Environments

Environments allow you to run the same API tests against different servers (development, staging, production) without modifying requests.

Coming Soon

This feature is currently in development.

Environment Basics

What is an Environment?

An environment is a set of variables that define the context for API requests:

Environment	Base URL	Purpose
Development	http://localhost:3000	Local testing
Staging	https://staging-api.example.com	Pre-production
Production	https://api.example.com	Live system

Variable Types

Type	Scope	Use Case
Environment	Per environment	URLs, API keys
Collection	Per collection	Shared values
Global	All collections	Common settings
Local	Current session	Temporary values

Managing Environments

Creating Environments

1. Navigate to Environments
2. Click New Environment
3. Add variables:
   • Variable name
   • Initial value
   • Current value
   • Type (text, secret)

Environment Structure

{
  "name": "Staging",
  "values": [
    {
      "key": "baseUrl",
      "value": "https://staging-api.example.com",
      "type": "text"
    },
    {
      "key": "apiKey",
      "value": "stg_key_xxxxx",
      "type": "secret"
    },
    {
      "key": "timeout",
      "value": "5000",
      "type": "text"
    }
  ]
}

Using Variables

In Requests

Reference variables with double curly braces:

URL: {{baseUrl}}/api/v1/users
Header: Authorization: Bearer {{accessToken}}
Body: {"email": "{{testEmail}}"}

In Scripts

Access and modify variables programmatically:

// Get variable
const baseUrl = pm.environment.get('baseUrl');

// Set variable
pm.environment.set('accessToken', response.token);

// Clear variable
pm.environment.unset('tempValue');

Variable Resolution

Priority order (highest to lowest):

1. Local variables
2. Collection variables
3. Environment variables
4. Global variables

Secret Management

Sensitive Data

Handle secrets securely:

Practice	Description
Type: Secret	Mask values in UI
No Export	Exclude from exports
Vault Integration	External secret storage
Rotation	Regular key rotation

Best Practices

• Never commit secrets to version control
• Use secret type for sensitive values
• Rotate credentials regularly
• Use different keys per environment

Environment Switching

Quick Switch

Toggle between environments:

• Dropdown in header
• Keyboard shortcut
• Script-based switching

Dynamic Environments

Switch environments programmatically:

// Set active environment based on condition
if (pm.variables.get('region') === 'eu') {
  pm.environment.set('baseUrl', 'https://eu-api.example.com');
} else {
  pm.environment.set('baseUrl', 'https://us-api.example.com');
}

Common Variables

Standard Variables

Variable	Example	Purpose
baseUrl	https://api.example.com	API base URL
apiVersion	v1	API version
apiKey	key_xxxxx	API authentication
accessToken	jwt_token	Bearer token
timeout	5000	Request timeout

Dynamic Variables

Built-in dynamic values:

Variable	Description	Example
{{$timestamp}}	Current timestamp	1699876543
{{$randomInt}}	Random integer	42
{{$guid}}	Random UUID	a1b2c3d4-...
{{$randomEmail}}	Random email	[email protected]

Environment Templates

Creating Templates

Define reusable environment structures:

{
  "template": "Standard API",
  "variables": [
    { "key": "baseUrl", "required": true },
    { "key": "apiKey", "required": true, "type": "secret" },
    { "key": "timeout", "default": "5000" }
  ]
}

Sharing Templates

• Export template structure
• Share with team
• Create environments from templates

CI/CD Integration

Environment Files

Use environment files in pipelines:

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Run API Tests
  run: smartapi run collection.json -e staging.json
  env:
    API_KEY: ${{ secrets.STAGING_API_KEY }}

Environment Variables

Map CI/CD secrets to SmartAPI variables:

CI/CD Variable	SmartAPI Variable
$API_KEY	{{apiKey}}
$BASE_URL	{{baseUrl}}
$AUTH_TOKEN	{{accessToken}}

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

• Use camelCase for variable names
• Prefix environment-specific vars
• Document variable purposes

Security

• Never use production secrets locally
• Rotate keys regularly
• Audit environment access

Maintenance

• Review unused variables
• Keep environments in sync
• Document environment purposes