API tests

The API Runner is where you create and run API tests. You can start in a few clicks, then add parameters, authentication, assertions and variables as you need them.

Send a request

1. Choose a method type.
2. Paste the API URL.
3. Select Send to send the request, or Add API Test to save it.

To try it, send a GET request to a practice API that CloudQA hosts: https://um5fdww2pj.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/todos. See practice APIs.

Add parameters

Most APIs need more than a URL. Open the Parameters tab and select Add Parameter to add values. You can also add headers and a JSON body.

Authenticate

1. Open the Authorization tab.
2. Choose BasicAuth. The default is Noauth.
3. Enter the username and password.

Read the response

Each response shows the status code, body, headers and the time the request took.

Add assertions

Use the Assertions tab to verify the response. You can add several.

1. Choose the response type.
2. Choose the condition.
3. Enter the value to check.

Store values from a response

Use the Variables tab to save a value from a response and reuse it.

1. Select Add Variable.
2. Give it a name your team will understand.
3. Enter the JsonPath of the value in the response body.
4. In another request, use the value as __name of the variable__.

View and run saved tests

1. On the API Runner page, select View Saved Tests.
2. Select one or more tests and run them.

By default the list shows the status of each test’s last run, and results show the execution history.

You can also run a saved API test as a step inside a browser test. Add an Import API Test step in Edit steps.

API suites

Group saved API tests into a suite and schedule it for frequent, automated API testing. To add and schedule API tests, see Test suites and Run a test suite.

Use application variables

When many API tests run in several environments, such as staging and production, editing URLs and assertions in every test is slow. Define the values once as application variables and use them in your tests.

1. Define variables in Settings, on the Variables tab.
2. Enter the variable name in place of the API URL or an assertion value, wrapped in double underscores: __variablename__.

Example requests that use a baseurl variable:

• GET __baseurl__/users/2
• PUT __baseurl__/api/users/2 (with a JSON body)
• POST __baseurl__/api/register (with a JSON body)

Test many data sets in one run

Pass several sets of parameter values in a single run with a CSV file. The API runs once for each data row.

1. Open API Tests.

2. When you start a run, select a CSV data file.

   

3. Format the file with parameter names in the header row, followed by rows of data.

   

4. Upload the file and run.

View results on the API results page.

Use random variables in JSON bodies

Random variables generate new data on every run, so you don’t type values by hand.

1. Open API Tests and edit or create a test.
2. In the JSON Body section, insert the variable in the required format.
3. Save the test. The data is generated during execution.

Available random variables, each wrapped in double underscores:

Variable	Generates
__FirstName__	A random first name
__LastName__	A random last name
__Email__	A random email address
__Word__	A random word

Practice APIs

CloudQA hosts a sample to-do API you can use to practice.

Method	URL
POST	https://um5fdww2pj.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/todos
GET	https://um5fdww2pj.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/todos
GET	https://um5fdww2pj.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/todos/{id}
PUT	https://um5fdww2pj.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/todos/{id}
DELETE	https://um5fdww2pj.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/todos/{id}