Coding with Run in Postman

Some API publishers use Run in Postman buttons alongside their own API documentation. If users input data in a developer portal, for example, the Run in Postman API can dynamically inject this provided information as environment variable values into the embedded Run in Postman button.

The Run in Postman API uses the _pm() method to create or modify environments in your website's client-side code through existing dynamic Run in Postman buttons.

As another example, you can use the API to pass login credentials to Postman:

_pm('env.create', 'Spotify', {
  user_id: 'spotifyuser',
  authorization: 'Bearer 1234xyzd'
});

Contents

• Creating a new environment
• Editing an existing environment
• Replacing an existing environment
• Using multiple buttons
• Next steps

Creating a new environment

Use the env.create method to create a new environment:

_pm('env.create', 'environment_name', {key: value}, runButtonIndex);

env.create cannot be used to create duplicate environments. Calls made with existing environment names will fail.

Create a new environment using API keys entered by your user:

function () {
  var stagingKey = document.getElementById('staging-key-input').value,
    productionKey = document.getElementById('production-key-input').value,
    runButtonIndex = 0,
    envData = {
      stagingKey: stagingKey,
      productionKey: productionKey
    };

  _pm('env.create', 'API Keys', envData, runButtonIndex);
}

The env.create action will return true on success, false on failure.

Editing an existing environment

Use the env.assign method to modify an environment:

_pm('env.assign', 'environment_name', {key: new_value, new_key: value}, preventDefault, runButtonIndex)

The env.assign method works for environments that were included in the Run in Postman button when it was created, or environments that were added using the env.create method. env.assign cannot be used to create new environments. Calls made using env.assign will fail if an environment does not already exist.

Update an environment's API keys:

function () {
  var stagingKey = document.getElementById('staging-key-input').value,
    productionKey = document.getElementById('production-key-input').value,
    preventOveride = true;
    runButtonIndex = 0,
    envData = {
      stagingKey: stagingKey,
      productionKey: productionKey
    };

  _pm('env.assign', 'API Keys', envData, preventOveride, runButtonIndex);
}

The env.assign action will return true on success, false on failure.

Replacing an existing environment

Use the env.replace method to replace an entire environment:

_pm('env.replace', 'environment_name', {key: value}, runButtonIndex)

env.replace cannot be used to replace an environment which does not exist.

Replace an environment:

// Existing environment named 'user_data'
{
   auth_token: 'q4yugoiwqu4habddef3897ryq3891s',
   user_id: '823',
   session_data: {}
}

// Replace the 'user_data' environment
_pm('env.replace', 'user_data', {});

The env.replace method will return true on success, false on failure.

Using multiple buttons with separate environments

You can embed multiple buttons on a single page. If you want to include a different environment in each button, enable the segregateEnvironments property.

_pm('_property.set', 'segregateEnvironments', true);

If segregateEnvironments is enabled, you will have to use runButtonIndex in all pm() methods to reference each button according to its position in your page DOM. Because segregateEnvironments is disabled by default, runButtonIndex is optional by default.

Including the index

If segregateEnvironments is enabled, you'll have to use runButtonIndex in all pm() methods to reference each button according to its position in your page DOM. The runButtonIndex is represented by an integer.

var runButtons = Array.prototype.slice.call(document.getElementsByClassName('postman-run-button')),
  runButtonIndex = runButtons.indexOf(elem);

Using the index for jQuery

var runButtonIndex = $('postman-run-button').index(elem);

Next steps

Learn how to create API documentation from Postman, and then add your documentation to Postman's API Network.