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How to Use Postman Like a Pro

Kavita Sharma
Kavita Sharma
Backend developer
Published on July 28, 2025

Postman is one of the most popular tools for testing and exploring APIs. Whether you're building a REST API yourself or working with third-party services, Postman makes it easy to send requests, inspect responses, and debug issues faster than digging through curl commands or browser tools.

But most developers only scratch the surface of what Postman can do. This article covers not just how to use Postman, but how to use it like a pro — with collections, environments, tests, variables, automation, and more.

Installing and Setting Up Postman

You can download Postman for free at https://www.postman.com/downloads/. It works on macOS, Windows, and Linux. You can also use the web version, but the desktop app is generally faster and more stable.

Once installed, create a free account so you can sync collections and environments across devices. You’ll also get access to features like team collaboration and the Postman API.

Making Your First API Request

Let’s start simple. Suppose you want to send a GET request to fetch user data from a test API.

  1. Open Postman and click "New" → "Request".
  2. Set the method to GET and enter the URL:
https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users/1
  1. Click "Send".

You’ll see the response in the lower pane, formatted nicely with headers, status code, and body content.

Working with Request Types

Postman supports all HTTP methods: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, and OPTIONS.

To send a POST request with JSON data:

  1. Change method to POST.
  2. Go to the "Body" tab → select "raw" → set type to "JSON".
  3. Enter your payload:
{
  "name": "Alice",
  "email": "alice@example.com"
}

Click "Send" and inspect the response. You can toggle between pretty, raw, and preview formats for easier debugging.

Organizing with Collections

Collections are like folders for your API requests. Instead of saving each request in isolation, organize them into logical groups like "User Endpoints", "Admin Routes", or "Auth APIs".

To create a collection:

  1. Click "Collections" in the left sidebar.
  2. Click "New Collection" and give it a name.
  3. Save requests directly into that collection as you work.

You can also add documentation, pre-request scripts, and tests at the collection level, making it easier to share with teammates or generate public docs.

Using Environments and Variables

One of Postman’s most powerful features is the use of environments. Environments let you define variables that change based on where you're working — local, staging, or production.

Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Go to "Environments" → "Manage Environments".
  2. Create a new environment called "Local".
  3. Add variables like:
key: base_url
initial value: http://localhost:3000

Then in your requests, use the variable like this:

{{base_url}}/api/users

You can create environments for dev, staging, and production, and quickly switch between them using the environment dropdown in the top-right corner.

Writing Tests in Postman

Postman supports JavaScript-based tests that run after each request. This is useful for checking response status, body values, or headers.

Go to the "Tests" tab on any request and try this snippet:

pm.test("Status code is 200", function () {
  pm.response.to.have.status(200)
})

pm.test("Response has user name", function () {
  const jsonData = pm.response.json()
  pm.expect(jsonData.name).to.eql("Leanne Graham")
})

These tests will show up in the "Test Results" tab after you run the request. You can use this to build automated test suites for your API.

Pre-request Scripts

Pre-request scripts run before the request is sent. You can use them to set headers, generate tokens, or manipulate data on the fly.

Example: Adding a timestamp to each request header:

pm.request.headers.add({
  key: "X-Timestamp",
  value: new Date().toISOString()
})

This is useful for dynamic auth tokens, signed headers, or time-sensitive operations.

Authorization Made Easy

Instead of copying tokens into headers manually, Postman has a built-in "Authorization" tab. You can set types like:

  • Bearer Token
  • Basic Auth
  • OAuth 1.0 and 2.0
  • API Key (in header or URL param)

When you set it at the collection level, all requests under that collection inherit the auth automatically. This saves time and reduces the risk of forgetting headers.

Generating Code Snippets

Postman can instantly convert your request into code for various languages including JavaScript, Python, Go, PHP, and cURL.

To use it:

  1. Click the "<>" icon on the request pane.
  2. Choose your language from the dropdown.
  3. Copy and paste the snippet into your codebase.

This is especially handy when working with APIs you haven’t used before or when generating quick boilerplate for testing.

Automating with Collection Runner

Want to run a full set of requests as a test suite? Use the "Collection Runner". You can pass in environments, run all tests, and view detailed results for each request.

Steps:

  1. Click "Runner" in the top-left corner.
  2. Select a collection and environment.
  3. Click "Start Run".

Postman will execute each request in order, showing you pass/fail results for tests, time taken, and response sizes. This is useful for regression testing, smoke tests, or pre-deployment checks.

Using Monitors for Scheduled Checks

Postman Monitors let you schedule your collection runs in the cloud. You can run them every 5 minutes, hourly, or daily — and get alerted if something fails.

This is useful for:

  • Checking if your API is still up
  • Monitoring response times
  • Verifying that key endpoints return expected results

You can view monitor reports, export logs, and even send alerts via email or Slack.

Importing and Exporting

Postman makes it easy to share requests or entire collections. You can export a collection as JSON and send it to a teammate. You can also import:

  • OpenAPI/Swagger specs
  • Postman collections (.json files)
  • GraphQL schemas

Click "Import" at the top and drop in your file, URL, or raw text. This is a great way to start testing existing APIs quickly without setting everything up from scratch.

Keyboard Shortcuts

To speed things up, learn a few handy shortcuts:

  • Cmd/Ctrl + T → New tab
  • Cmd/Ctrl + S → Save request
  • Cmd/Ctrl + Enter → Send request
  • Cmd/Ctrl + E → Quick switch environments

Mastering shortcuts can save you a lot of clicks when working with multiple APIs or testing the same route over and over again.

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