API testing offers several benefits over traditional user interface (UI) testing such as testing business logic in an automated and stable way, ensuring applications are bulletproof against unknowns, and validating connectivity, security and scalability of platforms. Many companies incorporate API testing into their continuous integration and deployment processes to reduce risks of functional problems before production. While manual testing is limited, API testing allows testing endpoints as soon as they are available to customers and shortens production cycles. Proper data-driven end-to-end API testing eliminates the need to virtualize entire production environments for precise testing.

1. API Testing Impact on Development
Process
Instead of testing the APIs themselves, developers and testers are stuck in manual tests, where
the user tests the application at UI level and waits for the entire application stack to be built
before they can start testing them. Automation testing can be run to test applications at the API
level by designing test cases that interact with the APIs and offer numerous benefits, including
the ability to test the business logic layer in a simple, automated, and stable way. Instead of
testing the API itself, developers and testers can stick to the application UI user testing levels
and wait for the entire application stack to be built up to start testing.
While manual testing is limited to validating certain user experiences, API testing gives you the
ability to make your application bulletproof against unknowns. Another advantage of API testing
is that it ensures that the connection to the platform is reliable, secure, and scalable. The
inclusion of API tests in the test-driven development process benefits engineering and
development teams throughout the development lifecycle.
Many companies incorporate API testing into their Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous
Deployment (CD) processes triggered by URL-driven plugins like Jenkins. Tests reduce the risk
of functional and powerful end-to-end API problems before production reaches production,
allowing developers to shorten the production cycle and increase iteration. Once they are
developed, you start testing API endpoints as soon as they are made available to customers,
which means that companies can test to make sure they promise to deploy the API.
With the proper data-driven end-to-end API testing, it is no longer necessary to consume time
and resources by virtualizing the entire production environment to perform precise API tests. In
order to get the best results from API tests, it is essential for companies to stick to a set of best
practices. GUI testing slows down test coverage because API testing does not rely on the user
interface (UI) being ready when it is created during the software development process.
You can create tests specifically for API development, much like you create other software for
TDD. You can reuse the test code with test automation like REST Assured, SoapUI, or JMeter.
Since the tests are automated and run automatically, you can ensure that your application is
consistent with business expectations and accurate.
API tests in staging and development environments confirm that the software application meets
the requirements. A solid test plan should cover all scenarios thoroughly and define the priority
of each scenario to be tested.

2. Let us explore how your team can take advantage of API testing and how it can approach your
testing strategy. API tests are a type of software test that checks whether an application
programming interface (often referred to as an API) exists. It confirms that the performance,
functionality, security, and reliability of the applications work as expected.
An API test is performed by passing a query to one or more API endpoints and comparing the
result with the expected results. API tests are software tests that analyze an application or
program interface (API) to ensure that it meets the expected functions, security, performance,
and reliability. API testing can be automated through DevOps, Quality Assurance (QA),
development teams, and continuous testing.