API Testing: Flows
Overview
Use this page to search and manage API testing flows. An API testing flow is a configured sequence of request nodes, such as a login step, a token capture, and one or more protected requests, that LoadGen runs against an API to test its behavior. This page is the single place to find, review, and control every flow you have built.
A flow is typically built from an API source, an imported API definition managed under API Testing: API Sources, and it authenticates using a credential profile set up under Configuration: Credential Profiles. Once a flow is active, you schedule it from API Testing: Schedules, and its results appear afterwards in API Testing: Run History and in the Last Run column here.
From this page you can search and filter the flow list, start a new flow by importing a definition, generating one with AI, or building one blank, and act on an existing flow by editing, scheduling, exporting, or deleting it. You can also refresh an expiring login token without running the whole flow.
Key concepts
- Flow - A configured sequence of request nodes, such as a login step, a token capture, and one or more protected requests, that LoadGen runs against an API to test or load-test its behavior. (related: API Testing: Run History)
- Node - A single step inside a flow, for example a login request, a step that captures a bearer token from the response, or a protected request that reuses that token.
- Source - The API definition, such as an imported Swagger/OpenAPI specification, that a flow was generated from or is linked to. (related: API Testing: API Sources)
- Credential profile - A stored set of authentication details, such as a bearer token, that a flow uses to authenticate its requests. (related: Configuration: Credential Profiles)
When to use it
- You need to find a specific flow by name instead of scrolling the whole list.
- You want to see only flows built from one API source, or only flows impacted by a recent change.
- You're starting a new API test from scratch, from an existing API definition, or from an AI-generated draft.
- A flow's login token is close to expiring and you need to refresh it without running the whole flow.
- You need to open a flow to edit it, schedule it, export it, or remove it.
Before you begin
- An API source is imported if you plan to generate or validate a flow against an API definition, configured under API Testing: API Sources.
- A credential profile is set up for any flow whose requests require authentication, configured under Configuration: Credential Profiles.
- You know the name or Source of the flow you're looking for if you plan to use the Search or Source filters.
Common workflows
Refresh a flow's login token before it expires
Persona: load-test operator
- Read the Credentials expiring banner at the top of the page.
- Expect: You see which token is expiring, which account it belongs to, and how many days remain.
- Select Login & reuse token.
- Expect: LoadGen runs the flow's login step and issues a new token for reuse without running the rest of the flow.
Verify: The next time the affected flow runs, its login step uses the freshly issued token instead of the one flagged as expiring.
Find a specific flow using filters
Persona: load-test operator
- Type part of the flow name into Search, or choose a value in Source.
- Expect: The field or dropdown accepts your input; the table has not reloaded yet.
- Select Search.
- Expect: The table reloads to show only flows matching your search text and filter values.
Verify: Only the matching flow or flows remain in the table, each still showing Status, Source, Nodes, Last Run, Tags, and Actions.
Start a new flow
Persona: load-test operator or admin
- Select Import, Generate with AI, Blank, or Create New in the page header.
- Expect: LoadGen opens the corresponding flow-creation path: an import wizard, an AI draft wizard, or an empty flow to build manually.
- Complete the wizard or editor and save the flow.
- Expect: The new flow appears as a row in the API Flows table with its own Status, Source, and Nodes count.
Verify: The new flow is listed in the API Flows table and can be opened, scheduled, or run from there.
Steps
Step 1
Open Flows under API Testing.
Expected result: The API Flows page loads showing the flow list with one flow, LoadGen, and a Credentials expiring banner warning that the Orders API Bearer token expires in 4 days.
This is the starting point for finding and managing every API testing flow in the project.
- Credentials expiring banner flags an Orders API Bearer token expiring in 4 days, with a link to reissue it under Configuration: Credential Profiles.
- Search, Source, and Impacted only filter the flow list below.
- The LoadGen row shows an Active status and a Failed Last Run.
Step 2
Select the Search field in the filter row.
Expected result: The Credentials expiring banner is no longer shown and the previously clipped Login & reuse token button becomes fully visible; the Search field and flow list are unchanged because no search text or filter has been applied yet.
Confirming the filter row and its controls are available is the step before narrowing the list to a specific flow.
- Login & reuse token is now visible in the header once the banner is closed.
- Row actions for LoadGen stay the same: edit, schedule, export, delete.
- The Search field is still empty, so the table continues to show every flow.
Field reference
| Field | Purpose | Format / Validation | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Filters the flow list to rows whose name matches the text you type; use it to jump directly to a known flow instead of scrolling the table. | free text | No | empty |
| Source | Limits the list to flows created from one API source; pick a specific source instead of All Sources when you manage flows across multiple APIs and only want to review one API's flows. | dropdown | No | All Sources |
| Impacted only | Switch it on to show only flows affected by a recent change, such as an updated source, so you can find flows that may need review; leave it off to see every flow regardless of impact status. | toggle (on/off) | No | off |
Column reference
| Column | What it shows | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Identifies the flow and links to it. | Select the name to open that flow for editing. |
| Status | Shows whether the flow is enabled and available to run or schedule. | A green Active badge means the flow can be run or scheduled; no other status values appear in this view. |
| Source | Shows which API source the flow was built from. | Matches the Source filter value above the table; use it to confirm which API a given flow tests. |
| Nodes | Shows how many request or action steps the flow contains. | A higher number means a longer, more complex flow worth reviewing before you run it broadly or schedule it unattended. |
| Last Run | Shows the outcome and timestamp of the flow's most recent execution. | A red Failed status means the last execution did not complete successfully; open API Testing: Run History for the full result, or check the Credentials expiring banner if the failure looks authentication-related. |
| Tags | Shows labels assigned to the flow for grouping or filtering. | A dash means no tags are assigned to this flow yet. |
| Actions | Holds the row-level controls for this flow. | Use the icons to edit, schedule, export, or delete this specific flow; see Controls reference for what each one does. |
Controls reference
Import
Opens a wizard to bring in a flow definition from a file.
