Raw body (text, XML) in Postman - Build an Automation Script

Send POST request with raw XML body and verify response

Preconditions (2)

Step 1: Open Postman and create a new POST request

Step 2: Set the request URL to https://api.example.com/orders

Step 3: Go to the Body tab and select 'raw' option

Step 4: Select 'XML' from the dropdown next to raw

Step 5: Enter the following XML content in the body:<order><id>123</id><item>Book</item><quantity>2</quantity></order>

Step 6: Click Send button

Step 7: Observe the response status code and body

✅ Expected Result: Response status code is 200 OK and response body contains confirmation message with order id 123

Automation Requirements - Postman/Newman

Assertions Needed:

Verify response status code is 200

Verify response body contains order id 123 confirmation

Best Practices:

Use raw body with correct Content-Type header set to application/xml

Use test scripts in Postman to assert response

Keep XML body well-formed and valid

Automated Solution

Postman

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

pm.test('Response contains order id 123', function () {
    const responseBody = pm.response.text();
    pm.expect(responseBody).to.include('<id>123</id>');
});

The first test checks that the response status code is exactly 200, which means the request was successful.

The second test reads the response body as text and verifies it contains the XML tag with order id 123, confirming the order was processed.

Using pm.response.to.have.status(200) is the standard way in Postman to assert status codes.

Checking the raw response text for the expected XML snippet ensures the server returned the correct data.

Common Mistakes - 3 Pitfalls

Not setting Content-Type header to application/xml

Using JSON body format instead of XML when API expects XML

Not validating response status code before checking body

Bonus Challenge

Now add data-driven testing with 3 different XML orders having different ids and items

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