# Create a Run in Postman button for your API consumers

Create a **Run in Postman** button to enable users to instantly fork your Postman collections into their workspaces. You can embed the button in your website or a README to enable developers to interact with your API.

<Warning title="Important" class="important-callout">
  The **Run in Postman** button is only available for collections containing HTTP requests.
</Warning>

Active **Run in Postman** buttons are automatically updated with any changes in the original collection. This provides your consumers with the most recent version of your collection, without publishers having to manually update the collection's link. For example, you can click the following **Run in Postman** button to fork the most recent version of the Postman API collection:

<center>
  [<img src="https://run.pstmn.io/button.svg" alt="Run in Postman" role="img" />](https://app.getpostman.com/run-collection/12959542-c8142d51-e97c-46b6-bd77-52bb66712c9a?action=collection%2Ffork\&source=rip_markdown\&collection-url=entityId%3D12959542-c8142d51-e97c-46b6-bd77-52bb66712c9a%26entityType%3Dcollection%26workspaceId%3D405e0480-49cf-463b-8052-6c0d05a8e8f3)
</center>

To create a **Run in Postman** button, your collection must be in a public workspace. If it isn't, you'll need to [change the workspace visibility to public](/docs/collaborating-in-postman/using-workspaces/public-workspaces/#convert-an-existing-workspace-to-a-public-workspace) or [move the collection](/docs/collaborating-in-postman/using-workspaces/internal-workspaces/manage-workspaces/#move-elements-to-workspaces) to a public workspace.

<Note title="Note">
  You can also create a **Run in Postman** button from API specification formats like OpenAPI and RAML. First, convert the file to a collection by [importing it into Postman](/docs/getting-started/importing-and-exporting/importing-data/), or by generating a collection from your API in [the API Builder](/docs/design-apis/api-builder/develop-apis/adding-api-elements/#generate-a-new-collection-from-your-api-definition) or [Spec Hub](/docs/design-apis/specifications/generate-collections/).
</Note>

## Create a Run in Postman button

To create a **Run in Postman** button, do the following:

1. Access the [Postman API Network](https://www.postman.com/explore/). If you're on a paid plan, you can click **API Network** in the Postman header, then select <img alt="Published icon" src="https://assets.postman.com/postman-docs/aether-icons/state-published-stroke.svg#icon" width="16px" role="img" /> **Postman API Network**.

2. Click <img alt="Add icon" src="https://assets.postman.com/postman-docs/aether-icons/action-add-stroke.svg#icon" width="16px" /> **Create New** in the left menu, then select <img alt="Run icon" src="https://assets.postman.com/postman-docs/aether-icons/action-run-stroke.svg#icon" width="16px" /> **Run in Postman button**.

3. Search for and select a public collection you want to share. To replace the collection, click **Choose a different collection**.

4. (Optional) Select an environment.

5. Click **Next**.

6. Choose an embed code format that's HTML or Markdown friendly:

   * **HTML friendly** --- This embed code uses JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, so you can customize the button for a website. You can [customize](/docs/publishing-your-api/run-in-postman/customize-run-button/) the embed code to dynamically create and update environments and add environment variables to a user's workspace.

   * **Markdown friendly** --- This embed code uses Markdown, so you can display it in a README, blog, or other Markdown document.

7. Click <img alt="Copy icon" src="https://assets.postman.com/postman-docs/aether-icons/action-copy-stroke.svg#icon" width="16px" /> **Copy Code**.

8. Embed the code where you'd like to display the button, such as your organization's public API documentation.

<Tip title="Tip">
  You can click **Collections** in the sidebar of a public workspace, then select <img alt="Options icon" src="https://assets.postman.com/postman-docs/aether-icons/action-options-stroke.svg#icon" width="16px" /> **View more actions > Share** next to the collection. Then, click <img alt="Options icon" src="https://assets.postman.com/postman-docs/aether-icons/action-options-stroke.svg#icon" width="16px" /> and select **Run in Postman**.
</Tip>

## Use a Run in Postman button

Click the **Run in Postman** button to open the page where you can fork the collection to your workspace. [Forking the collection](/docs/collaborating-in-postman/using-version-control/forking-elements/) into your workspace lets you contribute to the source collection using pull requests.

You can also view the collection in a public workspace and import a copy of the collection using the provided links. All collections shared with **Run in Postman** buttons come with [fork counts](/docs/collaborating-in-postman/using-version-control/forking-elements/#view-fork-information) that help you and your consumers understand how developers use the API.

Published **Run in Postman** buttons are automatically updated with changes in the original collection. This enables your consumers to always get the most recent version of your collection, without publishers having to manually update the collection's link.