Tools to consume API Endpoints

Before we invest in writing code to consume an API, it is good to test it out and see how (and if) it works. We can easily use our browser to consume GET routes, but once we have more complex API routes the browser has limited use.

Below are some tools that we can use to consume API routes and display the response. No need for a browser or to write code to determine if your API is behaving as you intend, you can test it from one of these tools first!

Both of these tools have a number of features that make it useful when you're exposing or consuming web APIs, such as being able to save any request (including its body) and store it in a collection. Once saved, the request can be later resent with just a click.

We recommend you take one of these for a spin when you can.

• Thunder Client - VS Code Extension (recommended)
• Insomnia (recommended if you prefer a stand alone option)
• Postman - More full featured and a steeper learning curve