How Can I Write API Functional Tests That Don’t Break with Minor Changes?

You should definitely keep testing the content, but consider how you set your tests up. They should primarily check that the expected results are being delivered without covering too much internal logic. You want them to be solid indicators that something has gone wrong, rather than a chore for you to modify all the time.

It's entirely normal for tests to fail when you change your API. They are the first line of defense against unintentional changes. In the real world, it's better to version your APIs or use systems like GraphQL, which can help accommodate changes more flexibly.

Field names are significant. If your tests don't fail when there are errors or changes, how can you trust that your API is returning the correct data? Each time you adjust the API response, expect your tests to react. Maybe focus more on test structure that isolates changes, so you don’t have to modify tests continuously.

You're facing a typical issue that's common with API testing. When you rename a field, it's only natural that tests referencing that field also fail. They’re doing exactly what they're supposed to—spotting changes in the API. Consider that if you rename a field and someone else is using the old name, that could break their integration too. So, these test failures are actually safeguards rather than inconveniences.

You might want to look into helper functions for testing. These functions can handle field changes more gracefully, centralizing your validation logic so that you only adjust a single piece when updates occur, rather than everywhere in your tests.