The API Explorer is used to perform specific tasks using service requests to the server via the API and the server processes the API call before returning a response. APIs enable a user to develop any kind of web application having all possible CRUD (create, retrieve, update, delete) operations.
Access the API Explorer
- Go to any Project.
- Click Create New Test from the dropdown menu.
- Select Architect.
- The Create New Test window will open. Click the API Endpoint tab.
- Click Start to open the API Explorer.
- The Architect will launch along with the API Explorer.
-OR-
- Go to any Project.
- Select Create New Test dropdown.
- Select Architect.
- From the Web App tab, enter the URL for the site under test, confirm no production credentials are to be used, enter any further information, then click Start.
- Once Architect is launched and you have begun recording, click the plus icon.
- Click API under Tools.
- Select Open in a new tab (if desired), then click Continue.
- The API Explorer will open along with Architect.
API Explorer Request Form
- Destination (drop-down selection):
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- GET - Use GET requests to retrieve resource representation/information only.
- POST - Use POST Request to create new subordinate resources.
- PUT - Use PUT APIs primarily to update an existing resource.
- DELETE - DELETE APIs are used to delete resources.
- URL - enter URL
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- Response Type (drop-down selection):
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- XML
- JSON
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- Request Method (drop-down selection):
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- HTTP
- SOAP
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- Follow Redirect (drop-down selection):
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- Yes
- No
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- Output Type (drop-down selection):
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- Formatted Response
- Tree Response
- Raw Response
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- Authentication - Add Authentication
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- Basic Auth - Enter the Username and Password to authenticate directly to a primary application.
- OAuth 2 - Enter the access token in a URL parameter or HTTP header, this protocol allows users to grant third-party Providers (Google, GitHub, and others) application access to the user's protected resources, without necessarily revealing their long-term credentials.
- Proxy - Enter the IP address and Port of the proxy server, authorization involves the use of 'Proxy-Authorization' header for HTTP requests.
- Certificate - Add and manage SSL Certificates, a digital authentication of a website's identity which enables an encrypted connection.
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- Headers
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- Name
- Value
- Add Another Header (optional - can add multiple)
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- Cookies
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- Name
- Value
- Add Another Cookie (optional - can add multiple)
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- Parameters
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- Name
- Value
- Add Another Parameter (optional - can add multiple)
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- Payload (drop-down selection):
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- Text
- XML
- JSON
- Text field - enter text
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- Launch Request - starts the API request
Create Request
- Enter the request details, then select Launch Request.
- The response results will populate. Under Response Data tab, select the + to view root details. At this point, select either Save Response or select New Request.
- Selecting Save Response will prompt the user to enter a key. Select Save to finish the API Response, or Cancel to cancel the request.
JSON Explorer Tab
Use $. in the Enter Path field to access objects in the resulting JSON. For example, if you have an object called coord (for coordinates) with a name/value pair beneath called lon (for longitude), you could access it with $.array.coord.lon