postman
API development and testing platform
TLDR
Launch Postman
SYNOPSIS
postman [options]
newman run collection [options]
DESCRIPTION
Postman is an API development platform providing a graphical interface for designing, testing, and documenting HTTP APIs. It organizes requests into collections that can include test scripts, environment variables, and pre-request hooks for building comprehensive API test suites.
Newman is the command-line companion for running Postman collections outside the GUI. It enables automated API testing in CI/CD pipelines, supporting environment files, data-driven iterations with CSV or JSON data, and multiple output reporters for integration with test reporting systems.
EXAMPLES
postman
# Run collection with Newman
newman run my-api-tests.json
# With environment
newman run collection.json -e staging.json
# Data-driven testing
newman run collection.json -d testdata.csv -n 10
# Multiple reporters
newman run collection.json --reporters cli,htmlextra
PARAMETERS (newman)
-e, --environment file
Environment file.-g, --globals file
Global variables.-d, --iteration-data file
Data file for iterations.-n count
Iteration count.--reporters list
Output reporters.--timeout ms
Request timeout.
COLLECTION FORMAT
Postman collections (JSON) contain:
- Requests with URLs, methods, headers
- Tests (JavaScript assertions)
- Variables and environments
CAVEATS
Postman GUI requires account for cloud features. Newman runs locally without account. Free tier has limitations.
HISTORY
Postman was founded by Abhinav Asthana in 2014, evolving from a Chrome extension to a full API platform.