Stop writing API test scripts. Use plain English instead.

Source: Dev.to

Overview

Octrafic lets you write API tests in plain English. Describe what you want tested, and the AI generates the appropriate HTTP requests based on your OpenAPI/Swagger spec, executes them, and reports pass/fail results.

Installation

Linux/macOS

curl -fsSL https://octrafic.com/install.sh | bash

Homebrew

brew install octrafic/tap/octrafic

Windows (PowerShell)

iex (iwr -useb https://octrafic.com/install.ps1)

Setup

Octrafic supports Claude, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Gemini, Ollama, and llama.cpp. You provide your own API key; nothing is sent through the developer’s servers.

Run Octrafic for the first time and follow the interactive setup wizard.

Local LLM (no external API key)

ollama pull qwen2.5:7b

During setup, point Octrafic to the local model.

Using the TUI

octrafic -u https://api.example.com -s openapi.json -n "My API"

• -u – API base URL
• -s – Path to your OpenAPI/Swagger spec
• -n – Project name

Once inside the TUI, describe the tests in plain English, e.g.:

• test the login endpoint with valid credentials
• test the login endpoint with a wrong password
• test creating a new user and check the response structure
• run edge cases on the /users endpoint

The AI determines the correct HTTP method, URL, headers, and payload, executes the request, and shows the response with a pass/fail result.

Authentication

Pass authentication details via CLI flags when starting a session.

Bearer token

octrafic -u https://api.example.com -s spec.json \
  --auth bearer --token "your-token-here"

API key

octrafic -u https://api.example.com -s spec.json \
  --auth apikey --key X-API-Key --value "your-key-here"

Basic auth

octrafic -u https://api.example.com -s spec.json \
  --auth basic --user admin --pass secret123

Or use environment variables to avoid storing credentials in shell history:

export OCTRAFIC_AUTH_TYPE=bearer
export OCTRAFIC_AUTH_TOKEN=your-token-here
octrafic -u https://api.example.com -s spec.json

Note: Your actual tokens and passwords never leave your machine; the AI only receives the auth type and header names.

Exporting Tests

After an interactive session, you can ask the AI to export the generated tests:

• export these tests to postman
• export tests as a shell script
• export to pytest and name it test_users_api.py

Exports are saved to ~/Documents/octrafic/tests/.

You can also export a test plan before execution if you prefer to run the tests later.

CI / Pipelines

For non‑interactive use, employ the octrafic test subcommand:

octrafic test \
  --url https://api.example.com \
  --path tests/api-tests.json \
  --auth bearer \
  --token $API_TOKEN

Or generate and run tests directly from a prompt:

octrafic test \
  --url https://api.example.com \
  --spec openapi.json \
  --prompt "test all user endpoints"

The command exits with 0 if all tests pass, 1 otherwise.

GitHub Actions Example

- name: Run API tests
  run: |
    octrafic test \
      --url ${{ secrets.API_URL }} \
      --path tests/api-tests.json \
      --auth bearer \
      --token ${{ secrets.API_TOKEN }}

Persistence

New sessions are temporary by default. Use the /save command inside the TUI to persist your project, or watch for the temporary indicator in the status bar.

Contributing & Resources

Octrafic is open‑source and early in development. If you encounter issues or have ideas, please open an issue.

• GitHub: https://github.com/Octrafic/octrafic-cli
• Documentation: https://docs.octrafic.com