When to use: Use it when you already have a flow definition exported from another environment or created externally and want to add it here instead of building it by hand.
Side effects: Mutating once the wizard completes: a new flow is added to the list. Opening the wizard itself makes no change.
Generate with AI
Starts an AI-assisted flow draft based on an API source you choose.
When to use: Use it to get a starting flow quickly from an existing API definition instead of adding every node by hand.
Side effects: Mutating once the draft is saved: a new flow is added to the list.
Blank
Creates a new flow with no nodes configured yet.
When to use: Use it when you want full manual control over every node from the first step.
Side effects: Mutating once saved: a new flow is added to the list.
Create New
Primary action for starting a new flow.
When to use: Use it as the default, fastest way to begin building a flow.
Side effects: Mutating once the resulting flow is saved: a new flow is added to the list.
Login & reuse token
Runs a flow's login step to obtain a fresh authentication token and makes it available for reuse.
When to use: Use it when a flow's calls are failing, or about to fail, because of an expiring or expired bearer token, instead of running the full flow just to refresh authentication.
Side effects: Mutating: it issues a new token. It does not run the rest of the flow's nodes or change the flow's configuration.
Search (filter button)
Applies the current Search text, Source, and Impacted only values and reloads the flow list.
When to use: Use it after typing a search term or changing a filter to actually apply it.
Side effects: Read-only: only changes what is displayed, not any flow's configuration.
Edit
Opens the selected flow for editing its nodes and configuration.
When to use: Use it to change a flow's steps, requests, or settings.
Side effects: Read-only on this page; it navigates to the flow editor, where changes are made and saved separately.
Schedule
Opens scheduling for the selected flow.
When to use: Use it to set up or review when this flow runs unattended instead of starting it manually each time.
Side effects: Read-only on this page; it navigates to the schedule configuration, where mutating changes are made.
Export
Downloads the selected flow's definition as a file.
When to use: Use it to back up a flow, move it to another environment, or share it for import elsewhere.
Side effects: Read-only: produces a file download and does not change the flow.
Delete
Permanently removes the selected flow from the list.
When to use: Use it to remove a flow you no longer need, such as an old draft or duplicate.
Side effects: Mutating and destructive: the flow is removed. A flow that other flows depend on is blocked from deletion with an explanation instead.
Dismiss credentials banner
Closes the Credentials expiring notice.
When to use: Use it once you've acknowledged or acted on the warning.
Side effects: Read-only: hides the banner on this view only; it does not reissue or otherwise affect the credential.
Verify the result
The API Flows table lists every flow you expect, each with a Name you can select to open it, a Status badge, its Source, Nodes count, and Last Run outcome. After using Search, Source, or Impacted only, the table shows only the flows matching your criteria. After creating a flow through Import, Generate with AI, Blank, or Create New, the new flow appears as an additional row with an Active status and a Nodes count greater than zero. If the list stays empty or still shows unrelated flows, check that your Search text and Source filter actually match the flow you're looking for, and switch Impacted only off.
Troubleshooting
- Symptom: The flow list doesn't include a flow you know exists. Fix: Clear the Search field, reset Source to All Sources, and switch Impacted only off, since any of the three can hide it.
- Symptom: A flow's Last Run shows Failed. Fix: Open API Testing: Run History for the run detail, or check whether the Credentials expiring banner points to an expired token used by that flow.
- Symptom: Delete doesn't remove the flow. Fix: Another flow depends on it; LoadGen reports the flow is used by other flows, so update or remove those references first.
- Symptom: The Credentials expiring banner reappears after you close it. Fix: Closing it only hides it for this view; reissue the token under Configuration: Credential Profiles to clear the underlying warning.
- Symptom: Login & reuse token doesn't resolve a flow's authentication failures. Fix: Confirm the flow's login step and credential profile are correctly configured under Configuration: Credential Profiles rather than retrying from this page.
Related articles
- Prerequisite: API Testing: API Sources - flows are generated from or linked to an imported API source
- Prerequisite: Configuration: Credential Profiles - flows authenticate using credential profiles managed there
- Next step: API Testing: Schedules - schedule a flow to run automatically after it's created
- Next step: API Testing: Run History - review the detailed result of a flow's past runs
- See also: API Testing: Environments - flow runs target an environment configured there
- See also: API Testing: Auth Profiles - a flow's login or protected-request nodes may reference auth profiles defined there