API testing involves testing of application programming interfaces (APIs) directly and as part of integration testing to determine if they meet expectations for functionality, reliability, performance, and security.
API testing deals with verifying and validating the business logic of an application, which is typically encompassed in the business layer and is instrumental in handling all the transactions between the user interface and underlying data. Additionally, it also deals with contract testing i.e. verifying the compatibility and interactions between various services. The contract is between a client/consumer and an API/service provider.
Testing APIs is a task not to be taken lightly since they can span multiple applications and are also used for third party integrations. Our article here identifies the top 5 common mistakes that people tend to commit while testing APIs.
Top 5 API testing mistakes
Testing API in isolation
API testing without considering interacting modules/plugins, data input/output, and the environment is a big folly that can lead to a potential disaster. APIs often depend on other APIs and sometimes on external services also. It is vital to test the third-party APIs in a test environment and then test the dependent API along with those APIs to have a holistic picture. In a nutshell, the whole ecosystem needs to be tested in order to ensure that any changes/upgrades in other APIs do not impact the functioning of dependent APIs. Ideally, the whole workflow should be checked multiple times with a variety of inputs to cover all possibilities.
Ignoring regression testing
Not performing regression testing enough on APIs can prove to be the single biggest failure point.
APIs keep evolving as and when the functional requirements evolve and change. Any minor change should be tested thoroughly.
It is wrong to assume that minor changes will not have a major impact on the functioning of the API and other dependent modules/API.
Underestimating security threats
APIs like any other code are susceptible to external threats and attacks. It becomes even more imperative to conduct security tests when a third party free/paid API is used. Hence, it is important to conduct a vulnerability scan for known threats and determine the security posture of the API. This further aids in identifying and plugging any possible gateways to potential breaches.
Excessive dependency on manual testing
Testing APIs manually is a time-consuming process and some bugs may inadvertently escape the test net. It is a good practice to automate API tests since APIs are fairly stable unless the business logic changes. Also, API testing is a type of Black-box testing and different combinations of inputs can be used to test a scenario. The test data, scripts, and API endpoints can be saved for execution at a later stage.
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