What are collections and environments in Postman context?
In Postman, collections and environments are crucial tools for managing API requests and responses efficiently. A collection is a group of pre-built API requests that are organized and shared with others. An environment provides context for these requests by allowing users to set variables (such as API keys, URLs, or tokens) that change based on the specific environment (e.g., staging, production).
This guide will explain how to import both a Postman environment and a collection into your workspace. And in the end of the guide you will find the files to import.
Importing a Postman Collection
A Postman collection is a container that organizes and stores multiple requests, making it easier to test and automate API workflows.
1. Open Postman
Launch Postman on your machine.
2. Navigate to the Import Option
- Click on the "Import" button located in the upper-left corner of the Postman interface.
- You will see different import options like File, Folder, Link, or Raw text.
3. Import the Collection File
- If you have the collection file stored locally, click on the File tab.
- Click Choose Files and browse for the collection file (usually a .json file).
- After selecting the file, click Open to load it into Postman.
4. Collection Import Confirmation
Once the import is successful, the collection will appear in the Collections panel on the left side of Postman.
Importing a Postman Environment
A Postman environment allows you to store variables like API URLs, tokens, or IDs that are specific to a certain environment, such as "Development," "Staging," or "Production."
1. Go to the Environment Import Section
Similar to importing a collection, start by clicking on the Import button in Postman.
2. Select the Environment File
- In the Import window, click on File and then choose Environment.
- Select the environment file (usually a .json file), and click Open to load it.
3. Verify the Environment
- After the import is complete, go to the Environments dropdown on the top-right corner of the Postman interface.
- Here you should see the newly imported environment. Select it to start using its variables.
Setting Up and Using the Environment
1. Edit Variables
- Click on the Environments dropdown, then select Manage Environments.
- Select the imported environment, and you will see a list of key-value pairs (variables like base_url, token, etc.).
- You can modify or add new variables here as needed (e.g., changing the base_url to the staging or production environment).
2. Use Variables in API Requests
- In the requests within your collection, you can reference environment variables using double curly braces, like this: {{base_url}}/api/v1/resource.
- Postman will replace {{base_url}} with the actual value from the selected environment when making the request.
You can learn more about Postman collections and environments in the official Postman documentation.