# 30 Days of API Testing Day 22: Biggest frustration with API testing!

**URL:** <https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296>\
**Category:** 30 Days of Testing\
**Tags:** 30-days-of-testing, api-testing\
**Created:** [20 November 2018 07:27 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296 "2018-11-20T07:27:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kmstuanhnguyen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/kmstuanhnguyen/32/4217_2.png) [@kmstuanhnguyen](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/kmstuanhnguyen)\
**Post date:** [20 November 2018 07:27 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/1 "2018-11-20T07:27:30Z")

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[30 Days of API Testing](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/dojo/lessons/30-days-of-api-testing)Day 22: Share your biggest frustration with API testing!

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**Author:** ![oceannguyen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/oceannguyen/32/4270_2.png) [@oceannguyen](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/oceannguyen)\
**Post date:** [20 November 2018 07:30 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/2 "2018-11-20T07:30:53Z")

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Since I learnt API testing, the biggest frustration with it maybe it is difficult to debug the failing API Tests. Currently I’m getting an issue with the [Exercise 3](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-21-complete-exercise-3/19639)

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**Author:** ![katepaulk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/katepaulk/32/8469_2.png) [@katepaulk](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/katepaulk)\
**Post date:** [20 November 2018 12:54 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/3 "2018-11-20T12:54:22Z")

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For me, it’s APIs with hidden dependencies. I recently ran into issues with one that required authorization and a small number of other properties before any of the published calls could succeed - but did not provide an endpoint to perform said authorization and property-setting.

That API could not be tested in isolation, and I spent a frustrating few days before I discovered this.

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**Author:** ![devtotest](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/devtotest/32/2857_2.png) [@devtotest](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/devtotest)\
**Post date:** [20 November 2018 13:56 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/4 "2018-11-20T13:56:51Z")

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One of my frustrations with API testing is setting up enough mocks to isolate the code under test. Managing the mocks becomes challenging as an API grows!

Joe

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**Author:** ![kmstuanhnguyen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/kmstuanhnguyen/32/4217_2.png) [@kmstuanhnguyen](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/kmstuanhnguyen)\
**Post date:** [22 November 2018 09:27 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/5 "2018-11-22T09:27:45Z")

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I agreed with @devtotest, managing mocks is one of challenges when perform API testing. We are applying Scrum framework and Agile methodology to develop our software. The consequence of emerging products from Sprint to Sprint is Data modal changed. Therefore, managing and maintaining mock data is my biggest frustration.

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**Author:** ![ilya.lychkou](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/ilya.lychkou/32/4135_2.png) [@ilya.lychkou](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/ilya.lychkou)\
**Post date:** [1 December 2018 22:04 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/6 "2018-12-01T22:04:24Z")

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On my project we use third party api which communicate with our server. There are plenty of cases when it responds with such data that our server cannot process correctly. As a result we should to commit hot fixes on production. The challenge is that we never can foresee these cases.

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**Author:** ![heather\_reid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/heather_reid/32/29_2.png) [@heather\_reid](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/heather_reid)\
**Post date:** [4 December 2018 16:08 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/7 "2018-12-04T16:08:21Z")

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From our friends on Twitter

> <https://twitter.com/offbeattesting/status/1065602023377305600>

> <https://twitter.com/conorfi/status/1065689189621080067>

> <https://twitter.com/psNoBugs/status/1065712990383689729>

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**Author:** ![kms\_trangta](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/kms_trangta/32/4273_2.png) [@kms\_trangta](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/kms_trangta)\
**Post date:** [14 December 2018 11:37 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/8 "2018-12-14T11:37:55Z")

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My biggest frustration is errors when run projects because I’ll take time to investigate to fix them

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**Author:** ![kms\_thaotnguyen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kms\_thaotnguyen](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/kms_thaotnguyen)\
**Post date:** [15 December 2018 08:49 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/9 "2018-12-15T08:49:01Z")

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When I have issues, I try to debug step by step but it is impossible although I tried many ways. This is my biggest frustration.

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**Author:** ![kms\_thanhhuynh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/kms_thanhhuynh/32/4286_2.png) [@kms\_thanhhuynh](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/kms_thanhhuynh)\
**Post date:** [21 December 2018 10:47 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/10 "2018-12-21T10:47:34Z")

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I just run some requests for API Testing, so my current frustration is every time having an issues on running, it’s difficult to look for the cause and the solution.

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**Author:** ![tuanatran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@tuanatran](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/tuanatran)\
**Post date:** [22 December 2018 16:56 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/11 "2018-12-22T16:56:22Z")

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At the first day in API testing, my biggest frustration with API testing is analyze when an API return error. I was not sure if the error come from my mistake (executing the call with wrong parameter, missing header, missing auhenToken…) or not. Some time it was from my mistake sometime not. So I was taken a lot time to investigate it.

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**Author:** ![kms\_namnguyen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ec8ea/32.png) [@kms\_namnguyen](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/kms_namnguyen)\
**Post date:** [26 December 2018 01:02 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/12 "2018-12-26T01:02:13Z")

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My biggest frustration with API testing is analyze issues when an API return error because i’m not sure this issue come from the API or my mistake. this many take times!  
The second is working on API we just communicate with API with the method(POST/GET) and see the result returns values. Working on the NO GUI environment make some tired :))lol.

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**Author:** ![felipeoliveira](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/felipeoliveira/32/4743_2.png) [@felipeoliveira](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/felipeoliveira)\
**Post date:** [8 January 2019 01:55 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/13 "2019-01-08T01:55:05Z")

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In the past couple of months since I started working with APIs one of my biggest frustrations with API testing has been inconsistent response formats and responses that return little to no data regarding the end result of the process (e.g. IDs and other values associated with objects created)

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**Author:** ![restertest](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/restertest/32/9342_2.png) [@restertest](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/restertest)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2021 12:20 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/14 "2021-03-29T12:20:35Z")

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Top 3 frustrations with API testing for me

1. No Documentation - I mean it is fun to find out what the API is and what it can do but you can only get so far on your own

2. Poor Documentation - Having Documentation that is only partly ready makes your life really not fun

3. Too Standard responses for Error Scenarios. I mean somenthing went wrong is really nice if you want to know what is wrong

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**Author:** ![kristof](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/kristof/32/10839_2.png) [@kristof](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/kristof)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2021 12:42 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/15 "2021-03-29T12:42:06Z")

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Top frustration of api testing:

1. All of the logic is in the UI and not on the API 😭 😭 😭

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**Author:** ![m.zn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/m.zn/32/8715_2.png) [@m.zn](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/m.zn)\
**Post date:** [6 March 2022 09:06 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/30-days-of-api-testing-day-22-biggest-frustration-with-api-testing/20296/16 "2022-03-06T09:06:36Z")

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The biggest frustration with API testing for me is that it takes so much time to write and debug tests. I often ask myself “If it takes so much time to write the test, is it worth it?”.

API testing requires good technical skills, knowledge of http, programming languages, tools. This also can be challenging, because when something is not working, it can be difficult to find a solution. It’s is great that we have such places as [Stackoverflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/web-api-testing?tab=Frequent) where other people are sharing their knowledge and solutions. I am also grateful to people like [Alan Richardson](https://www.eviltester.com/) who help us learn API testing.

The good thing is that with consistent practice it is getting easier to write API tests. Do not give up. Keep learning and practicing 🙂
