A Postman Collection is a group of related API requests organized in one place. Collections help developers and testers structure API requests and manage common configurations efficiently.
- Collections can contain requests, folders, variables, authorization settings, scripts, and tests.
- They provide a structured way to manage requests belonging to the same API or workflow.
- Collections can also be used for API testing, collaboration, and automation.
Steps to Implementation
Follow these steps to create a collection in Postman and add an API request to it.
Step 1: Open the New Menu
Open the Postman application and click the New button at the top of the workspace. The Create New window displays different options for creating resources.
Select Collection from the available options.
Step 2: Enter the Collection Name
- After selecting Collection, Postman creates a new collection. Enter a suitable name for the collection, such as GeeksForGeeks.
- The collection appears under the Collections section in the left sidebar.
Step 3: Configure Collection Settings
Configure the collection-level settings according to your API requirements.
These settings can include:
- Authorization for defining authentication that can be inherited by requests.
- Pre-request Scripts for running JavaScript before requests are sent.
- Tests for validating responses after requests are completed.
- Variables for storing reusable values used across requests.
Step 4: Add a Request
Open the collection and click Add a request to create a request inside the collection.
Configure the request with the required details, such as:
- Request name
- HTTP method
- Request URL
- Parameters
- Headers
- Authorization
- Request body
Click Save to store the request in the collection.
Step 5: View Requests in the Collection
After saving the request, it appears below the collection name in the Collections section of the left sidebar.
- Multiple related API requests can be added to the same collection.
- The collection provides a central location for accessing and managing these requests.
Collection Configuration
Collection configuration allows common settings to be defined at the collection level instead of configuring the same settings separately for every request.
- Authorization: Provides common authentication settings that can be inherited by requests.
- Pre-request Scripts: Performs actions before a request is sent, such as setting variables or generating dynamic values.
- Tests: Validates response data or other conditions after a request is completed.
- Variables: Stores reusable values such as base URLs, IDs, and tokens.
Using collection-level settings helps maintain consistent configurations across related requests.
Organizing Requests with Folders
Folders help group related requests within a collection based on functionality, API resource, or workflow. They are especially useful for keeping larger collections structured.
- Create folders with meaningful names such as Authentication, Users, Products, or Orders.
- Move related requests into the appropriate folders for easier navigation.
- Use folders to separate different API resources or functional areas within the same collection.
Best Practices for Creating Collections
Following consistent practices helps keep collections easy to understand, maintain, and reuse.
- Use clear and consistent names for collections, folders, and requests.
- Keep requests organized according to API resources or functionality.
- Use variables for reusable and environment-specific values such as base URLs.
- Apply collection-level settings when the same configuration is required by multiple requests.
- Keep each collection focused on a specific API, service, or workflow.
Advantages of Collections
Postman Collections provide several benefits for API development and testing.
- Centralized Management: Keeps related API requests and configurations in one location.
- Better Organization: Provides a structured way to arrange requests and folders.
- Reusability: Allows common variables, authorization, scripts, and tests to be reused.
- Efficient Testing: Provides a structured set of requests that can be used for API testing and execution.
- Collaboration: Makes it easier for teams to work with and share related API requests.
- Automation: Collections can be used with Postman automation and CI/CD workflows.