Debugging Production APIs with Postman and Moesif
Debugging APIs can be a challenge for any developer dealing with REST APIs. Trying to create an exact API request, especially for highly complex requests with large bodies and multiple headers, is essential but also tough to do. By using a tool like Postman to create a request for debugging and API testing purposes, you can easily replay an API request with the exact configuration of the original request. This can enable developers to reproduce the scenario when running API tests and debugging in a consistent manner.
Moesif can also help to make the process of debugging and running API tests against your REST APIs easier as well. Since Moesif receives data around every aspect of a request, it makes it a great platform to export all of the details of a request so it can easily be replayed to assist with debugging. In Moesif, you can easily export all of your API call data into a Postman Collection. This helps developers to replicate the calls in Postman automatically by importing the generated Collection.
Debugging best practices aim to ensure that the conditions in which you are debugging an error match exactly with the conditions that caused the error. By using Moesif’s export functionalities as part of your debugging and API testing method, you’re guaranteed that the API endpoint and debugger are receiving the same request data that caused the error.
Exporting Events in Moesif
To export calls from Moesif, first, navigate to the Live Event Log screen. Click Create New on the left navigation pane and select Live Event Log.
You can choose the calls you wish to export into the Postman Collection. You can easily select the desired calls by checking the boxes next to them, and then export them by clicking on Run in Postman.
By exporting the calls to a Postman API collection, you will have all the necessary components at your disposal to recreate an API call. This includes the body, headers, parameters, and any other relevant elements.
After clicking the button labeled Run in Postman, a modal window will pop up, giving you the option to download the collection. Simply click on Download Postman Collection to acquire the collection file in a easy to read json format and save it on your local machine.
The Postman API Collection will be downloaded and ready to load into Postman. Let’s check out how to do that!
Importing the Collection in Postman
Open Postman and click the Collections tab on the left side of screen. Click the Import button on the top left.
After that, a modal will appear where you can either select the Postman Collection file or drag-and-drop it onto the modal to import it.
The collection will be displayed in the Collections pane in Postman.
Replaying Requests and Debugging
Choose one of the requests to replay and all the details of the HTTP request will be shown, including the parameters, headers, and body.
Click the blue Send button located beside the URL to send a Postman API call which is an exact copy of the web API request you are trying to debug to the desired endpoint. By doing this, your debugger will be loaded with the same data as the error call you are currently debugging since it has been loaded from the exported Postman API Collection.
Experience It for Yourself
The next time you encounter an issue while debugging or conducting API tests with your REST API , you can make use of Moesif to easily replicate the HTTP requests that led to the error. No need to worry about missing details by manually inputting the HTTP request into Postman. Simply export the request from Moesif and replay it through Postman to debug your API in the exact same conditions that caused the issue in the first place. Just choose the requests that you need, export them, and start debugging. By doing so, you’ll be able to hit your debugger breakpoint with the same data included in the original request. Debugging REST API errors should be a breeze, and with Postman and Moesif, it definitely is!
If you want to enhance your debugging and API testing capabilities, Moesif is the way to go. It lets you effortlessly replicate the HTTP request that caused an error in your REST API code, without any risk of omitting important details. You can then export the requests and replay them in Postman to debug your API under the exact same conditions that led to the issue. With Moesif, debugging REST API errors becomes a breeze. And while you’re at it, be sure to explore our other amazing features like alerts, embedded templates, and our latest billing features that can help you monetize your APIs. Sign up or log in to Moesif now and take your API game to the next level!
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