API TESTING: The Ins and Outs
Tags: api, apigateway, softwaredevelopment, testing
Published: 2024-03-28 09:23:42

Application Programming interface use has been increasingly growing with positive statistics projecting further growth in the future.
APIs act as a mode of service or contract that enjoins two software for the purpose of data sharing.
This type of sharing is based on requests and responses.

For example, say you want to build a simple weather application. You will thus be in need of data showing different locations, regions, weather patterns, real-time change in weather patterns and much more.
That's where a weather API comes in fetching weather data from the weather API right to your application.

However, APIs require testing to determine their functionality, status check, error responses, security, reliability and performance.

## What is API Testing?
API testing thus involves running tests on one or multiple endpoints to ensure that the API functions as required. That is the essence of API testing. It helps ensure that your APIs function as required before and during production.
 
So, what happens after production? API monitoring.
API testing is carried out in development while API monitoring is continuously done in post deployment.
With API monitoring you are able to keep an eye on the behavior of your API during and post production to watch for performance, changes and security among other varied characteristics. 

## What to look out for in API Testing

What then should you look out for when carrying out API testing?
- Response Time
What time does it take for the API to receive a request, get the data and send a response back to the application?
- Error Messages
Are the error messages clear and concise about precedented and unprecedented errors?
- Security Vulnerabilities
What are the potential vulnerability gaps in your API that could be exploited maliciously?
- Performance and Functionality
How responsive and efficient is your API functionality in relation to your application?

## Importance of API Testing

- Early detection for bugs: Early detection of bugs especially before production saves your team of mishaps experienced in production as a result of bugs. 
- Fix security Vulnerabilities: Security gaps that could lead to malicious infiltration is also detected early thus ensuring security.
- Quality Assurance: Ensuring the quality of application through API testing allows for quality products to be shipped. Thus building trust with your users and clients.

## The Role of API Governance in API Testing
Viable standards and policies relating to how an organization or company is governed are a true-north towards its success. That is the same for the lifecycle of APIs. API governance is just as imperative. In API testing CIOs and the like, by effectual API governance can thus address: 

- Quality of APIs
- Consistency across multiple APIs in terms of standards such as ISO
- Reduced chances of accruing technical debt as they scale
- Security compliance measures are met

## Conclusion
API testing is crucial in a world of increased API sprawls. Organizational management while adopting the API First Approach should have API testing on top of development to avoid data breaches and other malicious attacks.