As developers, we all know the pain of having to juggle between countless tools and interfaces to get things done. One tool that promises to make our lives easier is Postman Flow, a feature designed to automate and visualize API testing through a flow-based approach. Sounds like a dream, right? Unfortunately, when it comes to using Postman Flow, the dream often turns into a nightmare.
In this blog post, we’ll take a close look at Postman Flow, break down how to create a flow, and compare it with Apidog—a much more user-friendly (and dare we say, fun) alternative. Spoiler: If you like your tools simple, intuitive, and efficient, you might want to skip Postman Flow altogether.
What’s the Deal with Postman Flow?
Postman Flow is Postman’s attempt at making API testing more visual. It allows you to automate API tests and create flowcharts to represent your API requests and tests. While the idea sounds fantastic, actually using it can feel like walking through mud in a rainstorm. But don’t take our word for it—let’s dive into a step-by-step guide to show you what we mean.
Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Flow in Postman
Step 1: Open Postman and Head to Flows
To get started, open your Postman app (assuming it hasn’t crashed yet) and navigate to the Flows tab.
Step 2: Create a New Flow
Click on New Flow, and guess what? You’re greeted with an empty canvas. Now, time to drag and drop different blocks to define your flow. It sounds fun in theory, but in practice, it can be frustrating as Postman isn’t exactly the most intuitive tool for this.
Step 3: Add Your Requests
Next, drag in a Request block. You’ll then need to manually configure the API request. Postman will ask you to choose from a myriad of options, including setting the HTTP method, URL, headers, body, etc. While this is fairly standard for API testing, combining these elements into a flowchart can feel like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube while riding a unicycle.
Step 4: Set Assertions and Logic
Once you’ve added your requests, it’s time to add assertions and logic blocks. If you’ve never worked with Postman Flows, you might find this step slightly confusing. You'll need to create separate blocks for each action—if you want to assert status codes, check response times, or parse response data, be prepared to do a lot of clicking and dragging.
Step 5: Run the Flow
After carefully constructing your flow, it's time to run it. But wait, there’s more! In Postman Flow, you'll need to manually run the flow each time you want to test it. And the results? Well, you’ll have to sift through logs to spot any failures. If you’re looking for real-time feedback or a clearer overview, good luck!
In short: Postman Flow can quickly turn your simple test cases into a convoluted mess, especially if you’re dealing with complex test scenarios.
Why Postman Flow is More of a Headache than a Help
Here’s the truth: Postman Flow tries to combine everything into a flowchart interface, but it doesn’t quite do justice to the simplicity that automated API testing needs. The drag-and-drop interface feels more like a puzzle that needs constant fixing than an intuitive testing tool. If you're just trying to test an API without wanting to spend hours trying to get your flow to work, you might want to consider alternatives.
Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Automated Test Scenarios with Apidog
Let’s move on to something a little less... painful. If you’re tired of Postman’s headache-inducing flows, Apidog comes to the rescue with its user-friendly interface and powerful API testing features. Apidog allows you to create automated API test scenarios quickly and easily without diving deep into complicated logic or visual flowcharts.
Step 1: Sign In to Apidog
First, head over to Apidog and sign in. If you don't have an account yet, no worries—you can sign up for free in just a few minutes.
Step 2: Create a New Project
Once you’re in, create a new API project (or select an existing one if you’ve already started). Apidog gives you a clean workspace, free from the cluttered mess that you’ll find in Postman.
Step 3: Create a Test Scenario
In the Test tab of your project, you’ll see the option to create a New Test Scenario. With Apidog, this step is incredibly simple: just give your scenario a name, import the API endpoints you want to test, add any parameters or body data, and define step rules.
Step 4: Define Flow Control Conditions
Unlike Postman Flow, which requires you to drag and drop various logic blocks, Apidog’s intuitive interface enhances automated testing by allowing users to add conditions like loops, waits, and grouping to their test scenarios, making it easier to handle complex test processes and intricate scenarios efficiently without needing manual intervention.
No need for a flowchart—just a straightforward list of checks.
Step 5: Run the Test
Once your test scenario is ready, simply hit the Run Test button. Apidog will execute the API call, check the responses against your assertions, and immediately show you the results. No digging through logs, no manual checks—just clear feedback on whether your API is working as expected.
Step 6: Automate Your Tests
Need your tests to run on a regular basis? Apidog’s schedules tasks lets you schedule tests to run at specific intervals. Whether you want them to run daily, weekly, or after every change to your API, Apidog handles it with ease.
Why Apidog is the Best Alternative to Postman Flow for Automated API Testing
Here’s where Apidog truly shines and why Postman Flow can’t quite compete:
Simplicity: Apidog’s test scenario creation is as simple as it gets. No need to drag and drop confusing flow blocks—just create, configure, and run. It’s all point-and-click.
Visualized Dashboard: Apidog’s clean, organized dashboard helps you track all of your test scenarios in one place, making it easy to see what’s working and what’s not.
Automation Made Easy: Apidog lets you automate tests with a few clicks, unlike Postman Flow, which requires you to constantly rerun your flows manually.
Real-Time Feedback: Apidog’s test execution gives you instant feedback on your tests, so you don’t waste time sifting through logs or wondering if your flow worked.
Version Control: Apidog supports versioning, so you can manage multiple versions of your API and ensure that your tests remain stable across updates. Postman Flow doesn’t handle version control nearly as seamlessly.
Conclusion: Skip the Flow (Seriously)
Postman Flow might seem like a cool feature on paper, but it quickly falls apart in practice. With its complicated drag-and-drop interface, lack of intuitive feedback, and difficulty automating tests, it can turn even the simplest API tests into a headache.
On the other hand, Apidog delivers a streamlined, efficient solution for automated API testing. With its user-friendly interface, automated test capabilities, and real-time feedback, it’s the perfect tool for developers who want to focus on building and testing APIs, not wasting time figuring out complicated flows.
So, if you’re tired of battling with Postman Flow, give Apidog a try(It is free!). Your brain (and your time) will thank you.