Flow Control: If, For, ForEach

Real-world testing isn't always a straight line. Sometimes you need to skip a step if a login fails, or repeat a test 100 times, or iterate through a list of items returned by an API.

Apidog provides powerful Flow Control steps to build "smart" test scenarios that adapt and scale.

Why You Need Flow Control

Without flow control, your test scenario is just a static list of requests (A -> B -> C). Real-world testing requires logic. You might need conditional execution ("If A fails, stop"), looping ("Run step B 50 times"), or iteration ("For every product in the list, run B"). Flow control gives you this flexibility.

1. Condition (If-Then-Else)

The Condition step allows you to branch your test based on criteria.

How to Use

In your Test Scenario, adding a condition is straightforward:

Add a Condition step.

Set your comparison rules (e.g., {{status_code}} equals 200).

Drag and drop the test steps you want to protect inside the "If" block.

Example: "Safe" User Deletion

Don't try to delete a user if you couldn't create one.

Step 1: Create User
   (Extract $.id to {{userId}})
   (Extract status code to {{createStatus}})

Step 2: Condition (If {{createStatus}} == 201)
   |--> Step 3: Delete User (uses {{userId}})

See details: Flow Control Conditions

2. For Loop (Fixed Repetition)

The For Loop is perfect for simple repetition, like stress testing or creating bulk data. It runs the steps contained within it a fixed number of times designated by you.

How to Use

Click Add Step -> Loop.

Choose For Loop.

Set Loop Count: e.g., 10.

Optionally set a Loop Delay (e.g., 1000ms) to avoid hitting rate limits.

See details: For Loops

Example: Bulk Data Creation

Need 50 users for a pagination test?

Step 1: For Loop (Count: 50)
   |--> Step 2: POST /users (Create User)

Pro Tip: Use dynamic data like {{$randomUserName}} in the POST /users body so you don't create 50 identical users.

3. ForEach Loop (Iterating Arrays)

This is the most powerful loop type. Unlike the fixed "For Loop", the ForEach Loop iterates over a dynamic list (array) of data—usually one returned by a previous API response. It allows you to process every item in a collection individually.

How to Use

Get the List: First, have a step that returns an array (e.g., GET /pets).

In its Post-processors, extract the array to a variable {{petList}}.

Add ForEach Step:

Reference Variable: petList (without curly braces).

Loop Variable Name: petItem (this represents the current item in the loop).

Use the Item: Inside the loop, use {{petItem.id}}, {{petItem.name}}, etc.

See details: ForEach Loops

Example: Verify All Pets

Check every pet in the store to ensure it has a valid photo URL.

Step 1: GET /pets/findByStatus?status=available
   (Extract $.data to {{petList}})

Step 2: ForEach Loop (List: {{petList}} -> Item: {{pet}})
   |--> Step 3: GET /pets/{{pet.id}}
   |--> Step 4: Condition (If {{pet.photoUrls}} is empty)
         |--> Step 5: Custom Script (Log warning)

4. Combining Flow Control

The real power comes when you nest these controls.

Loop + Condition: You can iterate through a CSV of users (Loop) and check their age; IF they are over 18 (Condition), send a promo email.

Condition + Loop: First check IF the 'Get Product List' returns more than 100 items (Condition); if true, run a Loop to delete the excess items.

Real Case: Self-Healing Test Workflow

Let's build a "Smart" workflow that brings the system to a known state.
Goal: We want to verify the GET /users/{id} endpoint.
Problem: The user might be "inactive", causing the GET to return 400.
Solution: If inactive, Reactivate them first, then GET.

Implementation:

Step 1: GET /users (Get list)

Extract $.data -> {{userList}}

Step 2: ForEach Loop (Input: {{userList}})

Step 3 (Inside Loop): Condition (Check Status)

If {{petItem.status}} Equals active:

Run GET /users/{{petItem.id}}

Assert Status 200

Else:

Run POST /users/{{petItem.id}}/reactivate

Assert Status 200

Then Run GET /users/{{petItem.id}}

This is called Self-Healing Tests—tests that fix the data before verifying it.

Key Takeaways

Use Condition (If) to prevent errors and handle logic (e.g., skip steps if login fails).

Use For Loop for generating bulk test data or simple repetition.

Use ForEach Loop to iterate through dynamic lists from API responses.

Nest these controls to build complex, intelligent automation pipelines.

What's Next

We can now control how our tests run. But what about the data? Hardcoding "testuser" is fine for one test, but what if you need to test with 100 different specific user accounts from a CSV file?

In the next chapter, we'll master Data-Driven Testing.

Continue with → Data-Driven Testing

Flow Control: If, For, ForEach

Why You Need Flow Control#

Why You Need Flow Control#

1. Condition (If-Then-Else)#

How to Use#

How to Use#

Example: "Safe" User Deletion#

2. For Loop (Fixed Repetition)#

How to Use#

Example: Bulk Data Creation#

3. ForEach Loop (Iterating Arrays)#

How to Use#

Example: Verify All Pets#

4. Combining Flow Control#

Real Case: Self-Healing Test Workflow#

Key Takeaways#

What's Next#

Why You Need Flow Control

Why You Need Flow Control

1. Condition (If-Then-Else)

How to Use

How to Use

Example: "Safe" User Deletion

2. For Loop (Fixed Repetition)

How to Use

Example: Bulk Data Creation

3. ForEach Loop (Iterating Arrays)

How to Use

Example: Verify All Pets

4. Combining Flow Control

Real Case: Self-Healing Test Workflow

Key Takeaways

What's Next