Docs
API testing docs for QA automation and mock backends
This hub is for QA, automation, and frontend teams who need a reliable API surface for testing. It includes quickstart steps, OpenAPI reference, and practical guidance for Postman, Playwright, and CI runs.
Start here
What you will do in 2 minutes
Use the fastest path to get predictable responses, then decide whether you need per-user sessions for isolation testing.
Create a project + keys on app.reqres.in.
Use a manage key for setup and a public key for read-only testing.
Send your first request with
x-api-key.
This gives predictable data for smoke tests and Postman runs.
For per-user testing, mint a session token and
use
Authorization: Bearer.
App-user sessions isolate reads and writes to a single user.
curl "https://reqres.in/api/users?page=2" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"Paths
Choose a path
Quickstart
First request with Postman or curl
Use your project key on any request to get stable, predictable responses. This is the fastest path for API testing, QA automation, and CI smoke tests.
If you need per-user isolation, start an app-user session and send the session token as a bearer token.
curl "https://reqres.in/api/users?page=2" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"curl "https://reqres.in/app/collections/todos/records" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN"QA automation
Reliable runs without getting blocked
ReqRes is tuned for predictable payloads and stable status codes. Logs help explain failures fast, and guidance keeps CI runs from tripping rate limits or WAF rules.
Read the QA automation guide →What this helps with
- Stable payloads for Postman collections and Playwright suites.
- Predictable status codes to keep QA assertions consistent.
- Logs for auth, rate limits, and WAF-related failures.
API reference
OpenAPI and Swagger UI
Use the reference to confirm payload shapes and example responses.
Example app
Notes app flow with auth + CRUD
See how magic links, per-user data, and collections work together in a real UI.
Common issues
Common failure modes
Auth headers
x-api-key is for project
scope. Use
Authorization: Bearer for
per-user sessions.
Environment header
If you see environment errors, set
X-Reqres-Env to
prod or
dev.
Rate limits in CI
CI runners can trigger rate limits or WAF rules. Add backoff and stable user agents, then review the QA guide.