🔧 Tosca API Scan: Advanced Configuration Tips

Tricentis Tosca API Scan is a robust tool for testing REST, SOAP, and other API services. Beyond basic request/response testing, Tosca offers advanced features to make your API tests more dynamic, reusable, and powerful.

Here are some advanced configuration tips to help you get the most out of Tosca API Scan:

✅ 1. Parameterize Your Test Data

Avoid hardcoding values. Use TestCase variables or TestSheet values to make your tests reusable and data-driven.

Example:

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{

  "username": "={Username}",

  "password": "={Password}"

}

Define Username and Password as TestCase variables or link them to a data source.

You can also reference environment or test configuration parameters for flexibility.

✅ 2. Dynamic Headers & Tokens

APIs often require headers like Authorization or Content-Type.

Add headers using the Headers section in the API test step.

For dynamic tokens (e.g., OAuth), retrieve a token in a pre-step, extract it using Response Value Extraction, and reuse it in later steps.

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Authorization: Bearer ={AccessToken}

AccessToken is dynamically stored from a previous login step.

✅ 3. Extract and Reuse Response Values

You can chain API requests by extracting a value from one response and using it in another request.

Steps:

Right-click on a response value → Extract value.

Save it to a TestCase or Module variable.

Reference it in a later request like this:

userId={ExtractedUserId}

✅ 4. Use Environments for Base URLs

Instead of changing URLs manually, define environment variables for API endpoints.

Example:

Create an Environment parameter: API_BASE_URL

In the request URL use:

={API_BASE_URL}/users

Now you can switch between dev, QA, and prod environments with one change.

✅ 5. Control Execution with Conditions and Loops

You can make your API tests smarter using Tosca's Control Structures:

Use If...Else to control test flow based on conditions.

Use Loops to repeat a request until a condition is met (e.g., polling an endpoint).

Combine API steps with logic blocks for more flexible test scenarios.

✅ 6. Custom Assertions and Validations

Tosca lets you validate specific values in responses using:

Exact match: e.g., status = 200

Contains: to check if a response includes specific text

Expressions: e.g., value > 0, != null

Regular expressions: for pattern-based matching

You can validate JSON, XML, headers, status codes, and more.

✅ 7. Timeouts, Retries, and Waits

Use Retry on Failure to automatically retry requests.

Set Timeout values for API calls to handle slow responses.

Use WaitOn conditions to wait for specific values before moving to the next step.

✅ 8. Group API Steps for Reuse (Reusable TestSteps)

If you're using the same API sequence (e.g., login + get data), group those steps into a Reusable TestStep and call it from other tests.

This helps maintain consistency and avoids duplication.

✅ 9. Advanced Authentication (OAuth2, API Key, etc.)

Use pre-authentication steps to request tokens.

Store tokens in variables and pass them dynamically in headers.

Some APIs require refresh tokens, which you can automate using conditions or loops.

✅ 10. Logging and Debugging

Enable Execution Logs to capture request and response data.

Use ExecutionConditions to print custom messages during tests.

Validate API calls in Tosca Logs or integrate with qTest or CI/CD pipelines for reporting.

🧠 Bonus: Combining API + UI Testing

Tosca allows you to combine API and UI in one flow:

Use API to set up test data (fast and reliable).

Use UI to verify or perform actions.

Use API again to validate or clean up data.

This hybrid approach improves speed and stability.

✅ Summary Table

Feature Benefit

Parameterized requests Reusable, data-driven tests

Token-based headers Secure and dynamic authentication

Response value chaining End-to-end test flow

Environment base URL configs Easy switching between environments

Assertions with expressions Powerful validations

Timeouts, retries, waits Stability for flaky endpoints

Reusable test steps Better test management

Hybrid (API + UI) testing Complete and efficient test coverage

Learn Tosca Training in Hyderabad

Read More

Tosca Data-Driven Testing with Excel and TDS

Tosca Steering Parameters: Use Cases and Tips

Working with Tosca Parameters (Buffer, Dynamic Expressions)

Tosca Templates and TestStep Design Patterns

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