In this section, we will explore how to use Postman Collections to organize and manage your API requests efficiently. Postman Collections are a powerful feature that allows you to group related requests, making it easier to test and document APIs.

1. Postman Collection: A collection is a group of requests that can be organized into folders. Collections can be shared, exported, and imported, making collaboration easier.

2. Requests: Each request in a collection can have its own HTTP method, URL, headers, and body. Requests can be executed individually or as part of a collection run.

3. Folders: Folders within a collection help organize requests into logical groups. This is useful for separating different API endpoints or functionalities.

4. Documentation: Collections can include documentation for each request, providing context and instructions for other users.

5. Collection Runner: This tool allows you to run all requests in a collection sequentially, which is useful for automated testing.

1. Open Postman: Launch the Postman application.

2. Create a New Collection:

   • Click on the "Collections" tab on the left sidebar.
   • Click the "New Collection" button.
   • Enter a name for your collection and click "Create".

3. Add Requests to the Collection:

   • Open a new request tab.
   • Enter the request details (method, URL, headers, body).
   • Click the "Save" button.
   • In the "Save Request" dialog, select the collection you created and click "Save to [Collection Name]".

4. Organize Requests into Folders:

   • Right-click on the collection name and select "Add Folder".
   • Name the folder and click "Create".
   • Drag and drop requests into the folder to organize them.

5. Document Your Requests:

   • Click on a request in the collection.
   • Click the "Documentation" tab.
   • Add a description and any relevant notes or instructions.

Let's create a simple collection for a hypothetical "User Management API" with two requests: one to get user details and another to create a new user.

1. Create a Collection: Name it "User Management API".

2. Add a Request to Get User Details:

   • Method: GET
   • URL: https://api.example.com/users/{userId}
   • Save this request in the "User Management API" collection.

3. Add a Request to Create a New User:

   • Method: POST
   • URL: https://api.example.com/users
   • Headers: Content-Type: application/json
   • Body (JSON):

     {
       "name": "John Doe",
       "email": "[email protected]"
     }
     

   • Save this request in the "User Management API" collection.

4. Organize Requests:

   • Create a folder named "User Operations".
   • Move both requests into this folder.

5. Document the Requests:

   • For the GET request, add a note: "Fetches details of a user by user ID."
   • For the POST request, add a note: "Creates a new user with the provided name and email."

Task: Create a Postman Collection for a "Product API" with the following requests:

1. Get Product Details:

   • Method: GET
   • URL: https://api.example.com/products/{productId}

2. Add a New Product:

   • Method: POST
   • URL: https://api.example.com/products
   • Headers: Content-Type: application/json
   • Body (JSON):

     {
       "name": "Sample Product",
       "price": 29.99
     }
     

Solution:

• Create a collection named "Product API".
• Add the GET and POST requests to the collection.
• Organize them into a folder named "Product Operations".
• Document each request with a brief description.

Postman Collections are an essential tool for organizing and managing API requests. By grouping related requests, you can streamline your testing process and improve collaboration with your team. In the next section, we will delve into using environment variables in Postman to further enhance your testing capabilities.