---
title: "Selenium API Test Scripting"
slug: "selenium-api-test-scripting"
updated: 2023-03-07T16:59:09Z
published: 2023-03-07T16:59:09Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.catchpoint.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Selenium API Test Scripting

Catchpoint relies on a customized subset of the **Selenium** language to perform API tests. At the end of this article is a list of supported Selenium verbs.

## Configuration

Catchpoint API Test scripts currently consist of manually typed scripts. Fortunately, writing API Test scripts is straightforward since the editor provides syntax highlighting, autocomplete/suggestions, and tooltip hints.

1. In **Control Center > Tests**, select **New > API** ![Pic_7.png](https://cdn.document360.io/cb4af8f9-6751-4fd2-b39c-07aae832badb/Images/Documentation/4402406175501-Pic_7.png)
2. In the **Test Properties** page you can start writing your script: ![Pic_18.png](https://cdn.document360.io/cb4af8f9-6751-4fd2-b39c-07aae832badb/Images/Documentation/4402406198669-Pic_18.png)

The autocomplete function in the script editor will become present upon typing. The hints can be viewed by clicking into the center of the command's content:

**Verb:** ![](https://cdn.document360.io/cb4af8f9-6751-4fd2-b39c-07aae832badb/Images/Documentation/203429386-Verb_Example.png)

**Macro:** ![](https://cdn.document360.io/cb4af8f9-6751-4fd2-b39c-07aae832badb/Images/Documentation/203429396-Macros_Example.png)

1. It is strongly recommended that you run an instant test and capture  headers/response content to make sure your script is working at this point.

## Example Scripts

Most API Test scripts involve opening a URL, setting a header, extracting some content into a variable, using that variable in a second step where a new URL is opened, and asserting the server's response.

**Please note that the `assertHtmlSource()` command is used to assert the response content regardless of a content type.**

Here is a somewhat complex script that repeatedly opens a URL every 5 seconds in the second step and asserts that a string must be **not present** in the response:

```
//Step - 1
open("http://example.com/channel/a58231f29bc5423aafd2edf246da5d48.m3u8")
setHeader("Cookie", "foo=bar")
storeVariable("\${extract(resp-content,regexp://\[\w/\\-\\.\\?=&%\]+)}", "url")

//Step - 2
openWhile("http:\${var(url)}", "\${var(loopCounter, le(5))}")
storeVariable("\${extract(resp-content,regexp:http://(\[\w/\\-\\.\\?=&%\]+))}", "ts")
AssertNotHtmlSource("d959b7cb7e464571b9417e54494e4f46")
pause("5000")
storeVariable("\${var(loopCounter,add(1))}", "loopCounter")
```

A couple of sample scripts to assert an HTML Source are below:

```
open(io.catchpoint.com)
assertHttpResponseCode(200)
assertHtmlSource('<script language=\"JavaScript\">')
\\or
assertHtmlSource('<script language="JavaScript">')

open(io.catchpoint.com)
var a = ${extract('resp-content','regexp:script language="([a-zA-Z]+\S+)"')};
assert(${var(a,eq('JavaScript'))})
assertHttpResponseHeader(Content-Type,text/html)
```

**Example Script To Modify HTTP Request Methods** By default, the open command will use the `GET` request method. Using a `setNavigatePostData()` command will change the request to a `POST` request.

```
// Step - 1   // POST request to generate token using key and secret
open("https://io.catchpoint.com/ui/api/token")
setStepName("1 - OAuth")
setNavigatePostData("grant_type=client_credentials&client_id=\<key\>&client_secret=\<secret\>")
var token = ${extract('resp-content','regexp:access_token":"(\[a-zA-Z0-9\]+\S+)"')};
var tokenEncoded = ${base64("${var(token)}")};

// Step - 2   // GET request to pull list of targeted nodes   open("https://io.catchpoint.com/ui/api/v1/nodes?targeted=true")   setStepName("2 - Get Nodes")   setHeader("Authorization", "Bearer \${var(tokenEncoded)}")   setHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
```

By appending a secondary parameter to the `open` command you can use different types of request methods such as `HEAD`, `DELETE` and `PUT`.

For more information, refer to this [article](https://docs.catchpoint.com/docs/api-monitoring-http-request-methods-1).

## Supported Commands

Here is a list of the available commands in API Tests:

| Command |
| --- |
| assert |
| assertHtmlSource |
| assertHttpResponseCode |
| assertHttpResponseHeader |
| assertNotHtmlSource |
| assertNotHttpResponseCode |
| assertNotHttpResponseHeader |
| open |
| openWhile |
| pause |
| setHeader |
| setHeaderAll |
| setIndicator |
| setNavigatePostData |
| setStepName |
| setTracepoint |
| storeGlobalVariable |
| storeVariable |
| verify |
| verifyHtmlSource |
| verifyHttpResponseCode |
| verifyHttpResponseHeader |
| verifyNotHtmlSource |
| verifyNotHttpResponseCode |
| verifyNotHttpResponseHeader |

**Supported Macros**

Here is a list of the available macros in API Tests. More information regarding macros can be found [here](https://docs.catchpoint.com/docs/Test-Macros).

| Macro |
| --- |
| AsnName |
| AsnValue |
| Base64 |
| CityId |
| CityName |
| ContinentName |
| CountryName |
| Extract |
| ExtractChild |
| ExtractVariable |
| File |
| Global Variable |
| Hash |
| Hex |
| HostRequestAuthority |
| HostRequestHost |
| HostRequestPath |
| HostRequestPathAndQuery |
| HostRequestQuery |
| HostRequestUrl |
| If |
| IpVersion |
| IspId |
| IspName |
| LocationId |
| LocationLatitude |
| LocationLongitude |
| LocationName |
| NetworkType |
| Password |
| Random |
| RandomGuid |
| RandomList |
| RegionName |
| SequentialList |
| SequentialListByLocation |
| SequentialListByRun |
| Switch |
| TestId |
| Time |
| TimeDay |
| TimeDiff |
| TimeEpoch |
| TimeFormat |
| TimeTrim |
| UrlDecode |
| UrlEncode |
| UserName |
| Var |

## Regular Expressions

Catchpoint supports Selenium Regular Expression matching implementation, which has four types:

1. **glob**: For regular command-line styled matching (where `*`= any char, and `?` = any single char). Default regex match.
2. **regexp**: For case-sensitive regular expressions.
3. **regexp**: For case-insensitive regular expressions.
4. **exact**: For exact matching.

Example:

```
**storeVariable("\${extract('resp-header','regexp:Location:\s\*(\S+)')}", "saved_url")**
```

For JSON testing, see the article: [How To Handle JSON in Tests](https://docs.catchpoint.com/docs/how-to-handle-json-in-tests)

You can also do API Scripting using Javascript. For more info read this [article](https://docs.catchpoint.com/docs/api-test-scripting-guide).