Request headers
Note:If you do not use the specific test values, the service returns the actual API responses.
You can use request headers to test the following Payments API and Orders API methods:
Set up your development environment
Before you can use request headers to simulate negative responses, you must set up your development environment. After you get a token that lets you access protected REST API resources, you create sandbox accounts to test your web and mobile apps. For details, see Get started.
Then, return to this page to use request headers to simulate negative responses.
Invoke negative testing
1. | Enable negative testing. |
2. | Test API error handling routines. |
3. | Test with negative testing. |
Enable negative testing
REST API apps use a request header to invoke negative testing in the sandbox. This header configures the sandbox into a negative testing state for transactions that include the merchant.
To enable negative testing:
- Add a key to the
PayPal-Mock-Response
request header in your API call.
Test API error handling routines
To simulate an error, add amock_application_codes
value that equals the error code to test:Request header | Type | Example |
---|---|---|
PayPal-Mock-Response | JSON | mock_application_codes: DUPLICATE_INVOICE_ID |
For the available error codes, see Payment API Error Messages and Orders API Error Messages.
Test with negative testing
With a valid access token, you can make REST API calls for negative testing.
Example request
1curl -X POST https://api-m.sandbox.paypal.com/v2/checkout/orders/7WH94211LK834082R/capture -H 'Authorization: Bearer <Access-Token>' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'PayPal-Mock-Response: {"mock_application_codes": "DUPLICATE_INVOICE_ID"}'
Where:
Header | Value |
---|---|
Content-Type | application/json |
Authorization | Bearer $<Access-Token> See get an access token |
PayPal-Mock-Response | mock_application_codes: <error_name> |
Example response
1{2 "name": "UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY",3 "details": [4 {5 "issue": "DUPLICATE_INVOICE_ID",6 "description": "Duplicate Invoice ID detected. To avoid a potential duplicate transaction your account setting requires that Invoice Id be unique for each transaction."7 }8 ],9 "message": "The requested action could not be completed, was semantically incorrect, or failed business validation.",10 "debug_id": "70c28ae654da",11 "links": [12 {13 "href": "https://developer.paypal.com/docs/api/orders/v2/#error-DUPLICATE_INVOICE_ID",14 "rel": "information_link",15 "method": "GET"16 }17 ]18}