required to send requests, but needed to save your work.)
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Postman Interface Overview
The Postman UI is divided into key panels:
• Sidebar: Lists Collections and History of past requests. You can create new collections or open
saved ones here. The History tab lets you revisit any request you sent.
• Request Builder: At the top, you specify the HTTP method (GET/POST/PUT/DELETE/etc.), the
request URL (endpoint), and tabs for parameters, headers, body, and authorization. For example,
you can click the dropdown to choose GET and paste the endpoint URL.
• Params/Headers/Body Tabs: Below the URL, tabs let you add query parameters, HTTP headers,
or a request payload. For instance, under Headers you might set Content-Type:
application/json when sending JSON data. Under Body you can switch between raw (free
text), form data, binary, or GraphQL body types as needed.
• Response Panel: The bottom section displays the server’s response. It shows the status code
(e.g. 200 OK or 404 Not Found), time taken, and size, along with the response headers. The main
area formats the response body (JSON/XML/HTML) for easy reading. You can switch between
Pretty, Raw, and Preview modes.
This layout makes it easy to craft and inspect requests and their outcomes within one window,
improving visibility into API behavior.
HTTP Methods in REST APIs
In RESTful APIs, standard HTTP methods are used for CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations
9 :
• GET retrieves or “fetch[es] data” from a server (e.g. getting a user profile). It should not alter data
9 .
• POST submits or “add[s] new data” to a server (e.g. creating a new account). The server typically
returns the newly created resource or status 9 .
• PUT (or PATCH) updates an existing resource completely (PUT) or partially (PATCH) 9 .
• DELETE removes a resource (e.g. deleting a user or post) 9 .
When testing in Postman, you simply select the appropriate method and URL. For example, choosing
GET and sending https://api.example.com/items will fetch items, whereas selecting POST with a
JSON body can create a new item.
Creating a GET Request
To test a GET endpoint in Postman: 1. Set the method to GET and enter the API’s URL in the request
field. 2. Optionally add query parameters (via the Params tab) or headers if required. 3. Click Send.
Postman then displays the response. If the API returns JSON, Postman will pretty-print it; if HTML, it will
render text or HTML appropriately. The Status (e.g. “200 OK”) and Time metrics appear above the
response. This immediate feedback shows whether the endpoint is reachable and returns valid data.
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For example, Postman’s docs demonstrate sending GET https://postman-echo.com/get and
observing the JSON response in the lower pane 22 23 .
Creating a POST Request
To test an endpoint that accepts data (like user sign-up), use POST: 1. Select POST in the method
dropdown. 2. If you need to send data (e.g. JSON), click the Body tab and choose raw, then select JSON
from the dropdown. 3. Enter your JSON payload (for example, { "username": "alice",
"password": "secret" } ). 4. Click Send.
The server will process the data and send a response. For instance, if creating a new user, you might
receive a 201 Created status code and a JSON body with the new user details. GeeksforGeeks shows
this process: under Body, select raw+JSON and enter the JSON data, then click Send and observe a
“Status Code: 201 Created” and a response body with the created resource 24 25 .
Headers & Authentication
HTTP headers add metadata to requests. A common header is Content-Type: application/json ,
which tells the server that the request body is JSON. In Postman’s Headers tab, you can add such key-
value pairs. Headers can also carry API keys or tokens, but Postman provides specialized support for
authentication:
• API Key: You can send an API key either in a header or as a URL query parameter 26 . For
example, using Postman’s “API Key” auth type, it appends key: <value> in the header
automatically 26 .
• Bearer Token: Many APIs use bearer tokens (often JWTs) in an Authorization header. Postman’s
“Bearer Token” auth type lets you enter the token, and it will prepend Bearer <token> in the
header 27 .
• Basic Auth: For HTTP Basic authentication, Postman’s “Basic Auth” will encode a username and
password into the Authorization header 28 .
By choosing the appropriate auth type in the request’s Authorization tab, Postman automatically adds
the correct headers. You can also add any custom headers manually in the Headers tab, including
content types, API keys, or custom fields.
Organizing with Collections
A Collection in Postman is essentially a folder of API requests. You can save any request (method + URL
+ headers + body) to a collection for reuse. For example, you might create a “User API” collection
containing GET /users, POST /users, PUT /users/:id, etc. Saving requests into collections helps organize
related endpoints and enables batch operations. As documented, you can “Save and organize APIs into
collections” 12 . Collections can also be exported or shared with teammates. In short, collections keep
your API tests structured and reusable.
