Prepare your public collections for the Postman API Network

Create a public API reference collection and overview collection for your API consumers. When you publish your public APIs, you can invite your API consumers to fork your public collections, and get them to their first 200 OK response fast.

An API reference collection contains your public API's endpoints and their HTTP methods. An overview collection compliments your API reference collection and serves as a starting point for your API consumers.

Create your public API reference collection

An API reference collection is a comprehensive list of your public API's endpoints and their HTTP methods, which define your API's operations. It's often based on an API specification, such an OpenAPI definition.

Postman recommends you import your OpenAPI definition to create your API reference collection. If you don't have an OpenAPI definition, you can manually create your API reference collection.

Import your OpenAPI definition to create your API reference collection

To import your OpenAPI definition to create your API reference collection, do the following:

1. From the Postman sidebar, select Import.
2. Use one of the options to import your OpenAPI definition.
3. Select Postman Collection.
4. (Optional) Select View Import Settings and edit your settings.
5. Select Import.

Postman turns your OpenAPI definition into a Postman Collection. You can continue to edit your API reference collection as your public APIs evolve and you curate your public collections.

To learn more, see Import an API into Postman.

Manually create your API reference collection

If you don't have an OpenAPI definition, you can manually create your API reference collection.

To manually create your API reference collection, do the following:

1. From the Postman sidebar, select Collections.
2. Select Create new collection > Blank collection.
3. Name your collection and write a description for it.
4. Add requests to your collection and examples to your requests.
5. Document your requests.
6. Organize your collection with folders.

You can continue to edit your API reference collection as your public APIs evolve and you curate your public collections.

To learn more, see Create a new collection.

Create your public overview collection

An overview collection compliments your API reference collection. It's a starting point for your API consumers. Use an overview collection to summarize your public APIs and get your API consumers to their first 200 OK response in the fewest steps as possible. You can also showcase your public APIs with common use cases and popular workflows.

To create your public overview collection, do the following:

1. From the Postman sidebar, select Collections.
2. Select Create new collection > Blank collection.
3. Name your collection and write a description for it.
4. Add requests to your collection and examples to your requests.
5. Document your requests.
6. Organize your collection with folders.

You can continue to edit your overview collection as your public APIs evolve and you curate your public collections.

To learn more, see Create a new collection.