Postman automatically chooses default values for some settings so you can get right to work. Make changes to settings at any time based on your use case or to customize your Postman experience.
To change settings in Postman, select the settings icon in the header and then select Settings. In the Postman desktop app, you can also select ⌘+Comma (,) or Ctrl+Comma (,).
Use the settings on the General tab to configure how Postman sends requests or to customize the Postman user interface.
Content-Type
header. Select JSON to always use JSON rendering for the response body.When you send a form-data or binary file with a request body, Postman saves a path to the test file as part of the collection. The file path is relative to your working directory. On macOS and Linux, you can find the default working directory at ~/Postman/files
. On Windows, you can find the default working directory at %userprofile%\Postman\files
(File Explorer and Command Prompt) or ~/Postman/files
(PowerShell). To use a different working directory, select Choose and then select the directory you want to use.
Storing files in your working directory ensures that requests in shared collections always work. As long as you and your teammates use the same files and working directory location, shared requests will run across everyone's systems. Learn more about sending body data.
To make collaboration easier, upload test data files to your Postman team. You can used files uploaded to your team as form data or binary data when sending a request. If you share the request in a workspace, other team members can send the shared request without needing to copy the files to their local working directory. Learn more about uploading files for shared requests.
You can't change the working directory in the Postman web app. When you send a file with a request, the Postman web app creates a new folder with a random name in the ~/Postman/files
directory. Postman stores a copy of the file in the new folder so you can use it when sending requests. To automatically sync files from the Postman web app with your local working directory, make sure you are using the Postman Desktop Agent.
If you choose a different working directory than
~/Postman/files
for the Postman desktop app, you will still be able to work between the Postman desktop app and the Postman web app by taking the following steps:
- To access a file from the Postman desktop app using the web app, copy it from the desktop app's working directory into
~/Postman/files
so the web app has access to it.- To access a file from the Postman web app using the desktop app, find the file in
~/Postman/files
. When you add a file to a request using the web app, it creates a folder with a random name in~/Postman/files
. Copy this folder into your desktop app's working directory so the desktop app has access to it.- If you're sharing a request with others, each team member must have the files present in the correct working directory. If one team member adds a file to a request using the Postman web app, they need to share the folder and file that's created with everyone who wants to use the request, and this folder must be copied to each team member's working directory.
- Instead of copying files to your local system, you can upload test data files to your Postman team to make collaboration easier. All team members can use the uploaded files to send requests without needing to place the files in their working directory. Learn more about uploading files for shared requests.
The working directory is also used by Newman. Store files you want to use with Newman in the working directory path saved in the collection. Learn more about file uploads in Newman.
Use caution with files located outside your working directory. To use files located outside your working directory when sending requests, turn on Read files outside working directory. This option gives third-party collections the ability to read any file on your system. Use caution, and make sure you trust all third-party collections you are using before enabling this option.
Cache-Control: no-cache
header with each request. The no-cache
directive forces the server to revalidate each request and ensures you get an up-to-date (not stale) response.GET
request with the link URL. Turn this on to keep the headers from the earlier request in the new request. Retaining headers is useful if you mainly access protected resources.Editor settings affect code-related text such as request and response bodies, pre-request scripts, and tests. To revert back to default text settings, select Reset.
Language - Select your preferred language for the Postman app and email notifications.
Autosave - Turn this on to automatically save your changes to collections, requests, and environments. Turn this off to manually save your changes.
Autosave is in beta for Postman Free, Basic, and Professional plans.
If autosave is turned on and you create a request by selecting + or by selecting New, you must manually save the request to a collection before your changes are autosaved.
Send anonymous usage data to Postman - Postman gathers basic, anonymous usage data to help with product improvement. Turn this off to stop sending anonymous usage data to Postman.
Connection mode - Configure how to connect to Postman servers using either Auto (default) or HTTP.
Postman enables you to adapt Postman to your visual preferences in two ways. You can set the theme manually or sync it with the operating system's appearance settings. Themes auto-sync by default.
If the Workspace Admin customizes the workspace theme colors, this will override the colors in the application theme you set. Your application theme colors are restored when you leave the workspace.
To apply a theme across the Postman app, select Settings in the top right and then select Themes.
You can select a single theme to be applied in light or dark mode at all times.
You can also switch the themes based on your system settings, and have a different theme for day and night, respectively.
Not all themes have a light/dark counterpart.
The Shortcuts tab displays all the keyboard shortcuts available in Postman. You can use the default shortcuts, or customize them if you're using the Postman desktop app.
To customize a shortcut, select it and then enter your preferred shortcut. Custom shortcuts must meet the following requirements:
You can revert to the default shortcuts by selecting Restore Defaults. To turn off keyboard shortcuts entirely, select the Keyboard shortcuts toggle.
Some shortcuts aren't available in the Postman web app. Also, shortcut modifier keys in Postman may differ depending on your operating system. For example, to open a new tab select ⌘+T on macOS or Ctrl+T on Windows or Linux.
Use the Data tab to request a bulk export of Postman data or to import data. To begin the export process, select Export Data. You can choose to export your collections, environments, or both. You'll receive an email when your dump file is ready to download.
Importing a dump file may overwrite your existing collections and environments, so use caution. Always make a backup before importing files. Learn more about importing and exporting data.
Select Download Newman from npm to download Newman, Postman's command line companion. Newman integrates your Postman collections with your build system and runs automated API tests. Learn more about command line integration with Newman.
Use the Certificates tab to add and manage CA certificates and client certificates in Postman. Learn more about managing certificates.
You can use the Connected accounts tab to manage the accounts and tokens used to authorize Postman with third-party services. For example, when you connect an API to a Git repository, Postman stores your authorization details. You can then use the connected account to add other integrations to the same service.
You can manage your saved accounts and tokens on the Connected accounts tab:
If you don't have any connected accounts, this tab doesn't appear in the Postman settings.
Use the Proxy tab to configure proxy settings for connecting to online services and sending API requests. Learn more about configuring a proxy.
Use the Update tab to check for updates to the Postman desktop app or to enable automatic updating. Learn more about updating Postman.
The About tab displays the current version of Postman, along with links to helpful information and support.
Last modified: 2023/07/15