Using Environment Variables
Environment and global variables make Postman tests flexible. An environment is a named set of
variables (key/value pairs) that you can switch between (e.g. dev vs. production). Variables can store
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things like: - Base URLs (so endpoints use {{base_url}}/resource rather than a hardcoded
domain) 29 . - Authentication tokens or user IDs (so they’re not hardcoded in test scripts) 29 .
For instance, if your API is at different domains for staging and production, you define base_url
differently in each environment. When you select an environment, {{base_url}} in requests
automatically takes that value . This avoids manually editing requests and lets you quickly run the
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same tests against different servers. As Postman docs state, “by storing a value as a variable, you can
reference it throughout your collections, environments, requests, and scripts” 13 . If you ever need to
change a commonly used value, you update the variable once instead of many request definitions.
Writing Tests in Postman
Postman lets you write JavaScript-based test scripts that run after each request. Under the Tests (Post-
response) tab of a request, you use the pm API to make assertions. For example:
pm.test("Status code is 200", () => {
pm.response.to.have.status(200);
});
pm.test("Response has userID 5", () => {
pm.expect(pm.response.json().id).to.eql(5);
});
These scripts automatically execute whenever you send the request or run a collection. They validate
status codes, JSON contents, response time, headers, etc. Postman provides many pre-written snippets
and the Chai assertion library to help. Official docs note: “You can write tests for your Postman API requests
in JavaScript in the Post-response tab” 10 . Test results appear in a “Tests” section of the response panel,
indicating pass/fail. In this way, you can programmatically verify API behavior (e.g. that the login API
returns a 200 code and a valid JSON with a user token), catching unexpected results immediately.
Collection Runner & Automation
Postman’s Collection Runner executes all requests in a collection (optionally multiple times or with
data files) automatically. To use it, click the Run button on a collection and configure the run. The runner
displays each request’s outcome and test results. This is useful for bulk testing or regression checks.
Postman docs explain that the Collection Runner “logs the test results for each request, and it can use
scripts to pass data between requests” 30 .
Beyond manual runs, Postman supports automation: you can schedule collection runs on Postman’s
cloud or integrate with your CI/CD pipeline. For example, Postman provides a CLI (Newman or Postman
CLI) so you can run collections from command-line in Jenkins/GitHub Actions. The docs note you can
“integrate collection runs with your CI/CD pipeline using the Postman CLI” 31 . This makes continuous API
testing possible. In summary, the runner and automation allow you to automate repetitive tests,
execute end-to-end scenarios, and verify that recent code changes did not break any APIs.
Monitoring APIs
API Monitoring is the practice of continuously checking an API’s health (uptime, latency, correctness).
Postman Monitors let you run collections on a schedule (e.g. every hour) and trigger alerts on issues.
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This covers two goals: making sure endpoints stay online and performant, and catching regressions
early. Key performance metrics include error rates and latency 32 . Monitors can email teams if a run
fails – for example, Postman Monitors “can be configured to automatically email you if a request fails” 19 .
In short, monitoring saves time by automating API checks. If something breaks in production, the
monitor alerts you immediately rather than discovering the bug manually. This proactive “alert on
failures or slow responses” approach improves reliability. As one Postman source notes, teams use
monitors to “surface errors and performance degradations as soon as they occur”, which lets them fix
issues before customers are impacted 33 .
Mock Servers
A Mock Server simulates real API behavior by returning example responses. You configure a mock by
saving example responses for requests in a collection, then starting a mock server on a special URL.
When your client (or Postman) sends a request to that mock server, Postman returns the pre-defined
example. This lets front-end or QA teams develop and test without a live backend.
Postman’s docs explain it well: “Use a mock server to simulate a server for your API requests… The mock
server simulates your API’s behavior, so you can test your API or develop new functionality before your API is
production ready.” 16 17 . In practice, you might make a collection with a GET /users request and an
example response JSON. The mock server will then serve that JSON whenever a client calls it. Mock
servers are invaluable for parallel development: front-end devs can continue building features even if
the real API isn’t finished.
API Documentation
Documenting APIs is crucial for team collaboration and usage by others. Postman can auto-generate
documentation for any collection. The generated docs include each endpoint’s details: method, URL,
description, headers, query/body parameters, and example request/response bodies 20 . There are
even sample code snippets in various languages. For example, Postman documentation states, “The
documentation includes details about all of the requests in your collection... Request details include the
method, authorization type, URL, headers, request and response structures, and examples.” 20 .
