Update Date: 14/02/2025

Configuration

Note: Version 2 is the latest as of 14/02/2025. If you are looking for an older version of the configs, refer to older configuration versions page.

Getting started

We often have to pass more than one API Specification file to Specmatic to stub or test. While it is possible to send all the files as command line options, there is a better way.

Also if your contracts are stored in a source control system like Git, we need to provide details about the repository so that Specmatic can pull your specifications directly from your version control.

Upgrade older configuration to the latest version

If you have an old version of the config, Specmatic can upgrade it to the latest version.

  • java -jar specmatic.jar config upgrade --input specmatic_old.yaml --output specmatic.yaml

  • npx specmatic config upgrade --input specmatic_old.yaml --output specmatic.yaml

  • docker run -v "/your-local-specs-directory:/specs" znsio/specmatic config upgrade --input "/specs/specmatic.yaml" --output "specmatic_new.yaml"

When you run the config upgrade command without specifying input or output parameters, it will search for the config file in default locations (the directory from which the command is run, the application classpath, CONFIG_FILE_PATH environment variable, or CONFIG_FILE_PATH system property) and display the result in the same terminal from which the command was executed.

Externalized Examples Directories

By default, Specmatic searches for the directory ending with _examples to pickup externalized examples. However, if needed, you can specify a list of directories containing externalized examples under examples key in specmatic configuration. Specmatic will retrieve the examples from these directories for use in both contract testing and service virtualization.

  • version: 2
contracts:
  - git:
      url: https://github.com/znsio/specmatic-order-contracts.git
    provides:
      - io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/product_search_bff_v4.yaml
    consumes:
      - io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/api_order_v3.yaml
examples:
  - order_service/examples
  - product_service/examples

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "contracts": [
    {
      "git": {
        "url": "https://github.com/znsio/specmatic-order-contracts.git"
      },
      "provides": [
        "io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/product_search_bff_v4.yaml"
      ],
      "consumes": [
        "io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/api_order_v3.yaml"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "examples": [
    "order_service/examples",
    "product_service/examples"
    ]
}

Note: if the _examples directory is present, it will still be included alongside any additional directories specified under the examples key.

Contract Test Timeout

The HTTP timeout duration for requests made during contract testing can be configured using timeoutInMilliseconds parameter. This parameter sets the maximum time Specmatic will wait for a response to each HTTP request before marking it as a failure. The default timeout is 6000 milliseconds.

  • version: 2
contracts:
  - git:
      url: https://github.com/znsio/specmatic-order-contracts.git
    consumes:
      - io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/api_order_v3.yaml
test:
  timeoutInMilliseconds: 3000

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "contracts": [
    {
      "git": {
        "url": "https://github.com/znsio/specmatic-order-contracts.git"
      },
      "consumes": [
        "io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/api_order_v3.yaml"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "test": {
    "timeoutInMilliseconds": 3000
  }
}

Configuring Stubs

The same configuration file can be leveraged to define stubs also.

  • version: 2
contracts:
  - git:
      url: https://github.com/znsio/specmatic-order-contracts.git
    consumes:
      - io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/api_order_v3.yaml

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "contracts": [
    {
      "git": {
        "url": "https://github.com/znsio/specmatic-order-contracts.git"
      },
      "consumes": [
        "io/specmatic/examples/store/openapi/api_order_v3.yaml"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Please note that now we are now listing the api_order_v3.yaml is listed as a stub dependency. You can run the specmatic stub command and the Specmatic will clone the API specifications and run it as a stub. Here is an example.

A single application may need to list the API Specifications it is implementing under the provides attribute and the API Specifications of its dependencies under the consumes attribute.

  • version: 2
contracts:
  - git:
      url: <Git URL>
    consumes:
      - com/example/api_order_v1.yaml
      - com/example/api_user_v1.yaml
    provides:
      - com/example/api_auth_v1.yaml

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "contracts": [
    {
      "git": {
        "url": "<Git URL>"
      },
      "consumes": [
        "com/example/api_order_v1.yaml",
        "com/example/api_user_v1.yaml"
      ],
      "provides": [
        "com/example/api_auth_v1.yaml",  
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Service Virtualization Delay

A delay can be applied to all requests handled by service virtualization. By configuring the delayInMilliseconds parameter, you can simulate response times with the specified delay in milliseconds, as mentioned in Delay Simulation

Use specifications on local file system

If you just need to use specifications from your local file system, specify filesystem field within contracts (if not specified, directory will default to current directory), as shown below.

