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Conduits

Conduits are Nidra's powerful test flow system that allows you to chain multiple requests together, extract variables from responses, and validate API behavior with assertions.

What is a Conduit?​

A Conduit is an automated sequence of HTTP requests that execute in order. Think of it as a test script or workflow that:

  • Executes requests sequentially
  • Extracts data from responses to use in subsequent requests
  • Validates responses with assertions
  • Simulates complex user workflows
  • Automates integration testing

Use Cases​

Conduits are perfect for:

  • Authentication flows: Login → Get token → Make authenticated request
  • CRUD operations: Create resource → Read it → Update it → Delete it
  • Multi-step workflows: Create user → Verify email → Complete profile
  • Integration testing: Test complete business processes
  • Data setup: Prepare test data for manual testing

Creating a Conduit​

  1. Navigate to "Conduits" in the sidebar
  2. Click "New Conduit"
  3. Give your conduit a name
  4. Add steps to your conduit
  5. Configure each step
  6. Click "Save"

Conduit Steps​

Each step in a conduit can be:

  • Request: Execute an HTTP request
  • Delay: Wait for a specified time
  • Variable: Set or modify variables
  • Assertion: Validate response data
  • Script: Custom JavaScript logic (advanced)

Request Steps​

The most common step type executes an HTTP request:

  1. Select an existing request from a collection
  2. Or create a new request inline
  3. Configure variable extraction
  4. Add assertions

Variable Extraction​

Extract data from responses to use in later steps:

Example: Extract user ID from response

{
  "id": 12345,
  "email": "user@example.com"
}

Extract id as {{userId}} to use in subsequent requests.

Learn more about extraction →

Assertions​

Validate that responses meet expectations:

  • Status code is 200
  • Response contains specific data
  • Response time is under threshold
  • Headers are correct

Learn more about assertions →

Running Conduits​

Execute your conduit:

  1. Click "Run Conduit"
  2. Watch the steps execute in sequence
  3. View results for each step
  4. Review any failed assertions

Execution Results​

After running a conduit, you'll see:

  • Overall success/failure status
  • Results for each step
  • Response data and timing
  • Assertion results
  • Extracted variables

Advanced Features​

Conditional Steps​

Execute steps based on conditions:

  • Skip steps if previous step failed
  • Branch based on response data
  • Retry failed steps

Loops​

Repeat steps multiple times:

  • Iterate over arrays
  • Poll until condition is met
  • Stress testing

Data-Driven Testing​

Run the same conduit with different data sets:

  • CSV file import
  • JSON data arrays
  • Variable substitution

Conduit Variables​

Variables in conduits have their own scope:

  • Conduit variables: Temporary variables that exist during execution
  • Extracted variables: Data pulled from responses
  • Environment variables: From the active environment

Variables can be:

  • Set at the start of the conduit
  • Extracted from responses
  • Modified during execution
  • Saved to the environment after completion

Best Practices​

  • Keep conduits focused: One conduit per workflow or test scenario
  • Use descriptive names: For both conduits and steps
  • Add assertions liberally: Validate assumptions at each step
  • Handle errors gracefully: Plan for failure scenarios
  • Document your conduits: Explain what the conduit tests and why
  • Clean up after yourself: Delete test data created during execution

Debugging Conduits​

When a conduit fails:

  1. Check the step that failed
  2. Review the request and response
  3. Verify variable values
  4. Check assertion logic
  5. Run individual steps manually

Scheduling Conduits​

Run conduits on a schedule for continuous testing:

  • Hourly, daily, or weekly execution
  • Monitor API health
  • Catch regressions early

Next Steps​