How to Test DELETE API By Playwright

What is a DELETE API?

A DELETE API is an HTTP method used in RESTful web services to remove a resource from the server.
It typically requires an identifier (like id) of the resource to be deleted.
Example: DELETE /users/123 would delete the user with ID 123.
The response usually confirms deletion with a status code:

200 OK or 204 No Content → deletion successful.

404 Not Found → resource doesn’t exist.

401/403 → authentication or authorization issues.

Why test DELETE API?

Testing ensures that:

The resource is actually removed from the server.
The correct HTTP status codes are returned.
Unauthorized or invalid requests are handled properly.
No unintended resources are affected.

How to test a DELETE API with Playwright Java

Playwright’s APIRequestContext allows making direct API calls. Testing a DELETE API would involve:

(1) Setup API Context

Initialize an API request context with the base URL and authentication headers if needed.

(2) Send DELETE Request

Use the DELETE method with the resource endpoint (like /users/{id}).
Attach headers (Authorization, Content-Type) if required.

(3) Validate Response Status

Check if the response status code matches expectations (e.g., 204 for success).

(4) Validate Response Body (if any)

Some APIs return a confirmation message or the deleted resource details.
Validate the message or structure if it exists.

(5) Verify Resource Deletion

Optionally send a GET request for the same resource ID.
Ensure the response is 404 Not Found (confirming the resource is gone).

To test a DELETE API using Playwright in Java, you can use Playwright’s ability to perform raw HTTP requests using the APIRequestContext interface.

Steps to Test DELETE API in Playwright Java

Create Playwright and APIRequestContext instance
Send DELETE request using delete() method
Validate response (status code, body, etc.)
Close the context and playwright

Delete API: https://reqres.in/api/users/2

The API is taken from reqres.in

Maven Dependencies

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.microsoft.playwright</groupId>
    <artifactId>playwright</artifactId>
    <version>1.44.0</version>
</dependency>

Java Code Example to Test DELETE API

import com.microsoft.playwright.*;

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

public class DeleteAPITest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try (Playwright playwright = Playwright.create()) {
            // Set up base URL and headers
            APIRequest.NewContextOptions options = new APIRequest.NewContextOptions()
                .setBaseURL("https://reqres.in") // Example DELETE test API
                .setExtraHTTPHeaders(Map.of(
                    "Content-Type", "application/json"
                ));

            APIRequestContext request = playwright.request().newContext(options);

            // Send DELETE request
            APIResponse response = request.delete("/api/users/2");

            // Print and assert the response
            System.out.println("Status Code: " + response.status());
            System.out.println("Status Text: " + response.statusText());

            if (response.status() == 204) {
                System.out.println("DELETE API test passed");
            } else {
                System.out.println("DELETE API test failed");
            }

            request.close();
        }
    }
}

Code explanation

setBaseURL("https://reqres.in") sets the base URL.
.delete("/api/users/2") sends the DELETE request to delete user with ID 2.
The expected status code is 204 No Content — common for successful DELETEs.
You can also validate the response body, headers, etc., if needed.