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Part 1 - API Testing Interview Questions & Answers

Part 1 - API Testing Interview Questions & Answers

Naveen AutomationLabs

1:04:39

Overview

This video introduces a series on API testing interview questions, aiming to cover fundamental concepts and practical explanations. The presenter emphasizes understanding what APIs are, how they function, and how to articulate answers effectively during interviews. Key topics discussed include the definition of an API, the distinction between APIs and web services, the limitations on API usage, and common architectural styles for creating web APIs. The video also delves into who can consume web APIs, the process and types of API testing, advantages of API testing over UI testing, common protocols, test environment considerations, principles of API test design, and essential checks during API testing, such as schema validation, status codes, and authorization.

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Chapters

  • •Series covers 60-65 API interview questions.
  • •Focus on explaining concepts with examples for interviews.
  • •API testing differs from UI testing due to the absence of a visual interface.
  • •Understanding API fundamentals is crucial.
  • •API stands for Application Programming Interface.
  • •It's a piece of code enabling two applications to communicate.
  • •Examples: Makemytrip using flight booking APIs, a waiter acting as an API between a customer and a chef.
  • •APIs are essential for integrating systems and accessing data (e.g., Google Maps API, Amazon APIs).
  • •All web services are APIs, but not all APIs are web services.
  • •A simple method within a program (like an 'add' function) is an API but not necessarily a web service.
  • •Web services are APIs exposed over a network (like HTTP) using URLs.
  • •Web services can use protocols like SOAP, REST, or XML-RPC.
  • •APIs often have usage limits (e.g., calls per minute).
  • •Providers may restrict access to prevent abuse and manage resources.
  • •Usage limits can impact costs, requiring careful estimation.
  • •Authentication and authorization are necessary for accessing many APIs.
  • •Common architectural styles include client-server, stateless communication, simple URI, and use of JSON/XML.
  • •APIs can be consumed by various clients: web applications, mobile apps (iOS, Android), desktop applications, and even portable devices.
  • •Web APIs are easily consumable due to their configuration-free nature.
  • •Demonstration of API calls using Postman for 'get all product categories' and 'add new product'.
  • •API testing verifies API functionality, reliability, performance, and security.
  • •It focuses on the business logic layer, independent of the UI.
  • •Key aspects include authentication, authorization, and data integrity.
  • •Practical example: Registering a user via a web form and verifying data in the database.
  • •Demonstration of inspecting network calls in browser dev tools to see API interactions.
  • •API testing involves validating responses, checking data counts, and ensuring schema consistency.
  • •It complements UI testing and database testing.
  • •Three levels: UI level, API level, and Database level.
  • •Helps identify bugs at the source (API or database) before they impact the UI.
  • •Tests core functionality and business logic early in the development cycle.
  • •More time-effective and less resource-intensive than UI testing.
  • •Reduces cost by catching bugs earlier.
  • •Less flaky test cases due to lack of UI dependencies (no XPath issues, synchronization problems).
  • •Language-independent, allowing flexibility in automation tools.
  • •Easier integration with UI testing and other components.
  • •Common protocols include REST, SOAP, JMS, and UDDI.
  • •API test environments are complex, involving multiple stages (Dev, QA, UAT, Prod) with separate databases and servers.
  • •Environment setup requires configuration, DevOps activities, and validation of integrations.
  • •Different APIs might use different database technologies (e.g., Oracle, Cassandra, MongoDB).
  • •Key principles: Setup, Execution, Verification, and Cleanup.
  • •Common API testing types: Functional, Validation, Integration, Performance, Security, Error Detection, Interoperability.
  • •Demonstration of writing and executing tests in Postman, checking status codes, response content, and response time.
  • •Accuracy of data returned by the API.
  • •Schema validation to ensure data types and structure consistency.
  • •Status code validation (e.g., 200 OK, 404 Not Found, 500 Internal Server Error).
  • •Data type validation and completeness.
  • •Authorization checks to ensure only permitted users can access APIs.
  • •Response timeout checks to ensure timely responses.

Key Takeaways

  1. 1APIs are fundamental for inter-application communication, acting as intermediaries.
  2. 2Web services are a subset of APIs exposed over networks, typically via HTTP.
  3. 3API testing is crucial for validating core business logic early, reducing costs and improving reliability.
  4. 4API testing requires a different approach than UI testing, focusing on functionality, performance, and security without a graphical interface.
  5. 5Schema validation and status code checking are critical components of API testing to ensure data integrity and proper error handling.
  6. 6Understanding API limitations, architectural styles, and test environments is essential for effective API testing.
  7. 7API testing offers significant advantages, including faster feedback, better test coverage, and language independence compared to UI testing.
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