Global variables in Postman - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a global variable in Postman?

A global variable in Postman is a value stored that can be accessed by any request or script within the Postman workspace. It helps share data across multiple requests.

beginner

How do you set a global variable in a Postman test script?

You use pm.globals.set('variableName', 'value') to create or update a global variable in Postman.

beginner

How can you retrieve a global variable's value in Postman scripts?

Use pm.globals.get('variableName') to get the value of a global variable in Postman scripts.

intermediate

What is the difference between global variables and environment variables in Postman?

Global variables are accessible across all environments and requests, while environment variables are specific to a selected environment and help manage different setups like dev, test, or prod.

intermediate

Why should you be careful when using global variables in Postman?

Because global variables are shared across all requests and environments, accidental changes can affect many tests. It's best to use them only when needed and clean up after tests.

Which Postman method sets a global variable?

A pm.globals.set('name', 'value')

B pm.environment.set('name', 'value')

C pm.variables.set('name', 'value')

D pm.request.set('name', 'value')

pm.globals.set() is used to set global variables accessible across all requests.

How do you access a global variable's value in Postman?

A pm.collection.get('variableName')

B pm.environment.get('variableName')

C pm.request.get('variableName')

D pm.globals.get('variableName')

pm.globals.get() retrieves the value of a global variable.

What is a key difference between global and environment variables in Postman?

A Global variables cannot be changed during runtime.

B Environment variables are shared globally; global variables are environment-specific.

C Global variables are shared across all environments; environment variables are environment-specific.

D Environment variables are only for authentication.

Global variables are accessible everywhere; environment variables depend on the selected environment.

Why might overusing global variables be risky in Postman?

A They slow down the Postman app.

B They can cause unexpected test failures if changed unintentionally.

C They are not saved between sessions.

D They cannot store string values.

Because global variables affect all tests, accidental changes can cause failures.

Which of these is NOT a valid way to clear a global variable in Postman?

A pm.globals.remove('variableName')

B pm.globals.unset('variableName')

C pm.globals.set('variableName', null)

D pm.globals.clear()

pm.globals.remove() is not a valid method; use unset() or clear() instead.

Explain what global variables are in Postman and how they differ from environment variables.

Think about scope and sharing of variables.

Describe how to set, get, and clear a global variable in Postman scripts.

Focus on the Postman scripting API methods.