After generation, you can publish the docs via a shareable link or PDF. This means teammates or clients
can easily understand and consume your APIs. You can also write rich descriptions in Markdown for
each request. In sum, Postman turns your collections into readable API docs, saving time and ensuring
accuracy.
Benefits of Using Postman
Using Postman provides tangible benefits in API development:
• Time Savings: Teams report dramatically faster testing cycles with Postman 34 . For example,
one organization cut their test cycle from 96 hours to around 5–6 hours 34 . Automation of
routine tests means developers spend more time innovating and less time on repetitive checks
11 34 .
• Fewer Bugs: By enabling “shift-left” practices, Postman helps catch defects early in the
development process. Continuous testing (via monitors and CI) ensures that new code doesn’t
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break existing functionality. Postman’s automation allows frequent tests, so bugs are spotted
before release 35 34 .
• Better Collaboration: Postman’s shared workspaces and documentation features mean teams
work in sync. As noted, Postman “streamlines collaboration, enabling teams to build better APIs
faster” 4 . Everyone sees the same collections and results, reducing miscommunication.
• Ease of Testing & Debugging: Postman’s GUI eliminates command-line complexity. You see
status codes and response data clearly for every request. Built-in tools like the Console and test
result view aid rapid debugging. As a result, developers can verify endpoints quickly and
diagnose issues on the spot.
Overall, Postman accelerates development workflows. Many enterprises cite Postman as critical to their
API strategy. The platform’s popularity — “over 30 million registered users and 500,000 organizations” 3
— underscores its utility in the industry. With Postman, teams of any size can design, test, document,
and maintain APIs more efficiently than ever before.
Conclusion
Postman is a powerful, widely-used API tool that covers design, testing, monitoring, mocking, and
documentation in one package 4 3 . It offers an intuitive interface for creating HTTP requests,
supports all standard REST methods, and automates many tasks via JavaScript tests and collection
runners 1 10 . Its environment variable system, workspaces, and collaboration features make it ideal
for team projects. In short, Postman saves development time, reduces bugs, and improves
teamwork 11 4 . By making API testing and automation easier, it has become an essential part of
modern software development.
Sources: Official Postman documentation and industry articles have been used to verify all statements
above 1 5 9 26 10 30 19 16 20 4 3 .
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1 2 12 18 21 23 24 25 How to test an API using Postman ? - GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/node-js/how-to-test-an-api-using-postman/
3 Postman (software) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postman_(software)
4 34 How Does Postman Help Teams Save Time? | Postman Blog
https://blog.postman.com/postman-saves-time-for-enterprises/
5 What is an Application Programming Interface (API)? | Harness
https://www.harness.io/harness-devops-academy/what-is-an-application-programming-interface-api
6 API - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API
7 8 7 Examples of APIs We Use in Our Everyday Lives | Nordic APIs |
https://nordicapis.com/5-examples-of-apis-we-use-in-our-everyday-lives/
9 Build a RESTful API in PHP Without a Framework - DEV Community
https://dev.to/montasser/build-a-restful-api-in-php-without-a-framework-1anc
10 15 Write scripts to test API response data in Postman | Postman Docs
https://learning.postman.com/docs/tests-and-scripts/write-scripts/test-scripts/
11 35 What is API Testing? A Guide to Testing APIs | Postman
https://www.postman.com/api-platform/api-testing/
13 14 29 Store and reuse values using variables | Postman Docs
https://learning.postman.com/docs/sending-requests/variables/variables/
16 17 Simulate your API in Postman with a mock server | Postman Docs
https://learning.postman.com/docs/design-apis/mock-apis/overview/
19 32 33 What is API Monitoring? Use Cases, Tools & Best Practices | Postman
https://www.postman.com/api-platform/api-monitoring/
20 Document a collection in Postman | Postman Docs
https://learning.postman.com/docs/publishing-your-api/document-a-collection/
22 Send your first API request | Postman Docs
https://learning.postman.com/docs/getting-started/first-steps/sending-the-first-request/
26 27 28 Authorization types supported by Postman | Postman Docs
https://learning.postman.com/docs/sending-requests/authorization/authorization-types/
30 31 Test your API using the Collection Runner | Postman Docs
https://learning.postman.com/docs/collections/running-collections/intro-to-collection-runs/
