SoapUI — REST and SOAP API Testing

What is SoapUI?

SoapUI is a dedicated API testing tool that supports both REST APIs and SOAP/WCF web services. Unlike Postman (which focuses on REST), SoapUI was built specifically for enterprise-grade API testing including SOAP services — making it the preferred tool in banking, insurance, government, and other legacy enterprise .NET environments.

Why Use SoapUI?

SOAP/WCF services are still widely used in enterprise India and globally — banking systems, ERP integrations, government APIs, payment gateways. Postman has limited SOAP support. SoapUI natively reads WSDL (Web Service Description Language) files and auto-generates all test requests, saving hours of manual setup.

Where is it Used?

Scenario	Use
SOAP/WCF service testing	✅ Best tool available
Legacy enterprise integrations	✅ Banking, insurance, ERP
REST API testing	✅ Full support
Load and performance testing	✅ SoapUI Pro version
Automated regression testing	✅ Test suites with assertions
Mock services	✅ Mock SOAP responses for testing

Key Benefits

• WSDL import — auto-generates all SOAP requests from service description
• REST + SOAP — one tool for both API types
• Assertions — verify response content, status codes, response time
• Test suites — sequence multiple requests with data passing between steps
• Property transfer — pass data from one response to the next request
• Free version — covers most testing needs
• Enterprise standard — required skill in many Indian IT companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro projects)

SoapUI is essential when working in enterprise .NET environments with legacy SOAP/WCF services.

Download

Download free: soapui.org/downloads/soapui

Postman vs SoapUI

Feature	Postman	SoapUI
REST API testing	✅ Best	✅ Good
SOAP/WCF services	❌ Basic	✅ Best
WSDL import	❌	✅ Auto-generates requests
Load testing	❌	✅ (Pro)
Mock services	✅	✅
Team collaboration	✅ Cloud	Limited
Learning curve	Easy	Moderate

Rule: REST APIs → Postman. Legacy SOAP/WCF → SoapUI.

Testing a REST API

Create Project

1. File → New REST Project
2. Base URL: http://localhost:5001

Add Requests

1. Right-click project → Add Resource → Path: /api/students
2. Right-click resource → Add Method → GET
3. Click ▶ (Run) → see response

POST with JSON Body

Method:  POST
URL:     /api/students
Headers: Content-Type: application/json
Body:    {"name": "Ravi Kumar", "className": "10th"}

Add JWT Auth

Headers tab → Add header:
Name:  Authorization
Value: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs...

Testing a SOAP/WCF Service

Import WSDL (Auto-generates all requests)

1. File → New SOAP Project
2. WSDL URL: http://your-service/SchoolService.svc?wsdl
3. SoapUI reads WSDL → creates all operations automatically

Example SOAP Request

<soapenv:Envelope
  xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"
  xmlns:sch="http://schoolmanagement.in/">
  <soapenv:Header/>
  <soapenv:Body>
    <sch:GetStudentFees>
      <sch:studentId>1001</sch:studentId>
      <sch:academicYear>2024-25</sch:academicYear>
    </sch:GetStudentFees>
  </soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>

Response:

<soap:Body>
  <GetStudentFeesResponse>
    <TotalFees>60000</TotalFees>
    <PaidAmount>30000</PaidAmount>
    <Balance>30000</Balance>
    <IsOverdue>false</IsOverdue>
  </GetStudentFeesResponse>
</soap:Body>

⌨️ SoapUI Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Enter / Alt+Enter	Submit request
Ctrl+N	New project
Ctrl+W	Close tab
Ctrl+F	Find in request/response
Ctrl+Z	Undo
F5	Run test suite
F8	Run test case

Assertions — Verify Responses

Right-click request → Add Assertion:

Assertion	Checks
Valid HTTP Status Codes	Status = 200, 201, etc.
Contains	Body has specific text
Not Contains	Body does NOT have text
JsonPath Match	JSON field equals value
XPath Match	XML node equals value (SOAP)
Response SLA	Response under N milliseconds
Schema Compliance	Response matches JSON/XML schema

JsonPath Assertion example:
Expression: $.name
Expected:   Ravi Kumar

Test Suites — Automated Sequences

📁 Test Suite: Student CRUD
   📋 Test Case: Full CRUD Flow
      Step 1: POST /students    → create (save ID)
      Step 2: GET  /students/1  → verify created
      Step 3: PUT  /students/1  → update
      Step 4: GET  /students/1  → verify updated
      Step 5: DELETE /students/1 → cleanup

Run: Right-click Test Suite → Run All Tests

Property Transfer — Pass Data Between Steps

Transfer id from POST response to GET/PUT/DELETE:

1. Add Property Transfer step after POST
2. Source: Response → JSONPath: $.id
3. Target: Test Case Properties → studentId
4. Use in URL: http://localhost:5001/api/students/${#TestCase#studentId}

SoapUI Interview Questions

Q1: When would you use SoapUI over Postman?

SoapUI when: project uses SOAP/WCF services, need WSDL import,
need load testing, need XML assertion.
Postman when: REST APIs, team collaboration, modern workflows.

Q2: What is WSDL?

Web Services Description Language — XML document that describes a SOAP service:
- Available operations (methods)
- Request/response message format
- Service endpoint URL
SoapUI reads WSDL and auto-generates test requests.

Q3: What is the difference between REST and SOAP?

REST  → HTTP, JSON, stateless, lightweight, modern (ASP.NET Core Web API)
SOAP  → XML envelope, strict contract (WSDL), older enterprise systems
REST is standard for new projects.
SOAP is common in banking, insurance, legacy enterprise systems.

Q4: What are SoapUI assertions?

Verifications that run after a response is received.
Similar to unit test assertions but for HTTP responses.
Examples: status code = 200, body contains "Ravi", response < 500ms.

🤖Use AI to Learn Faster

Use ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot to go deeper on SoapUI REST and SOAP testing. Try these prompts:

• "When should I use SoapUI instead of Postman for API testing?"
• "What is WSDL and how does SoapUI use it to test SOAP services?"
• "What is the difference between REST and SOAP web services?"
• "Quiz me on SoapUI — 5 questions about SOAP, WSDL, and API testing"

💡 Tip: After reading this article, paste your own code into AI and ask "What could go wrong here and why?" — fastest way to find edge cases and deepen understanding.