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This course session provides a comprehensive, hands-on tutorial on using Postman Flows to automate API testing workflows without writing code. The instructor demonstrates how to design, build, and debug visual, drag-and-drop automation workflows in Postman to sequence API requests (e.g., create customer → retrieve orders → ship product) and integrate them with environment variables and CI/CD pipelines. The session includes live troubleshooting of common issues such as missing environment variables, incorrect file paths, and repository misconfigurations, emphasizing zero-code automation, proper environment management, and validation through CI/CD checks.

Topic (Timeline)

1. Introduction to Postman Flows and Automation Use Cases [00:00:02.960 - 00:04:06.880]

Instructor introduces the concept of automating API workflows in Postman as an alternative to manual scripting.
Compares manual testing (e.g., sending requests one-by-one) with automated visual workflows.
Identifies a real-world use case: automating a customer order flow — capturing customer data, retrieving products, and determining shipping details.
Emphasizes that Postman Flows enable “visual programming” for non-developers to orchestrate multi-step API sequences.

2. Building a Visual Workflow in Postman [00:04:07.300 - 00:12:58.260]

Step-by-step guide to enabling Postman Flows in a workspace: navigating to Configure Workspace → enabling Flow → creating a new flow.
Demonstrates the flow editor interface: blocks include Send Request, Delay, If/Else, Collect, Repeat, and Eval.
Constructs a workflow to:
1. Send a GET request to retrieve customer data.
2. On success, send a GET request to fetch order details using the customer ID.
3. On success, send a GET request to retrieve product information.
4. On success, send a GET request to determine shipping details.
5. Add a 1–2 second delay before printing final output.
Shows how to connect blocks via drag-and-drop, handle success/failure branches (e.g., log errors on failure), and chain requests using dynamic data (e.g., customer ID from response).
Highlights that no scripting is required — all logic is visual and configuration-based.

3. Running, Debugging, and Environment Configuration [00:12:58.520 - 00:21:55.300]

Demonstrates running the workflow and encountering errors due to missing environment variables (e.g., MAC_API, user_id).
Identifies root cause: environment variables not properly exported or defined in the active environment (not global).
Guides learners to:
- Create or update environment variables in Postman.
- Export the environment as a JSON file.
- Overwrite the previous environment file to ensure consistency.
Emphasizes testing workflows locally before CI/CD integration: if it fails locally, it will fail in production.
Reinforces that environment variables must match exactly what the collection expects (case-sensitive, correct names).

4. CI/CD Integration and Repository Management [00:21:55.300 - 00:28:43.660]

Explains the role of .git in managing Postman collections and environments in version control.
Troubleshoots common Git issues:
- Missing .git folder due to hidden file settings.
- Incorrect working directory (e.g., using . incorrectly in paths).
- Renaming or deleting .git folder accidentally.
Guides learners to:
- Clone the repository fresh.
- Switch to the correct branch.
- Copy and paste the Postman collection and environment files into the correct directory.
- Use git add, git commit, and git push to update the remote repository.
Stresses that Postman Flows must be saved and version-controlled alongside collections and environments for CI/CD to validate them.

5. Workflow Design for Open Bank Account Use Case [00:28:45.840 - 00:37:41.640]

Assigns a practical activity: build a Postman Flow to simulate “Open Bank Account”.
Defines the required sequence:
1. Create customer (POST) → returns customer ID and email.
2. On success, create passbook (POST) → uses the same email as the linking key.
3. On success, retrieve customer details (GET).
4. On success, retrieve passbook details (GET).
5. Display both responses as final output.
Emphasizes data consistency: email must be the primary key between customer and passbook records.
Notes that the workflow must be linear and sequential, not parallel, to ensure data dependencies are met.
Instructor reviews learner submissions via DM to validate correctness and enforce CI/CD validation principles: automated checks will catch misconfigurations in environment or schema.

Appendix

Key Principles

Zero-Code Automation: Postman Flows allow API workflow automation through drag-and-drop visual blocks — no JavaScript or scripting required.
Environment-Driven Testing: All API requests must reference environment variables (e.g., {{base_url}}, {{user_id}}) — hardcoding URLs breaks portability.
Local-First Validation: Always test workflows locally before pushing to version control or CI/CD pipelines.
Data Linking via Keys: Use consistent identifiers (e.g., email) across related resources (customer → passbook) to enable chained requests.

Tools Used

Postman (Flows, Collections, Environments)
Git (for version control of Postman assets)
CI/CD pipelines (automated testing on push — e.g., GitHub Actions)

Common Pitfalls

Missing or misnamed environment variables → requests fail silently.
Accidentally deleting or renaming .git folder → breaks repository tracking.
Using global variables instead of workspace-specific environments → inconsistent behavior across team members.
Not testing workflow locally → errors only appear in CI/CD, delaying feedback.

Practice Suggestions

Recreate the “Open Bank Account” flow using the provided data schema (customer + passbook linked by email).
Export your environment and collection, then re-import into a new workspace to verify portability.
Intentionally break a variable name and observe how CI/CD flags the error.
Build a flow that handles failure cases (e.g., if customer creation fails, log error and stop).

API Testing with Postman - cristopher-twvz-20241009-102835

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Summary

Overview