Validate API Specification
This policy validates the responses against API's various specifications such as schema, content-types, and HTTP Headers referenced in their corresponding formats as follows:
The schema is available as part of the API definition. The schema for SOAP API are imported through WSDL and for REST APIs it can be through swagger, RAML or can be uploaded by the user when an API is created from scratch.
The content- types are available as part of the API definition. FOR SOAP APIs these are imported through WSDL and for REST APIs it can be through swagger, RAML or can be uploaded by the user.
The HTTP Headers are specified in the Validate API Specification policy page
The response sent to the API by an application must conform with the structure or format expected by the API. The responses from the native API are validated against the API specifications in this policy to conform to the structure or format expected by the API.
Various API specifications validated are:
Schema: The responses from the native API are validated against the schema provided in the API definition. The schema defines the elements and attributes and specifies the data types of these elements to ensure that only appropriate data is allowed through to the API.
For a REST API, the schema can be added inline or uploaded in the
Components section on the API Details page. For details on how to add the schema inline or upload, see
Creating a REST API.
The schema type for validation is selected based on:
The Content-Type header when the policy is added in the Request processing stage.
The Accept header when the policy is added in the Response processing stage.
If the header or payload is missing the schema validation is skipped.
The table lists the default Content type/Accept header and schema validation type mapping.
Content-type/Accept | Schema validation type |
application/json application/json/badgerfish | JSON schema |
application/xml text/xml text/html | XML schema |
text/plain | Regular expression |
For a SOAP API, the WSDL and the referenced schema must be provided in a zip format. The JSON schema validation is supported for the operations that are exposed as REST.
Content-types: The responses from the native API are validated against the content-types specified in the API definition.
HTTP Headers: The responses from the native API are validated against the HTTP Headers specified in this policy to conform to the HTTP headers expected by the API.
The run-time invocations that fail the specification validation are considered as policy violations. Such policy violation events that are generated can be viewed in the dashboard.
The table lists the API specification properties, you can specify for this policy, to be validated:
Parameter | Description |
Schema | Validates the response payload against the appropriate schema. Provide the following additional features for XML schema validation: Feature name. Specifies the name of the feature for XML parsing when performing XML schema validation. Select the required feature name from the list: GENERATE_SYNTHETIC_ANNOTATIONS ID_IDREF_CHECKING IDENTITY_CONSTRAINT_CHECKING IGNORE_XSL_TYPE NAMESPACE_GROWTH NORMALIZE_DATA ROOT_ELEMENT_DECL ROOT_TYPE_DEF SIGMA_AUGMENT_PSVI SCHEMA_DV_FACTORY SCHEMA_ELEMENT_DEFAULT SCHEMA_LOCATION SCHEMA_NONS_LOCATION SCHEMA_VALIDATOR TOLERATE_DUPLICATES ENPARSED_ENTITY_CHECKING VALIDATE_ANNOTATIONS XML_SCHEMA_FULL_CHECKING XMLSCHEMA_VALIDATION Feature value. Specifies whether the feature value is True or False. |
Content-types | Validates the content-types in the incoming response against the content-types defined in that response's API Specification. |
HTTP Headers | Validates the HTTP header parameters in the incoming response against the HTTP headers defined in that response's API Specification. Provide the following information: Condition: Specifies the logical operator to use to validate multiple HTTP headers in the incoming API responses. Available values are: AND. API Gateway accepts only the responses that contain all configured HTTP headers. OR. This is selected by default. API Gateway accepts responses that contain at least one configured HTTP header. HTTP Header Key. Specifies a key that must be passed through the HTTP header of the incoming API responses. Header Value. Optional. Specifies the corresponding key value that could be passed through the HTTP header of the incoming API responses. The Header Value field type accepts string and regular expression (regex). You can add more HTTP headers by clicking . |