Getting Started with Postman
Tags: postman, postmanapi, basics, postmanstudentleader
Published: 2024-06-17 16:23:17


Hello Readers!

Welcome to this guide as I explore on how to get started with postman which is a powerful API tool for testing and managing APIs.
Whether you are a seasoned developer or a student who is getting started postman has something for everything. So let’s get started.

## Why Postman

- User friendly interface
- Instead of manually testing each API endpoint to ensure it works correctly, you can set up automated tests that run these checks for you.
- You can collaborate with your team through the shared workspaces
- Many documentations are available and also you can create one documentation and share it.

## Installing Postman

Firstly, lets get postman running into your system.

1. **Download Postman**: Head over to Postman’s website and grab the version for your operating system.
2. **Install and Launch**: Follow the installation instructions and fire up the application. Exciting, right?

## Exploring the Interface

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/e3kdg6zgxsjpyjp7zezv.png)

**Workspaces**: Here you can organize your projects in different workspaces.

**Collections**: Group related API requests together.

**Requests**: Create and send requests to your API endpoints.

**Environments**: Store and manage variables like API keys and URLs.

**Tabs**: Work on multiple requests simultaneously with tabbed browsing.

Ready to create your first request? Let’s do it!

Creating Your First Request
We’re going to start simple with a **GET** request to fetch data from a public API.

Open a New Tab: Click on the + button to open a new tab.
Set the Request Method: Choose GET from the dropdown.
Enter the URL: Type in [www.google.com](ww.google.com) or some other url of your own.
Send the Request: Hit the Send button and voila! You should see the response from the API below.

## Writing Tests

Postman lets you automate the validation of your API responses with test scripts.

**1. Open the Tests Tab:** In your request tab, click on the Tests tab.
**2. Write Test Scripts:** Use JavaScript to write test scripts. Here’s a simple example :

```
pm.test("Status code is 200", function () {
  pm.response.to.have.status(200);
});
pm.test("Response time is less than 200ms", function () {
  pm.expect(pm.response.responseTime).to.be.below(200);
});
```

These tests help ensure your API is working as expected.

## Generating API Documentation

Last but not least, let’s talk about documentation.

**1. Document Your API:** Click on your collection > View in web > Generate Documentation.
**2. Customize and Share:** Tweak your documentation and share the URL with your team or stakeholders.

Having well-documented APIs is crucial for smooth collaboration and integration.

## Conclusion

And here you go folks!

If you want to learn more about API fundamentals, consider completing the Postman Student Expert program using this [link](https://www.postman.com/student-program/student-expert/?utm_campaign=SP&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=student-leader&utm_term=U2FsdGVkX18EkjjZKbVMJ8YGTCNhFMx5XB60tgDZ489pSHvBOMjGFM1WytRaIgEB&utm_content=).