Transforming Complex API Responses: A Tool for Easier Navigation in Postman
Throughout my career, I’ve worked on several projects involving complex data handling. One of my most significant experiences was working on the main portal at my company, where I also created a client portal for CRM.
In that role, I was often blamed for missing data, which was frustrating. Navigating through large, nested API responses was a challenge, and spotting missing or incorrect data was never easy.
So, I decided to solve this problem for myself by building a tool that would render complex API responses into a searchable, expandable grid table. This helped me visualize the data more effectively and spot issues faster. I shared the tool with friends at UST (MNCs), who liked it but couldn’t use it because of security policies.
They suggested that Postman would be a better fit for this tool, so I set out to integrate my solution there.
You can check out the first version of my web tool here:
API Grid Viewer
The Journey to Postman Integration
After some research and with the collection samples of Abhinav, the CEO of Postman, I found a basic table script that I could build on. I wanted something more advanced capable of handling complex, hierarchical data with expandable sections and search functionality.
I took the base script and transformed it into a custom Postman visualizer that met these requirements. It now allows users to navigate deeply nested API responses more easily by turning them into a grid table with search and expand/collapse features.
You can explore the Postman version of the tool here:
Postman API Visualizer Workspace
Why I Built This Tool
Having worked in roles where missing data often led to blame, I realized the problem was how that data was displayed. Sorting through long JSON responses manually was both time-consuming and prone to errors. I needed a simple, effective way to visualize complex data in a way that would highlight missing or incorrect values immediately.
That’s why I built this visualizer tool. It simplifies the process and lets me see the data clearly, without spending hours searching through endless lines of code.
Key Features of the Postman Visualizer
I’ll keep it brief and to the point:
Nested Data Support: Handles arrays and objects hierarchically, making nested data easy to explore.
Expand/Collapse: Allows you to toggle the visibility of nested data directly in Postman.
Search Functionality: Filters and auto-expands matching rows, so you can quickly find the relevant data.
HTML Rendering: Renders the response data into HTML format for an enhanced viewing experience.
Conclusion
This tool has significantly improved my ability to work with complex API responses, and I hope it can help others facing similar challenges. If you give it a try, let me know what you think or if you have suggestions for improvement.
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