Api testing course

Lesson 1 • What APIs Are and Why They Matter

Defines APIs, their role in modern software, and common integration patterns. Establishes vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • API Documentation and Contracts

Teaches how to read API reference docs and OpenAPI specifications. Students gain the ability to derive test cases directly from a contract.

Lesson 3 • HTTP Protocol Essentials

Covers HTTP methods, status codes, headers, and the request-response cycle. Provides the protocol knowledge required for all subsequent testing work.

Lesson 4 • API Data Formats

Introduces JSON and XML structures, serialisation rules, and content negotiation. Prepares students to read and write request and response bodies accurately.

Lesson 1 • Choosing the Right API Testing Tools

Compares GUI clients, CLI tools, and code-based frameworks by use case. Guides students to select tools that match their project and skill level.

Lesson 2 • Managing Environments and Variables

Explains environment-level, collection-level, and global variables and their scope. Enables students to switch between dev, staging, and production targets safely.

Lesson 3 • Sending Your First API Requests

Guides students through crafting and sending GET and POST requests manually. Builds confidence in reading raw responses before automation is introduced.

Lesson 1 • Validating Response Structure and Data

Checks response bodies against schema definitions and business rules. Ensures the API returns correct types, required fields, and accurate values.

Lesson 2 • Functional Testing of Endpoints

Tests each HTTP method against its expected behaviour and response contract. Forms the baseline test suite that all other test types extend.

Lesson 3 • Status Code and Header Verification

Asserts that status codes and response headers match specification requirements. Catches contract violations that functional checks alone may miss.

Lesson 4 • Boundary and Equivalence Testing

Applies boundary value analysis and equivalence partitioning to API inputs. Systematically uncovers edge-case defects with minimal test cases.

Lesson 1 • Authorisation and Access Control Testing

Tests role-based and attribute-based access control by switching user contexts. Identifies privilege escalation and broken object-level authorisation defects.

Lesson 2 • JWT Validation and Testing

Decodes and validates JSON Web Tokens for correct claims, expiry, and signature. Enables detection of token-related vulnerabilities and misconfiguration.

Lesson 3 • Testing OAuth 2.0 Flows

Covers the four OAuth 2.0 grant types and how to test each flow end to end. Prepares students to handle token acquisition and refresh in test scripts.

Lesson 4 • Authentication Mechanisms Overview

Surveys API key, Basic Auth, Bearer token, and certificate-based authentication. Provides context for choosing the right test approach per mechanism.

Lesson 1 • Building a Code-Based Test Framework

Structures API tests using a programming language and a testing library. Produces a scalable project layout with clear separation of concerns.

Lesson 2 • Data-Driven Testing Strategies

Parameterises tests with external data sources to maximise coverage efficiently. Reduces duplication while testing a wide range of input combinations.

Lesson 3 • Writing Assertions in Test Scripts

Introduces scripting syntax for writing assertions against response data and metadata. Converts manual checks into automated, self-reporting test cases.

Lesson 4 • Pre-request and Post-response Scripting

Uses pre-request scripts to set up state and post-response scripts to extract data. Enables dynamic, context-aware test flows without manual intervention.

Lesson 1 • Analysing Performance Test Results

Interprets response time percentiles, error rates, and throughput graphs. Translates raw data into actionable findings for development teams.

Lesson 2 • Reporting and Tuning Recommendations

Structures performance findings into clear reports with prioritised recommendations. Bridges the gap between test data and engineering decisions.

Lesson 3 • Executing Tests with a Load Testing Tool

Configures and runs load tests using a dedicated performance testing tool. Produces raw metrics data for analysis and reporting.

Lesson 4 • Performance Testing Concepts

Defines latency, throughput, concurrency, and error rate as key performance metrics. Establishes the vocabulary and goals for all performance test activities.

Lesson 1 • Sensitive Data Exposure Testing

Checks responses for unintended exposure of credentials, PII, and internal data. Ensures the API applies data minimisation and masking correctly.

Lesson 2 • Injection and Input Validation Testing

Tests for SQL, NoSQL, command, and template injection through API inputs. Verifies that the API sanitises and validates all untrusted data.

Lesson 3 • Security Testing Tools and Automation

Integrates security scanning tools into the API testing workflow for continuous coverage. Enables repeatable security checks without manual effort on every release.

Lesson 4 • API Security Threat Landscape

Maps the most critical API vulnerability categories and their real-world impact. Provides the threat model that guides all security test case design.

Lesson 1 • Test Reporting and Quality Gates

Generates structured test reports and enforces pass/fail thresholds as quality gates. Provides stakeholders with clear, actionable quality signals after each run.

Lesson 2 • Maintaining and Scaling Test Suites

Applies refactoring, tagging, and modular design to keep large test suites manageable. Prevents test debt from accumulating as the API surface grows.

Lesson 3 • API Test Strategy and Planning

Defines scope, risk-based prioritisation, and coverage goals for an API test strategy. Aligns testing effort with business risk and delivery cadence.

Lesson 4 • Contract Testing and Consumer-Driven Contracts

Implements consumer-driven contract tests to prevent breaking changes between services. Decouples provider and consumer release cycles safely.