An application programming interface, more commonly known by the abbreviation API, is a computing interface that defines interactions between software intermediaries. It defines things like the types of requests or calls that can be made, how to make them, and which data formats should be used. Different types of APIs are used by businesses the world over. Therefore, it’s essential that companies regularly test their APIs to ensure continual efficiency.
What does API testing involve?
Testing APIs involves direct testing and integration testing to determine that they meet the required expectations for functionality, performance, reliability, and security. Because APIs do not contain GUIs, the testing of APIs is performed at the message layer. Beyond RESTful APIs, end-to-end transaction testing includes various types of endpoints such as databases, web services, mainframes, ESBs, UIs, and ERPs. API testing should be performed on both third-party APIs and the APIs your development team produces.
At the end of the day, API testing determines whether an API returns the correct response in the expected format for a wide range of requests and whether it reacts correctly to edge cases like failures and unexpected inputs. Testing also ensures an API delivers responses in an acceptable timeframe and that it’s secure against potential security attacks. API testing commonly includes testing SOAP web services or REST APIs with XML or JSON message payloads sent via formats like HTTP, MQ, and JMS.
The Best API Testing Solutions
Thankfully, API testing is now easier than ever before. You will find plenty of API testing tools that your development team can utilize to make the testing process simple and foolproof. However, each tool has different features and uses, so you need to ensure you compare different testing tools before deciding which are best for your business needs. Here are some of the best testing tools currently available.
For a functional API testing tool for creating and managing comprehensive tests from development to deployment, check out the RapidAPI Testing tool. It can be used to run tests on any type of API, including SOAP, REST, and GraphQL. You can continually run tests to monitor APIs across all geographies, quickly create comprehensive tests for deep validation, and perform functional, automated, monitoring, and performance testing all from one product.
The SoapUI testing tool is perfect for complex test scenarios because it enables developers to test SOAP, REST, and web services hassle-free. Users have a full source framework, and asynchronous testing is supported. You can also create codes using Groovy. SoapUI is easy to use, although it is somewhat lacking in documentation.
This cloud-based option is simple to use. ACCELQ automates API testing with codeless automation logic, automated test design, and complete test management. It can also be used for 360-tracking and API regression planning.
If your business uses Mac, Paw is the most advanced API testing tool you can use. It’s a fully-featured and robust HTTP client for describing and testing APIs used on Mac. You can inspect a server’s response, build HTTP requests, and generate code. Paw also contains a JSON outline viewer and editor.
The ReadyAPI platform from SmartBear provides four powerful tools in one intuitive place: API performance testing, API functional testing, API security testing, and API and web virtualization. ReadyAPI is ideal for helping your business ensure it has end-to-end quality for all web services.
In recent years, Postman has emerged to become one of the top API testing tools. It is the perfect solution for businesses that want to test APIs without coding in an integrated development environment. You don’t need to learn a new programming language to use the Postman API testing tool, and it can be run on Windows, Mac, Chrome apps, and Linux.