How To Automate API Testing with Cypress?

API testing is a crucial part of modern software development, ensuring that your applications communicate effectively with external services and APIs. It helps identify potential issues and ensure the reliability of your software. In this article, we will explore how to automate API testing using Cypress, a popular end-to-end testing framework for web applications. We will cover everything from installing Cypress to creating tests for various HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE.?

API testing allows us to verify that an API's functionality, data, and responses meet our expectations. With the power of Cypress, we can automate this process and maintain the quality and reliability of our applications. Cypress is primarily known for its capabilities in front-end testing, but it can also be extended to perform API testing seamlessly.?

Install Cypress?

Before diving into API testing, you need to have Cypress installed on your system. If you haven't done so already, follow these simple steps:?

Node.js Installation: Ensure you have Node.js installed on your system.?

Create a New Project: Create a new directory for your project, navigate to it using the command line, and run npm init.?

Install Cypress: Install Cypress using npm:?

Open Cypress: Launch Cypress using the following command:?

Now that you have Cypress set up, let's move on to creating API test files.?

Creating Test Files for Different HTTP Methods?

?We'll be creating test files for the four most common HTTP methods: GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. These test files will be located under cypress/e2e/cypress_api_tc.cy .js. Here's how to set up each one:?

GET Method:?

// cypress/e2e/get_api_test.js?

describe("GET API Test", () => {?

? it("should retrieve data using GET request", () => {?

??? cy.request("GET", "https://api.example.com/data ")?

????? .then((response) => {?

??????? expect(response.status).to.equal(200); // Check if the response status is 200 (OK)?

??????? expect(response.body).to.have.property ("data"); // Check if the response contains a 'data' property?

????? });?

? });?

});?

• Create a file, e.g., get_api_test.js, in your cypress/e2e/ directory.?
• Within the file, use cy.request() to send a GET request to the desired API endpoint. You can specify headers, query parameters, and assertions to verify the response.?

POST Method:?

// cypress/e2e/post_api_test.js?

describe("POST API Test", () => {?

? it("should create a new record using POST request", () => {?

??? const payload = {?

????? name: "John Doe",?

????? email: "[email protected] ",?

??? };?

??? cy.request("POST", "https://api.example.com/create ", payload)?

????? .then((response) => {?

??????? expect(response.status).to.equal(201); // Check if the response status is 201 (Created)?

??????? expect(response.body).to.have.property ("id"); // Check if the response contains an 'id' property for the newly created record?

????? });?

? });?

});?

• Create a file, e.g., post_api_test.js.?
• Use cy.request() to send a POST request. Include the request payload and any necessary headers. Assert the response to ensure the request was successful.?

PUT Method:?

// cypress/e2e/put_api_test.js?

describe("PUT API Test", () => {?

? it("should update a record using PUT request", () => {?

??? const payload = {?

????? id: 123,?

????? name: "Updated Name",?

??? };?

??? cy.request("PUT", "https://api.example.com/update ", payload)?

????? .then((response) => {?

??????? expect(response.status).to.equal(200); // Check if the response status is 200 (OK)?

??????? expect(response.body).to.have.property ("message", "Record updated successfully");?

????? });?

? });?

});?

• Create a file, e.g., put_api_test.js.?
• Utilize cy.request() to perform a PUT request, providing the request payload and any headers. Verify that the changes were applied successfully.?

DELETE Method:?

// cypress/e2e/delete_api_test.js?

describe("DELETE API Test", () => {?

? it("should delete a record using DELETE request", () => {?

??? const recordId = 123;?

??? cy.request("DELETE", https://api.example.com/delete/${recordId})?

????? .then((response) => {?

??????? expect(response.status).to.equal(204); // Check if the response status is 204 (No Content) after successful deletion?

????? });?

? });?

});?

• Create a file, e.g., delete_api_test.js.?
• Use cy.request() to make a DELETE request. You can pass any required parameters and assert the response to confirm the resource was deleted.?

Execution: Now that you have your API test files ready, executing them is simple. Just run Cypress from the command line using the following command:?

?Cypress will execute all the API test files you've created and provide detailed reports, including test results, logs, and screenshots.?

Summary:?

Automating API testing with Cypress is a game-changer for ensuring the reliability and functionality of your web applications. By installing Cypress, creating detailed test files for common HTTP methods, and executing them through the user-friendly Test Runner, you can streamline your testing process and achieve higher confidence in your API endpoints.?

So, go ahead and embrace the world of automated API testing with Cypress, and watch your software quality soar to new heights. Happy testing!?

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