How to use saved global/collection based variables in Postman?

Category: 

Platform/Workspace

Error: 

The user may encounter issues while trying to use saved global/collection based variables in Postman.

Description: Postman allows users to save variables at a global or collection level for easy access and reusability. However, if the variables are not properly referenced or used in the API requests, the user may encounter errors.

Debugging Methods:

Method 1: Accessing the Variables

Step 1: Open the Postman app and navigate to the collection where the variables are saved.

Step 2: Click on the "Variables" button on the top right corner.

Step 3: You can access the global variables by selecting the "Globals" tab or collection-level variables by selecting the collection name.

Step 4: Copy the variable name or value you want to use.

Method 2: Referencing the Variables

Step 1: Open the API request where you want to use the saved variable.

Step 2: In the request editor, use the double curly braces syntax "{{}}" to reference the variable. For example, if you want to use the "baseUrl" variable, type {{baseUrl}} in the request URL field.

Step 3: Ensure that the variable name is spelled correctly and exactly matches the name in the saved variables section.

Common Causes:

Misspelled variable names while referencing them in API requests.

Not saving the variables at the global or collection level.

Improper use of the double curly braces syntax while referencing variables.

Related Concepts:

Postman variables: Allows users to store values and use them in API requests for reusability.

Environment variables: Variables that are specific to the environment, such as dev, test, or prod, and are used to switch between different environments easily.

In conclusion, using saved global/collection based variables in Postman can significantly reduce the effort required in writing API requests. By following the above methods and being mindful of the common causes, users can easily use these variables to enhance their API testing.