Running a collection in Postman - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a collection in Postman?

A collection in Postman is a group of saved API requests organized together to help you run and test APIs easily.

beginner

How do you run a collection in Postman?

You run a collection by opening the Collection Runner, selecting the collection, setting environment and data if needed, then clicking the Run button.

intermediate

What is the purpose of environment variables when running a collection?

Environment variables store values like URLs or tokens that can change, so you can run the same collection in different setups without changing requests manually.

beginner

What does the Collection Runner show after running a collection?

It shows the status of each request (pass/fail), response times, and lets you review responses to check if the API works as expected.

intermediate

How can you run a collection with different sets of data?

You can upload a CSV or JSON file with data in the Collection Runner to run the collection multiple times with different input values.

What is the first step to run a collection in Postman?

A Write a new API request

B Open the Collection Runner

C Export the collection

D Create an environment

You start running a collection by opening the Collection Runner in Postman.

Which file types can you use to run a collection with multiple data sets?

A CSV or JSON

B TXT or XML

C DOC or PDF

D HTML or CSS

Postman supports CSV and JSON files for data-driven runs in the Collection Runner.

What does an environment variable help you do when running collections?

A Change the Postman theme

B Export test results

C Create new API endpoints

D Store reusable values like URLs or tokens

Environment variables store values that can be reused and changed easily across requests.

After running a collection, what information can you see in the Collection Runner?

A Status of requests, response times, and responses

B Postman version number

C Only the request names

D User account details

The Collection Runner shows detailed results including status, response times, and response data.

Can you run a collection without selecting an environment?

A Only on weekends

B No, environment is mandatory

C Yes, but variables won’t be replaced

D Only if you export the collection

You can run a collection without an environment, but variables won’t be replaced with values.

Explain the steps to run a collection in Postman and what you see after running it.

Think about how you prepare and start the run, then what results you check.

Describe how environment variables help when running collections in Postman.

Consider why you might want to change URLs or tokens easily.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Running a collection in Postman?

easy

A. To write code for APIs

B. To create new API endpoints

C. To execute a group of API requests in a specific order

D. To delete saved requests

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what a collection is

   A collection in Postman is a group of API requests organized together.

2. Step 2: Purpose of running a collection

   Running a collection means executing all requests in that group one after another automatically.

3. Final Answer:

   To execute a group of API requests in a specific order -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Running a collection = executing grouped requests [OK]

Hint: Running a collection means running all requests together [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing running a collection with creating requests
• Thinking it deletes requests
• Assuming it writes code automatically

2. Which of the following is the correct way to start running a collection in Postman?

easy

A. Drag the collection to the trash bin

B. Right-click the collection and select 'Delete'

C. Open the collection and edit the request

D. Click the 'Run' button on the collection

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the collection in Postman

   Collections appear in the sidebar with a 'Run' button visible when selected.

2. Step 2: Starting the run

   Clicking the 'Run' button starts executing all requests in the collection.

3. Final Answer:

   Click the 'Run' button on the collection -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Run button starts collection execution [OK]

Hint: Look for the 'Run' button to start collections [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing delete instead of run
• Editing requests does not run collection
• Dragging to trash deletes collection

3. Given a collection with 3 requests, if you run the collection and the second request fails, what happens next?

medium

A. The collection stops running immediately

B. The collection continues to run the third request

C. The collection retries the second request automatically

D. The collection deletes the failed request

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand default run behavior

   By default, Postman runs all requests in a collection sequentially regardless of individual request failures.

2. Step 2: Effect of a failed request

   A failed request does not stop the collection run; it moves on to the next request.

3. Final Answer:

   The collection continues to run the third request -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Collection runs all requests even if one fails [OK]

Hint: Collection runs all requests unless manually stopped [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming run stops on failure
• Thinking Postman retries automatically
• Believing failed requests get deleted

4. You try to run a collection but get an error saying 'No requests found'. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. The collection is empty with no requests inside

B. You have not selected any environment

C. Postman is offline

D. You clicked 'Run' on a single request instead of collection

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the error message

   'No requests found' means the collection has no requests to run.

2. Step 2: Check collection contents

   If the collection is empty, running it will cause this error.

3. Final Answer:

   The collection is empty with no requests inside -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Empty collection = no requests to run error [OK]

Hint: Check if collection has requests before running [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing environment selection with requests
• Assuming offline causes this error
• Thinking running single request triggers this

5. You want to run a collection multiple times with different data sets for each run. Which Postman feature helps you do this efficiently?

hard

A. Using a data file with the Collection Runner

B. Manually editing each request before running

C. Running each request separately

D. Duplicating the collection for each data set

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the need for multiple data sets

   Running the same collection with different inputs requires data-driven testing.

2. Step 2: Use Collection Runner with data files

   Postman allows uploading CSV or JSON files to run collections multiple times with varied data.

3. Final Answer:

   Using a data file with the Collection Runner -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Data files + Collection Runner = multiple runs with different data [OK]

Hint: Use data files in Collection Runner for repeated tests [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Editing requests manually wastes time
• Running requests separately is inefficient
• Duplicating collections is unnecessary