Getting Started with Postman's AI Protocol (Beta)

Building AI on Postman
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Let’s dive into how to effectively use Postman’s new AI Protocol beta feature for your AI development workflow. This guide will walk you through everything from basic setup to advanced usage patterns.

Setting Up AI Protocol

Accessing the Interface

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  1. Open a new request in Postman
  2. In the protocol dropdown (where you typically select HTTP, WebSocket, etc.), you’ll now see an “AI” option
  3. Select “AI” to access the new interface

Initial Configuration

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The first time you select a provider, you’ll need to set up authentication:

  1. Choose your AI provider from the dropdown
  2. Navigate to the Authorization tab
  3. Add your API key for the selected provider
  4. Pro tip: Store your key in the Postman Vault for future use

Working with the Interface

Understanding the Layout

The AI Protocol interface consists of three main sections:
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  1. Request Bar: Provider selection and request controls
  2. Prompt Section:
  • Left panel: User prompt
  • Right panel: System prompt
  1. Response Section: AI responses and analytics

Configuring Prompts

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  • User Prompt: Your main input/question goes here
  • System Prompt: Define the AI’s behavior and context
    • Example: “Speak like a technical expert”
    • Example: “Respond in JSON format only”

Provider-Specific Settings

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Each provider has unique parameters available in the settings panel:

  • Temperature
  • Max tokens
  • Top P
  • Frequency penalty
  • Presence penalty
  • Stop sequences

These settings update dynamically based on your selected provider.

Advanced Usage Patterns

Cross-Provider Testing

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Test the same prompt across different providers:

  1. Set up your prompts
  2. Send request with Provider A
  3. Switch to Provider B
  4. Send the same request
  5. Compare responses

The AI Protocol maintains your prompts and relevant settings while handling provider-specific configurations automatically.

Saving and Reusing Requests

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Save your AI requests just like regular API requests:

  1. Click the “Save” button
  2. Choose or create a collection
  3. Add relevant documentation
  4. Save provider-specific configurations

Response Analysis

Each response includes:

  • Status code
  • Response time
  • Payload size
  • Token count
  • Provider-specific metrics

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

  1. Authentication Errors:
  • Verify API key is correctly entered
  • Check provider account status
  • Confirm API key has necessary permissions
  1. Response Timeouts:
  • Reduce prompt length
  • Lower max tokens setting
  • Check provider status page
  1. Inconsistent Responses:
  • Adjust temperature setting
  • Make system prompts more specific
  • Review provider documentation for limitations

Further Resources

Share Your Experience

How are you using the AI Protocol in your development workflow? Share your use cases, tips, or questions in the comments below!

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