How do you write integrated Laravel Feature tests for API endpoints and validate JSON responses?

Short answer

Use methods such as $this->getJson() or postJson(), and check results with assertions such as assertStatus(200), assertJsonPath(), and assertJsonValidationErrors().

Explanation

Laravel provides a built-in testing environment that simulates complete HTTP requests without an external server. JSON assertions let you check specific response content, including expected fields, missing private details with assertJsonMissing(), and suitable errors for malformed input.

Code example

public function test_can_create_user(): void {
    $response = $this->postJson('/api/users', [
        'name' => 'Sara',
        'email' => '[email protected]'
    ]);
    $response->assertStatus(201)
             ->assertJsonPath('data.name', 'Sara');
}

Common mistakes

• Using $this->post() instead of $this->postJson() in API tests, preventing Laravel from treating the request as JSON.

Follow-up questions

• How do you control and freeze system time in Laravel tests that depend on timeouts?

Sources

• Laravel docs — HTTP Tests