api-mock-helper

API Mock & Sandbox Skill

Generate mock servers, stubs, fixtures, and sandbox environments for any API.

---

Mock Strategy Selection

Scenario	Tool / Approach
Frontend dev against unbuilt backend	WireMock / Prism / MSW
Unit tests (in-process)	In-memory mock functions
Contract testing	Pact (consumer-driven contracts)
Postman testing	Postman Mock Server
Local development	Prism CLI from OpenAPI spec
Record & replay real API	VCR (Python/Ruby), nock recordings

---

WireMock Stub Definition

{
  "request": {
    "method": "GET",
    "urlPathPattern": "/api/v1/users/([a-z0-9-]+)"
  },
  "response": {
    "status": 200,
    "headers": { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    "jsonBody": {
      "id": "{{request.pathSegments.[3]}}",
      "name": "Alice Smith",
      "email": "[email protected]",
      "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
    }
  }
}

WireMock Stateful Scenario

[
  {
    "scenarioName": "Order flow",
    "requiredScenarioState": "Started",
    "newScenarioState": "Paid",
    "request": { "method": "POST", "url": "/api/v1/orders" },
    "response": { "status": 201, "jsonBody": { "id": "ord_123", "status": "pending" } }
  },
  {
    "scenarioName": "Order flow",
    "requiredScenarioState": "Paid",
    "request": { "method": "GET", "url": "/api/v1/orders/ord_123" },
    "response": { "status": 200, "jsonBody": { "id": "ord_123", "status": "paid" } }
  }
]

---

Mock Service Worker (MSW — browser/Node.js)

import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw';

export const handlers = [
  http.get('/api/v1/users', () => {
    return HttpResponse.json({
      data: [
        { id: 'usr_1', name: 'Alice', email: '[email protected]' },
        { id: 'usr_2', name: 'Bob', email: '[email protected]' },
      ],
      pagination: { total: 2, page: 1, limit: 20 }
    });
  }),

  http.post('/api/v1/users', async ({ request }) => {
    const body = await request.json();
    return HttpResponse.json(
      { id: 'usr_new', ...body, created_at: new Date().toISOString() },
      { status: 201 }
    );
  }),

  http.get('/api/v1/users/:id', ({ params }) => {
    if (params.id === 'not-found') {
      return HttpResponse.json({ error: 'NOT_FOUND' }, { status: 404 });
    }
    return HttpResponse.json({ id: params.id, name: 'Alice' });
  }),
];