About challenges in API tests automation

API testing can be automated to a large extent, there are still some aspects of API testing that are challenging to automate. Here are some of the common challenges in automating API testing:

1. Handling dynamic data: APIs often return dynamic data that changes frequently, such as timestamps, unique identifiers, or random numbers. This can make it difficult to create stable and reusable automated tests, as the test data needs to be updated with each API call. Automated tests need to be designed to handle this dynamic data by generating or retrieving the necessary data for each test case dynamically.

2. Handling authentication and authorization: APIs often require authentication and authorization to access certain endpoints or perform certain actions. Automating the authentication and authorization process can be challenging, as it requires handling tokens, cookies, and other security measures. Automated tests need to be designed to handle the authentication and authorization process correctly for each endpoint, which can be complex and require different types of authentication.

3. Handling complex workflows: Some APIs require complex workflows, such as multi-step processes or workflows with dependencies. Automating these workflows can be challenging, as it requires creating and managing multiple requests and responses. Automated tests need to be designed to handle these complex workflows by creating a sequence of API calls that simulate the actual user flow. And the most important is to decide which workflows should and must be covered.

4. Handling edge cases: APIs can behave unexpectedly when presented with edge cases or unusual inputs. It can be challenging to anticipate and handle all possible edge cases when creating automated tests. Automated tests need to be designed to handle all possible edge cases by identifying and creating test cases for each possible edge case.

5. Handling API changes: APIs can change frequently, which can affect automated tests. It can be challenging to keep the automated tests up-to-date with the latest API changes and ensure that they still work as expected. Automated tests need to be designed to handle API changes by being modular and easy to update when the API changes.

In conclusion, while API testing can be automated to a large extent, and there are a lot of tools in the market to do this, however, there are still some challenges that require manual intervention or specialized automation techniques. Handling dynamic data, authentication and authorization, complex workflows, edge cases, and API changes are some of the common challenges in automating API testing. And this is only several case what Test Spread is solving out of the box.