Postmate Client CLI — Run API Collections from Terminal (Best Postman CLI Alternative)

Run API collections directly from your terminal using the Postmate Client CLI — a fast, lightweight API testing CLI and Postman CLI alternative.

Part of Postmate Client (a VS Code API client), the CLI is built for local-first API development, automated testing, and CI/CD workflows — with no cloud dependency.

The Postmate Client CLI supports:

• Environment-based execution
• Data-driven API testing
• JSON reporting
• CI/CD pipeline integration with proper exit codes

Install Postmate Client CLI

Install Postmate Client CLI globally using npm:

npm install -g @postmate/cli

Verify the installation:

pmc --version

Project Structure

Postmate Client CLI works inside a project that contains a .postmate directory. This folder stores all your collections, environments, and related data.

my-project/
│
├── .postmate/
│   ├── collections/
│   ├── environments/
│   ├── data/
│   └── reports/

You can run the CLI from inside .postmate or from the project root — the CLI automatically detects the correct project folder.

Run API Collection from Terminal

Use the Postmate Client CLI to run API collections from the terminal for automated API testing, scripting, and CI/CD workflows.

Basic usage:

pmc run --collection <collectionName> --env <environmentName>

Example:

pmc run --collection school --env Dev

Each row in the data file will execute the collection once. Variables like {{id}} and {{username}} resolve per row.

Execution Output

A typical terminal run looks like this:

🚀 Running school
Env: Dev
Iterations: 1
Total Requests: 10

✔ [1] Get Users (200)
✖ [1] Create User (500)

Finished in 3s 120ms
Total Requests: 10
Report saved: .postmate/reports/school-Dev-2026-02-14T15-32-10.json

---

HTML and JSON Reports

After every run, a JSON report and HTML report are automatically saved to:

.postmate/reports/

Reports follow this filename format:

<collection>-<environment>-<timestamp>.json

Example:

school-Dev-2026-02-14T15-32-10.json

Reports can be stored as CI artifacts, parsed for analytics, converted to JUnit, or used for dashboards.

CLI Exit Codes for CI/CD

Postmate Client CLI returns standard exit codes for CI/CD compatibility:

Code	Meaning
0	All requests successful (HTTP 2xx)
1	One or more requests failed

Example:

pmc run --collection school --env Dev
echo $?

CLI Command Reference

pmc run

pmc run --collection <name> --env <envName> [--data <dataFile>]

Option	Description
--collection	Name of the collection to run
--env	Target environment name
--data	Optional data file for iteration

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions Example

- name: Run API Tests
  run: pmc run --collection school --env QA

If any request fails, the pipeline step fails automatically — no extra configuration required.

Best Practices

• Keep base URLs inside environment files
• Use data files for bulk, data-driven execution
• Version control your .postmate directory
• Store reports as CI artifacts for traceability
• Use clear, consistent environment names (Dev, QA, Prod)

Why Postmate Client CLI?

Postmate Client CLI is a fast, lightweight alternative to Postman CLI built for developers who want to run API tests locally, automate workflows, and integrate with CI/CD pipelines — without relying on cloud-based tools.

It is ideal for developers looking for a simple Postman CLI alternative to run API tests without leaving the terminal.

It is designed to be:

• Local-first (no data leaves your machine)
• CI/CD friendly (with proper exit codes)
• Developer-focused (simple CLI, no GUI required)

Learn more:

• Collection Runner
• Environments and variables
• Data Tables
• Postmate Client Requests

FAQ

Is Postmate Client CLI a Postman CLI alternative?

Yes. Postmate Client CLI is a lightweight, local-first alternative to Postman CLI for running API collections, automated testing, and CI/CD workflows.

Can I run API tests in CI/CD using Postmate Client CLI?

Yes. Postmate Client CLI returns standard exit codes (0 for success, 1 for failure), making it easy to integrate with CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and Bamboo.

Does Postmate Client CLI support data-driven testing?

Yes. You can pass a data file using the --data option. Each row in the file runs the collection with different inputs.

Where are Postmate Client CLI reports stored?

Reports are automatically saved in the .postmate/reports/ directory in JSON format after each run.

*Made with ❤️ using Postmate Client