> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.mozark.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.mozark.ai/no-code-studio/advanced/call-an-api-from-a-test.md).

# Call an API from a test

An **Invoke API** step calls an API in the middle of your test. You extract a value from the API response and use it in later steps.

## 1. Add the step

In the Step Builder header, choose **Add → Add step**, search for `invoke api`, and pick it. The step lands in the list as *No request configured yet*. Click **Configure**.

## 2. Configure the request

| Field      | Example                                                      |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Collection | **+ New collection...** → `Optics API Testing`               |
| API name   | `get_name` (letters, digits and underscores only)            |
| Method     | `POST`                                                       |
| URL        | `https://optics-api-testing.free.beeceptor.com/api/get-name` |

Then open the **Params** tab:

| Key       | Value  |
| --------- | ------ |
| `user_id` | `1234` |

The drawer confirms what the step will call:

```
This step will call Optics_API_Testing.get_name
```

{% hint style="info" %}
**Base URL.** The first request in a new collection needs the full URL. Its host becomes the collection's base URL. Every later request in that collection can then be a plain path like `/api/get-name`.
{% endhint %}

**Variables work everywhere.** Params, headers and body all take `${refs}`, resolved when the test runs:

```
Params   user_id: ${user_id}
Header   Authorization: Bearer ${auth_token}
Body     { "email": "${user_email}" }
```

Click **Save**. The request is saved on the collection, so any other test can add a step that calls it by name.

## 3. Send it

Click **Send** to run the request against your live device session (you need a session open, the same one you are recording in). The **Response** panel shows the status, the time, the headers and the body:

```json
{ "name": "randomName" }
```

This is the same call the packaged run makes, so what you see here is what the run will do.

## 4. Use the response in a step

Hover the `name` value in the response and click **extract**. The modal shows the path and suggests a variable name:

```
JSON path   name
Value       "randomName"
Name        name
```

Click **Create**. It appears under **Extracted values** as `${name}`. The value refreshes on every run.

Now any **later** step can use it. Right-click the field on the device, choose **Enter Text**, and type `${name}` into the Text parameter. At run time step 3 types whatever the API returned on that run.

```
1  Invoke API        Optics_API_Testing.get_name   →  ${name}
2  Press Element     Search box
3  Enter Text        ${name}
4  Assert Presence   Results for ${name}
```

## Worth knowing

| Symptom                                  | Cause                                                                                   |
| ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Send is disabled                         | No device session. Start one on **Test Creation**                                       |
| "The response is not JSON"               | Only JSON responses can be extracted from                                               |
| The API name is rejected                 | No dots, spaces or hyphens. The name is half of the identifier the run resolves         |
| A later step types the literal `${name}` | The extract was added after that step last ran. Send again, or replay from the API step |


---

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