What is Authentication and Authorization in API Testing?

 

• Authentication and authorization are two main concepts in API testing that are related to the security of the API.

Authentication:

• Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or a client making a request to an API.
• It involves validating the user's credentials, such as username and password, or using other authentication mechanisms like API keys, tokens, or certificates.
• The main goal of authentication is to ensure that only authorized users can access the API and its resources.

Authorization:

• Authorization, on the other hand, is the process of determining what actions a user or client can perform on the API's resources (once they have been authenticated).
• It involves verifying that the user or client has the necessary permissions or privileges to perform the requested actions, such as reading, writing, or deleting data.
• Authorization helps to ensure that users can only access the data and functions that they are allowed to, based on their role or level of access.

Good practice:

• In API testing, it is important to test both the authentication and authorization aspects of the API to ensure that they are implemented correctly and that the API is secure.

Verify response codes:

• Testing authentication may involve verifying that the API returns the expected response codes and messages when invalid or missing credentials are provided.
• Testing authorization may involve verifying that the API returns the expected response codes and messages when users try to perform unauthorized actions, such as accessing or modifying data they do not have permission to access.

APIs: The Backbone of Modern Technology and Their Everyday Applications

APIs, or application programming interfaces, are used in many different everyday scenarios. Here are some examples of APIs:

1. Social Media: Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer APIs that allow developers to access and use their platform data, such as user profiles, posts, and comments. This allows developers to integrate social media functionality into their own applications or websites.

2. Weather Forecast: Weather forecast websites and apps use APIs to access weather data from sources like the National Weather Service or AccuWeather. This allows them to provide real-time weather updates to users.

3. E-commerce: E-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay offer APIs that allow developers to access and use their product catalogs and other data. This allows developers to create their own e-commerce applications or integrate e-commerce functionality into their own websites.

4. Mapping and Navigation: Mapping and navigation services like Google Maps and MapQuest offer APIs that allow developers to access and use their map data and navigation features. This allows developers to create their own mapping and navigation applications or integrate mapping and navigation functionality into their own websites.

5. Travel Booking: Travel booking websites and apps use APIs to access flight, hotel, and car rental data from providers like Expedia and Travelocity. This allows them to provide real-time booking and pricing information to users.

6. Payment Processing: Payment processing services like PayPal and Stripe offer APIs that allow developers to integrate payment functionality into their own applications or websites. This allows developers to securely process payments and transactions without having to build their own payment processing system from scratch.

These are just a few examples of how APIs are used in everyday scenarios. APIs play an important role in enabling developers to build new applications, services, and products by leveraging existing data and functionality from other services and platforms.

Simplifying Your API Testing with POSTMAN's Advanced Features

1.  New: This feature is used to create a unique environment or request.
2. Import: This feature is used for importing a collection or environment.
3. Runner: This feature is used for executing automation tests.
4. Collaboration: This feature is used for inviting team members for interaction.
5. Collections: Collections are created for arranging the test suite.
6. Open New: This feature is used for opening new tabs.  
7. My Workspace: New Workspace is created individually, or as a team.
8. History: This feature is used to display past requests.
9. Request Tab: This feature is used to display the request title.
10. HTTP Request: This feature is used to display the dropdown list of various requests.  
11. Params: This feature is used for writing the required parameters for a request.
12. Authorization: To use APIs, appropriate authorization is required.
13. Save: This feature is used to save the changes made to a request.
14. Headers: You can set headers depending on the requirement of the organization.
15. Pre-request Script: This feature is used for executing the test scripts before requests.

What is an Application Programming Interface (API) and Examples

 API:

• API is Application Programming Interface this acts intermediate between two different applications.
• API is a collection of software functions and procedures.
• In simple terms, API means a software code that can be accessed or executed.

Why would we need an API?

• API helps two different software’s to communicate and exchange data with each other.

Everyday Examples of API:

1. Weather Snippets

• Weather data is a popular API example that we come across regularly.
• Google Search, Apple's Weather app, and even your smart home device.

2. Log in Using XYZ

• log in with Facebook/Twitter/Google/GitHub capability seen on many websites.

3. Pay with PayPal

4. Google Maps

• Google Maps is a popular app on billions of mobile devices around the world.
• Google Maps APIs to pull customized location data, send directions, and analyze all types of location data that can help businesses provide better services and establish streamlined connections with suppliers, customers, delivery services, and more.

5. Okta

• Okta is an identity authentication system that operates in the cloud.

Impact of slow load time on website performance

An estimated 4.4 billion in revenue loss is recorded annually due to poor web performance.

Impact on Revenue / Sales:

• If an e-commerce site makes $100,000 per day, a 1-second page delay could cost you $2.5 million in lost sales every year.
• 1 second of load lag time would cost Amazon $1.6 billion in sales per year.

Main Issues:

Consequences of slow page load: