Why is API testing critical for customer satisfaction?

2 The types of API testing

API testing can be divided into different types, depending on the aspect of the API that is being tested. Functional testing verifies that the API performs the expected operations and returns the correct responses, according to the business logic and requirements. Performance testing measures how the API handles different loads and scenarios, such as high traffic, peak times, or concurrent requests, and evaluates its speed, scalability, and stability. Security testing assesses how the API protects the data and the system from unauthorized access, manipulation, or attacks, and checks its compliance with security standards and regulations. Integration testing checks how the API interacts with other APIs or components of the system, and ensures that the data flow and the functionality are consistent and compatible. Finally, contract testing validates that the API follows the specifications and rules defined in the contract or documentation, such as the format, structure, and parameters of the requests and responses.

4 The best practices for API testing

To perform API testing effectively and efficiently, you should plan and design your test cases based on the API requirements, specifications, and expected outcomes. Use realistic and diverse test data, covering positive, negative, and edge cases to simulate different user scenarios and inputs. Organize and document your test cases clearly, using naming conventions, categories, and descriptions to make them easy to understand and maintain. Additionally, use assertions and validations to verify the responses of the API, checking not only the status codes but also the headers, body, and data values. Run your tests regularly and frequently using continuous integration and delivery tools to ensure quality and reliability throughout the development lifecycle. Finally, analyze and report your test results using metrics, dashboards, and feedback to identify any issues or defects as well as improve performance and security of the API. API testing is essential for quality assurance as it ensures applications and systems that rely on them deliver a secure experience to customers. By following best practices of API testing you can validate functionality, performance, and security of APIs while avoiding any issues that may affect customer satisfaction.