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Course contents8 lessons
Course overview
  1. Create an API based application
  2. Set inputs and outputs using API toolkit
  3. Input randomization
  4. Batch run
  5. Save data
  6. 06Formula auditing using Excel Export
  7. 07Document creation
  8. 08Export to Postman

Lesson 6 of 8

Formula auditing using Excel Export

Export the workbook state for a specific API request and use Excel's formula-auditing tools to trace the resulting calculation.

2 min read

Download the workbook state created by a specific API request and inspect the calculation formula by formula in Excel. Unlike a database audit that stores request and response data, Excel Export gives you a working copy of the spreadsheet populated with the values used for that calculation.

Create an Excel Export event

  1. Close API Toolkit and open the API application in Design.
  2. Go to Events and create an Excel Export event.
  3. Give the event a clear name, such as Audit.
  4. Configure the export to return the current spreadsheet, as demonstrated in the lesson.
  5. Publish the application transaction.

Publishing makes the new export event available to API Toolkit and external API requests.

Request the audit workbook

Open API Toolkit, paste or rebuild the calculation request, and select the newly published transaction. An Excel Export section appears because the active transaction contains an export event.

Add the Audit export to the request and select Calculate. The calculation response includes a URL for the generated Excel file. Download the file from that URL.

The exported workbook reflects the exact request that produced it:

  • Input cells contain the values submitted through the API.
  • Output cells contain the results calculated for that request.
  • Supporting worksheets, formulas, and lookup data remain available for inspection.

Trace the calculation in Excel

Open the downloaded workbook in Excel and use its formula-auditing tools to follow precedents and dependents through the model. You can move from the returned output through intermediate formulas and back to the original inputs.

Because the workbook is tied to a single request, it provides a reproducible artifact for investigating an unexpected value, validating a model revision, or documenting how a result was calculated. Store the request identifier or related audit record with the exported file when long-term traceability is required.