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GIS API Testing Tool: Postman Alternative for ArcGIS Services

· 6 min read
Quetzly Team
Quetzly Team
Creators of Quetzly GeoAPI Testing Platform

The Problem: You've just published a critical ArcGIS feature service that emergency response teams depend on. Three days later, users report it's returning malformed geometries. You discover the issue in logs—but only after it impacted operations. Sound familiar?

If you're a GIS professional managing web services, you know the challenge: GIS APIs are treated differently than regular web services, and we lack the modern testing tools that mainstream developers take for granted.

Why GIS API Testing is Stuck in the Past​

Software engineers testing REST APIs use tools like Postman, automated monitoring, and CI/CD pipelines. They catch issues before users do.

But in the geospatial world? We're often:

  • Manually checking ArcGIS Server logs daily
  • Loading WMS and WFS services into web maps just to verify they render
  • Using the ArcGIS REST API directory to spot-check queries
  • Finding out about spatial service failures from frustrated users

Why the gap?

  1. Proprietary barriers: Binary files (.aprx, .mxd) don't play well with version control
  2. Limited tooling: Esri and OGC service providers don't offer robust testing/monitoring out-of-the-box
  3. Different skill sets: GIS professionals excel at spatial analysis, not necessarily DevOps practices
  4. "Spatial is special": Generic API tools like Postman can't visualize GeoJSON, validate spatial references, or understand OGC protocols

The result? Geospatial APIs and map services are often managed reactively instead of proactively.

The Real Cost of Poor GIS Service Testing​

Consider these scenarios:

  • Performance mystery: An ArcGIS geoprocessing service that normally runs in 30 seconds now takes 5 minutes. Was it a database schema change? Spatial index issue? You won't know until you investigate manually.

  • Silent failures: A feature service returns HTTP 200 status but with corrupted geometries or invalid Esri JSON. Standard monitoring says "everything's fine."

  • Integration headaches: Your team needs to troubleshoot why a third-party app can't consume your WFS service, but you can't easily replicate their spatial requests.

  • OGC compliance: Your WMS GetMap requests work in ArcGIS Pro but fail in QGIS due to subtle specification differences you can't easily test.

These aren't edge cases—they're daily realities for GIS teams managing critical geospatial infrastructure.

Introducing Quetzly: The GeoPostman You've Been Waiting For​

Think Postman, but purpose-built for spatial APIs, geospatial services, and geographic data endpoints.

Quetzly is a desktop application designed to test, visualize, and monitor GIS web services the way modern developers test regular APIs—with the spatial intelligence that GeoJSON, WMS, WFS, and ArcGIS services demand.

What Quetzly Does for GIS API Testing​

Test Any Geospatial API Endpoint

  • ArcGIS REST API (Map Services, Feature Services, Image Services)
  • OGC Services (WMS, WFS with full GetCapabilities support)
  • Custom GeoJSON APIs with schema validation
  • Esri JSON endpoints with spatial reference verification
  • Any endpoint returning geographic or spatial data

Visualize Spatial Responses Instantly

  • See GeoJSON or Esri JSON rendered on an interactive map in real-time
  • Toggle feature layers on/off for complex multi-layer responses
  • Click features to inspect properties and geometry
  • Validate coordinate systems and spatial references
  • Verify WMS GetMap image rendering
  • Test WFS GetFeature geometry accuracy

Download & Export Geographic Data

  • Save API responses as GeoJSON for integration testing
  • Export to Shapefiles for offline GIS analysis
  • Archive test results for compliance documentation
  • Share spatial data samples with development teams

Build Geospatial Request Collections

  • Save sets of common ArcGIS REST API queries
  • Maintain complete testing history with spatial context
  • Share request collections with GIS and IT teams
  • Version control your spatial API test suites

Monitor Geospatial Endpoints Proactively

  • Set up automated monitoring for ArcGIS Server services
  • Track WMS and WFS endpoint availability
  • Configure custom check intervals for critical map services
  • Receive alerts when spatial services fail or degrade
  • Monitor performance metrics over time
  • Detect geometry validation failures automatically

Who Is Quetzly For?​

  • GIS Developers testing ArcGIS REST APIs during feature development
  • GIS Administrators managing dozens of map services and feature services
  • Web Developers integrating with geospatial APIs who need to understand spatial responses
  • QA Teams testing geo-enabled applications with WMS/WFS dependencies
  • DevOps Engineers monitoring spatial infrastructure and geographic services
  • Anyone who's ever said "I just need to test if this GIS service is working"

Why This Matters: Bridging GIS and IT​

Over 7 years working at the intersection of GIS and IT, I've seen the same pattern: Geospatial services are treated as a black box by development teams, and GIS teams struggle to adopt mainstream DevOps practices.

This gap creates problems:

  • Slower incident response for map service outages
  • Poor visibility into spatial API health
  • Difficulty communicating ArcGIS service issues to non-GIS stakeholders
  • Over-reliance on individual GIS specialists to firefight WMS/WFS problems
  • Inability to integrate geospatial testing into CI/CD pipelines

The solution isn't just better tools—it's GIS DevOps: integrating spatial services, map APIs, and geographic endpoints into the same rigorous workflows used for traditional REST APIs.

Quetzly is the first step in that vision—bringing Postman-like capabilities to the geospatial world.

The Road Ahead for Geospatial API Testing​

Quetzly is currently in open beta. Here's what's coming:

  • Automated testing workflows: Run test suites against ArcGIS services on schedules
  • CI/CD integration: Connect Quetzly to Jenkins, GitHub Actions for spatial API validation
  • Team collaboration: Share collections and monitoring configurations across GIS teams
  • Performance testing: Load testing for map services and feature services
  • Enhanced monitoring: Integrations with Slack, PagerDuty, and logging platforms
  • Advanced OGC support: Enhanced WCS, WMTS, and CSW testing capabilities
  • Spatial validation rules: Custom geometry checks and coordinate system transformations

Join the Beta Program​

I'm looking for beta users who want to:

  • Improve their GIS API testing workflows
  • Test ArcGIS REST APIs more efficiently
  • Monitor WMS and WFS services proactively
  • Provide feedback on features and UX
  • Help shape the future of GIS DevOps tooling

Sign up for beta access here

What You'll Get as a Beta Tester:​

  • ✅ Free access to the full Quetzly application
  • ✅ Direct line to provide feedback and feature requests
  • ✅ Early access to new geospatial testing capabilities
  • ✅ Opportunity to influence product direction
  • ✅ Priority support from the development team
  • ✅ Download access within 24 hours of joining

Let's Build Better Geospatial Infrastructure Together​

GIS services and spatial APIs power critical decisions—from emergency response to infrastructure planning to logistics optimization. They deserve the same reliability standards and testing rigor as any other production system.

If you're tired of reactive GIS service management and ready to adopt proactive testing and monitoring for your geospatial APIs, I'd love to hear from you.

Questions? Feedback?

About the author: Mayro Najarro is a GIS professional with 15 years of experience and 7 years bridging GIS and IT practices. Quetzly is the answer to the geospatial testing tools they wish had existed throughout their career.

Tags: GIS API Testing, Geospatial API Testing, ArcGIS REST API, GeoPostman, WMS Testing, WFS Testing, Spatial API, GeoJSON, Esri JSON, Feature Service Testing, Map Service Testing, GIS DevOps, Geospatial Monitoring, OGC Services