This document discusses API automation using Postman Flows. It begins with an introduction and agenda. It then covers the building blocks of flows, including what flows are made of (multiple blocks), types of blocks, and how to access and run flows. Key benefits of flows mentioned are that they provide a codeless approach to API automation and can be used to cover smoke tests and health checks. There is an example flow shown and a demo planned. The document concludes by discussing when flows should be used and what future enhancements are expected.

1. JUST LET IT
“FLOW”

2. HELLO!
I am Pricilla Bilavendran,
Team Leader - Billennium IT
Services (M) Sdn
2
👪

3. AGENDA
3
1 3 5
6
4
2
API Automation
Building blocks of
Flows
Live Demo on how
to work with flows
What is “Flows”? Why and when to
use "flows"?
Q&A

4. 1 API Automation
Traditional API Automation approach

5. API Automation requires good coding
knowledge
➔ Create the Collections
➔ Add assertions to the requests
➔ Chaining the multiple requests
➔ Create Test Suites
➔ Setup integration with source code repository
➔ Add build step in any CI/CD application

6. 2 All about “Flows”
What, How and When to use flows?

7. “Going with the flow is a kind of journey
that everyone should try once.”
7

8. 8
A flow is made up of
multiple blocks
API
workflow
builder
Flow-based
programming
paradigm
Beta
feature
What is a Flow?
Both web
and desktop
app versions
It’s free
Codeless
approach

9. 9
How to access
“Flows”?

10. What is a Block?
➔ Flows are built using ‘n’ number of blocks
➔ Small actor/process that performs some predefined actions
➔ Starts executing when it has the data in all of it's input ports
➔ Inbuilt blocks listed inside flows

11. Anatomy of a “Block”
1. Name
2. Run State
3. Expand
4. Options
5. Required Input Port
6. Optional Input Port
7. Output Port
8. Configuration
9. Signal Input
10. Signal Output

12. Types of Blocks
1. Check
2. Concatenate
3. Condition
4. Create Data
5. Create Durables
6. Delay
7. For Each
8. Group By
9. List Pop
10. Merge
11. Send Request
12. Terminal
13. Test Summary

13. Let it “Flow”
13
Run the flow
Once all the blocks and
required “Test Summary” and
“Terminals” are added, just
“Start” the flow.
Open the Flow builder
Now you can see the default
“Start” block” in the canvas.
Add the necessary blocks
Based on your use case, start
adding the blocks. You can use
all the requests under that
“Workspace”

14. When to use “Flows”?
➔ When there’s a need to run the requests across multiple
collection
➔ In specific use cases where there’s a need to write a JS
code to handle some logics
➔ Can be used to cover your smoke test/regression cases
➔ In Team workspace, we use it similar to monitor the health
checks

15. 3 Demo

16. 16
Going with the
flow will lead you
a right way

17. What else to expect?
╸ To public workspaces (recently launched)
╸ Flows within flows (in-progress)
╸ Listening to websockets and webhooks
╸ Integrate Flows with a Persistent Storage
(Users will be able to persist data across various executions.
╸ Revamping the UI based on the feedbacks
17

18. Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow-based_programming
https://jpaulm.github.io/fbp/
https://github.com/postmanlabs/postman-flows
https://community.postman.com/t/user-feedback-postman-flows/
https://github.com/postmanlabs/postman-flows/discussions

19. THANKS!
Any questions? You can
find me at
@pricillabelwin
19