Benefits, Challenges of API Testing and How to Overcome Them

API testing is a crucial part of software development, as it ensures the quality, performance, and reliability of the applications that rely on APIs. APIs are the interfaces that allow different software components to communicate and exchange data.

According to Industry ARC report, the API Testing market size is forecast to reach $2.45 billion by 2025, estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.4%.  Global Industry Analysts Predict the World API Testing Market to Reach $1.8 Billion by 2026.

Let’s deep dive into our below article to learn the benefits, and challenges of API Testing and how Kairos API TestEasy can overcome the challenges and evolve your software testing.

What is API Testing

API (Application Programming Interface) testing is a type of software testing that focuses on the functionality, reliability, and performance of application programming interfaces (APIs). APIs act as a bridge between different software systems, allowing them to communicate and exchange data with each other.

It also verifies that the service components of an application are functioning correctly and conform to the expected standards.

This type of testing is typically performed at the integration level after unit testing is completed, and before user interface testing begins.

Types of API Testing

Functional testing: Testing the functionality of the API to ensure it functions as intended.

Security testing: Testing the security of the API to ensure it is protected against threats or common vulnerabilities.

 Performance testing: Analysing the API's performance to make sure it can support the anticipated load.

 Integration Testing: Integration testing services check the API’s call, response, and response schema/structure compatibility with different software systems and platforms, ensuring seamless data exchange.

 Validation Testing: Validation testing process aims to verify various aspects of the product, such as its behavior and efficiency, ensuring the accuracy of the development process.

Runtime Error Detection: We monitor and catch glitches in your app, including resource leaks, exceptions, and monitoring, using manual or automated testing techniques.

Usability testing: Evaluating the usability of the API for developers.

Interoperability testing: Verifying that the API is compatible with other systems.

Benefits of API Testing:

• Quality assurance: API testing helps preserve consumer trust and protect the business’s reputation by enabling teams to deliver APIs that are consistently available and highly performant.
• Early issue detection and resolution: A shift-left approach to API testing allows teams to identify defects as soon as they are introduced and fix them before they reach production and impact users.
• Resource conservation: API testing can save resources and time by reducing the number of GUI tests required, and by enabling faster feedback cycles. According to a case study by Andersen Lab, API testing reduced the test execution time by 75% and the number of test cases by 65% for one of their clients.
• Security protection: API testing can reveal any risk, vulnerability, or threat within the API that can potentially result in a loss of information, revenue, or reputation if misused by an unauthorized user.
• Integration readiness: API testing can ensure that the API is compatible and interoperable with other systems and applications, and that it meets the integration requirements and specifications. API testing can also help teams avoid integration issues that can cause delays or failures in the delivery process.
• Integrated User Experience: Any application or website's content can be easily embedded using API. In order to maintain a seamless user experience, this kind of information delivery ease is a significant asset.

Challenges in API Testing

API testing has many challenges, such as:

• Complexity: Testing multiple or integrated APIs can be complicated and require a lot of expertise.
• Limited Visibility: It can be hard to see how the API affects other parts of the system at the integration level. This can make debugging and fixing problems more difficult.
• Security: APIs can expose security risks if they are not tested and secured properly. This can be a serious issue for organizations that deal with confidential data.
• Cost: Automated API testing tools can be costly and require a lot of investment.
• Time-consuming: Developing and running test scripts for APIs can take more time than other testing methods.
• Limited test coverage: It is hard to test all the possible situations and edge cases with API testing.

How Kairos API Testing overcomes the challenges:

 Supports Multiple Protocols for testing:

Our API testing service offers testing using multiple protocols, including REST, and GraphQL. It showcases the full extent of our capabilities and provides comprehensive API testing to ensure your application runs smoothly and seamlessly.

Greater Test Stability

Our API TestEasy is highly stable, even when exposed to third parties. This is because API’s typically undergo changes less frequently than UIs, which are more dynamic in nature and require frequent updates to accommodate new requests from stakeholders and users.

 Early Issue Detection and Resolution

We facilitate a shift-left approach that enables us to detect defects early in the development process. Identifying issues as soon as they are introduced makes our testing process more predictable, ensuring that we meet project deadlines.

 Improved Security

Our API testing service ensures your application is secure by identifying vulnerabilities and threats that could harm your system.

 Data-driven system:

This approach allows you to test your APIs with different input data, saving time and effort. By separating the test data from the test logic, you can easily update the test data without modifying the test scripts, making it easier to maintain and update your tests as your API evolves.

Wrapping Up:

APIs are a backbone for modern software systems, allowing different applications to communicate and exchange data seamlessly. At Kairos, we offer a wide range of API testing services to cover the entire API testing lifecycle.