  • version: 2
contracts:
  - filesystem:
      directory: <Path to directory where all the specmatic should look for specifications>
    consumes:
      - api_order_v1.yaml
      - api_user_v1.yaml
    provides:
      - api_auth_v1.yaml

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "contracts": [
    {
      "filesystem": {
        "directory": "<Path to directory where all the specmatic should look for specifications>"
      },
      "consumes": [
        "api_order_v1.yaml",
        "api_user_v1.yaml"
      ],
      "provides": [
        "api_auth_v1.yaml",  
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Note that the consumes and provides specifications are relative paths. This means that they must be in the same directory as the current directory.

You can also provide absolute paths in case they are somewhere else on the filesystem.

Run stub on different ports for different specifications

If you want to run stubs on different ports for different specifications, you can specify the port number in the port field under consumes key and assign the list of specs to it.

  • version: 2
contracts:
  - filesystem:
      directory: <Path to directory where all the specmatic should look for specifications>
    consumes:
      - specs:
          - api_order_v1.yaml
          - api_user_v1.yaml
        port: 9000
      - specs:
          - api_auth_v1.yaml
        port: 9001

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "contracts": [
    {
      "filesystem": {
        "directory": "<Path to directory where all the specmatic should look for specifications>"
      },
      "consumes": [
        {
          "specs": [
            "api_order_v1.yaml",
            "api_user_v1.yaml"
          ],
          "port": 9000
        },
        {
          "specs": [
            "api_auth_v1.yaml"
          ],
          "port": 9001
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

As per the above configuration, the specs api_order_v1.yaml and api_user_v1.yaml will run on port 9000 and the spec api_auth_v1.yaml will run on port 9001.

Source control authentication

Usually source control requires authentication. Below are the ways in which you can set it up.

  • Recommended approach - Provide a Git SSH URL and make sure your environment already has necessary keys loaded. If the git clone command works on your regular command line, it will work within Specmatic too. This is most suitable in CI, because your CI server may already be setup to clone the application code (for which the CI server should already have the necessary keys). So it should already be able to clone your API Specifications also. The same also should be applicable for local development and testing environments.
  • Alternatives - With https URLs you can provide the bearer token or other means. Please reach us (raise a github issue) if you need help with this.

Report Configuration

Specmatic can generate reports based on the below configuration:

  • version: 2
report:
  formatters:
    - type: text
      layout: table
  types:
    APICoverage:
      OpenAPI:
        successCriteria:
          minThresholdPercentage: 100
          maxMissedEndpointsInSpec: 0
          enforce: true
        excludedEndpoints:
          - /health

  • "version": 2,
"report": {
    "formatters": [
      {
        "type": "text",
        "layout": "table"
      }
    ],
    "types": {
      "APICoverage": {
        "OpenAPI": {
          "successCriteria": {
            "minThresholdPercentage": 100,
            "maxMissedEndpointsInSpec": 0,
            "enforce": true
          },
          "excludedEndpoints": [
            "/health"
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  }

Formatters

Defaults to ‘Text’ if none specified.
The Text formatter will print the report on to the console/terminal.

Report Types

API Coverage report

This gives you a comprehensive analysis of any mismatch between your api specification and implementation. Here is an article with a detailed write-up about this feature.

