Top Challenges in API Testing

The uncountable APIs involved in an application operate independent of each other. While performing API testing, testers often face challenges to keep up with rapid updates and the impacts of those updates on the overall application.

FREMONT, CA: Developing a sustainable and relevant API testing practice within an organization can improve test coverage and reduce risk across internal and public interfaces. Testing APIs requires going beyond the GUI layer's surface to inspect the application at its core, which is extremely beneficial.

Let us look at the challenges that organizations face to adopt a suitable API testing process successfully:

Lack of Knowledge of the Business Application Logic

APIs generally have multiple rules and guidelines that dictate their usages, such as storage policies, rate limits, copyright policies, and display policies. Depending on the overall business logic, a set of business rules is determined on which APIs are developed, used as well as integrated. Insufficient knowledge and lack of understanding of the business logic and rules among API testers often result in ambiguity regarding the test objective.

Tracking API Inventory

The uncountable APIs involved in an application operate independent of each other. While performing API testing, testers often face challenges to keep up with rapid updates and the impacts of those updates on the overall application. It is imperative to maintain the API inventory because, without it, tests are likely to fail or miss evaluating recent changes to the application and APIs.

Complicated Protocols

APIs interact with one another through a set of defined rules known as protocols or contracts. These protocols are often very complex and might be an obstacle to the proper integration and testing of the communication between components.

Test Data Management

The APIs with their various parameters need a copious amount of data to test them effectively. It is a considerable challenge for API testers to manage such a large amount of data and ensure that the data is reusable. The variety between the APIs and the limited access to the source platform further makes test data management more challenging.

See Also: Top API Solution Companies