Postman — this free and powerful tool is designed for developers, allowing you to test, send, and document RESTful APIs. It's very convenient for backend or frontend developers working with an API, QA (testers), DevOps, and technical writers.
Why do we need Postman?
If you have created a backend API (for example using PHP, Laravel, Django or Node.js), the browser is not sufficient to test this API, send data or view responses. Exactly in such cases, Postman provides the following benefits:
- Sending HTTP requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE and others)
- Working with JSON, XML, x-www-form-urlencoded formats
- Working with Auth (Bearer, Basic, API Key, OAuth2)
- Automatic test writing
- Grouping of requests (Collection)
- Creatinig and sharing an API documentation
How to install Postman?
Postman is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Download it from the official site:
What is a Collection?
A Collection allows you to save multiple API requests in one project. For example, you can create a collection called "Products API" and add your GET, POST, DELETE requests there.
What is an Environment?
An Environment is a place where you can store variable values for your APIs (base_url, token, user_id). This way instead of writing the same value in multiple places, you write {{base_url}} and get that value from there.
Runner and Monitor features
- Runner: sending a series of requests automatically one after another
- Monitor: monitoring API performance at regular intervals (scheduling)
Working with Postman Web
Postman now works not only on desktop but also via its web version:
This allows you to share your API documentation with other developers.
Conclusion
Postman is an important tool for modern developers. If you are creating or using APIs, Postman helps you to:
- Test the API
- Apply authentication
- Work with JSON
- Write tests
- Create documentation
You can complete your tasks quickly and efficiently.
