Api Testing
API testing is a type of software testing that involves testing application programming interfaces (APIs) directly and as part of integration testing to determine if they meet expectations for functionality, reliability, performance, and security. API testing is a software testing method that verifies an application programming interface (API) is functioning as expected
Different types of API testing
There are many ways to test an API, and each one serves a unique purpose. The following list represents four of the most common approaches, but there are endless variations within each category that teams can use to build a customized API testing strategy.
Contract testing
An API contract is a human- and machine-readable representation of an API's intended functionality. It establishes a single source of truth for what each request and response should look like—and forms the basis of service-level agreements (SLAs) between producers and consumers. API contract testing helps ensure that new releases don't violate the contract by checking the content and format of requests and responses.
Unit testing
API unit testing is the process of confirming that a single endpoint returns the correct response to a given request. Unit tests may validate that an endpoint handles optional parameters correctly, or that it returns the appropriate error message when sent an invalid request.
End-to-end testing
Whereas unit tests help developers ensure that individual endpoints are working as expected, end-to-end tests are used to validate key user journeys that may involve multiple endpoints and APIs. End-to-end API testing involves chaining requests together and confirming that each one is working properly, which helps teams surface issues in complex workflows before users do.
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Load testing
API load testing enables developers to confirm whether their API is able to operate reliably during times of peak traffic. It typically involves using a testing tool to simulate large request volumes and measure the resulting response times and error rates. This type of testing is often performed in anticipation of a significant load increase, such as right before a product launch or yearly sale.
Security testing
API security testing involves identifying and resolving security vulnerabilities within APIs. This type of testing is designed to discover any potential weaknesses that may result in unauthorized access, data breaches, injection attacks, or other security risks.
Integration testing
API Integration testing is a critical step in ensuring that different parts of a system are compatible with one another. It helps confirm that APIs can reliably and efficiently communicate and transfer data between one another—even as they evolve over time.
Functional testing
API functional testing verifies that an API meets its specified requirements. This type of testing involves sending specific requests to the API, analyzing the responses, and comparing the actual outcomes with the expected results to ensure the API performs as designed.