Postman Collections
On this page
Postman API request collection.
Definition
Postman Collection v2.1 (active JSON schema) includes: info, item (recursive requests), variable, event (pre-request scripts, tests), auth. Execution via Postman App, Newman CLI (CI/CD), Postman Cloud Monitor. OpenAPI 3.x import, OpenAPI export. Postman Public API Network ~150000 public APIs available. Series D $225M raised June 2021 ($5.6 billion value).
A collection handles variables (URLs, tokens), pre-request scripts (for example an HMAC signature), test assertions (pm.test) and data-driven iterations; Postman Flows adds visual workflows.
Origin
Postman founded 2014 by Abhinav Asthana ; Collections format v1 (deprecated), v2 (2016), v2.1 (2018, active).
The Postman tool was created in 2012 by Abhinav Asthana, before the company was founded in 2014.
Example in context
An API team publishes ~200 requests in a shared Postman Collection Workspace ; automated tests via Newman in GitHub Actions on each release.
Related terms
- Swagger UI — alternative API docs.
- Insomnia — open-source competitor.