Complete sample specmatic.json with all attributes 

  • version: 2
contracts:
  - git:
      url: https://azure.com/XNSio/XNSIO/_git/petstore-contracts
      branch: main
    provides:
      - com/petstore/store.yaml
    consumes:
      - com/petstore/payment.yaml

auth:
  bearer-file: central_repo_auth_token.txt

pipeline:
  provider: azure
  organization: XNSio
  project: XNSIO
  definitionId: 4

environments:
  staging:
    baseurls:
      auth.spec: http://localhost:8080
    variables:
      username: jackie
      password: PaSsWoRd

hooks:
  hook_name: command

report:
  formatters:
    - type: text
      layout: table
  types:
    APICoverage:
      OpenAPI:
        successCriteria:
          minThresholdPercentage: 100
          maxMissedEndpointsInSpec: 0
          enforce: true
        excludedEndpoints:
          - /health

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "contracts": [
    {
      "git": {
        "url": "https://azure.com/XNSio/XNSIO/_git/petstore-contracts",
        "branch": "main"
      },
      "provides": [
        "com/petstore/store.yaml"
      ],
      "consumes": [
        "com/petstore/payment.yaml"
      ]
    }
  ],

  "auth": {
    "bearer-file": "central_repo_auth_token.txt"
  },

  "pipeline": {
    "provider": "azure",
    "organization": "XNSio",
    "project": "XNSIO",
    "definitionId": 4
  },

  "environments": {
    "staging": {
      "baseurls": {
        "auth.spec": "http://localhost:8080"
      },
      "variables": {
        "username": "jackie",
        "password": "PaSsWoRd"
      }
    }
  },

  "hooks": {
    "hook_name": "command"
  },

  "report": {
    "formatters": [
      {
        "type": "text",
        "layout": "table"
      }
    ],
    "types": {
      "APICoverage": {
        "OpenAPI": {
          "successCriteria": {
            "minThresholdPercentage": 100,
            "maxMissedEndpointsInSpec": 0,
            "enforce": true
          },
          "excludedEndpoints": [
            "/health"
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Declare pipeline details

Contains details of the project pipeline.

  • version: 2
auth:
  bearer-file: ./central_repo_auth_token.txt

pipeline:
  provider: azure
  organization: XNSio
  project: XNSIO
  definitionId: 4

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "auth": {
    "bearer-file": "./central_repo_auth_token.txt"
  },

  "pipeline": {
    "provider": "azure", 
    "organization": "XNSio",
    "project": "XNSIO",
    "definitionId": 4
  }
}
  • auth section is needed for Azure pipelines
  • pipeline section is used by Specmatic install, to register a project’s build pipeline to run when a contract changes.
    • provider should remain azure, no need to change this
    • Details such as organization, project and definitionId must be set up as per your project.

Specmatic fetches contracts from git repositories in Azure using the value of the pipeline variable System.AccessToken for authentication. This is a predefined variable in Azure build pipelines.

It looks for this value in the file specified by bearer-file. central_repo_auth_token.txt is our recommended name for the file. This file should be in your project root.

You can set it up by placing this snippet in the steps section of your Azure pipeline:

steps:
  - script: echo $SYSTEM_ACCESSTOKEN > central_repo_auth_token.txt
    env:
      SYSTEM_ACCESSTOKEN: $(System.AccessToken)

You can read more about System.AccessToken here.

Declare environment configuration 

  • version: 2
environments:
  staging:
    baseurls:
      auth.spec: http://localhost:8080
    variables:
      username: jackie
      password: PaSsWoRd

  •   "version": 2,
  "environments": {
    "staging": {
      "baseurls": {
        "auth.spec": "http://localhost:8080"
      },
      "variables": {
        "username": "jackie",
        "password": "PaSsWoRd"
      }
    }
  }

The environments key in this example contains configuration for the staging environment. It can contain configuration for any number of environments.

Each environment configuration can contain

  • baseurls - needed when running contracts as test as part of authentication
  • variables - these values are plugged into the Examples rows of an auth contract for authentication, or even when running regular contract tests

Hooks

A hook is simply a command that can run on the Terminal or Command Prompt.

  • version: 2
hooks:
  stub_load_contract: python load.py

  • {
  "version": 2,
  "hooks": {
    "stub_load_contract": "python load.py"
  }
}

In the above snippet, stub_load_contract is the hook name. python load.py is executed, while the path of the original contract file is present in CONTRACT_FILE environment variable.

The command can parse the contract file and write it to standard out. Specmatic will read it as the new contract. stub_load_contract and test_load_contract are the supported hook names.