add_api_collection
Add a collection to an API
LABSCO SUMMARY
Coverage that follows Postman's own API spec, including the parts most integrations skip.
Beyond the obvious collection and environment CRUD, it reaches the fork-merge-pull workflow, API schema files, role assignment and the Private API Network — the administrative half people usually do by hand in the web app. Two rough edges are worth knowing up front: environments need the full owner-prefixed uid, and what you can actually call depends on your plan and region.
What it is
A server over the Postman API, built from its published OpenAPI specification. It covers workspaces, collections, environments and APIs, plus the sharing and permission layers around them.
What you get
- Workspaces listed and opened, with tags read and updated
- Collections listed with filtering and pagination, created in Postman Collection v2.1.0 format, replaced wholesale up to 20 MB, or patched field by field
- Inside a collection: folders, requests and saved responses created, read and updated
- Version control on collections and environments alike — fork, list forks, merge a fork back, and pull parent changes down — plus item transfer between collections
- Environments created, updated with only the variables that changed, and deleted
- APIs created, updated and deleted, with versions, schemas, multi-file schema contents, tags and comments, and a collection synced against its schema
- Asynchronous operations followed through a task status check
- Access and permissions: collection access keys listed and deleted, workspace roles read and updated in batches of up to 50 operations, and collection roles read and updated
- Private API Network elements and folders added, updated, listed and removed
- Webhooks created to trigger a collection with a custom payload, plus billing account details and invoices, and a local health check of the server's own configuration
Requirements
A Postman API key, generated at https://go.postman.co/settings/me/api-keys and saved as POSTMAN_API_KEY — it is shown once, and it reaches every Postman resource your account has permission for. Install it from npm as @postmanv3/postman-mcp-server, currently 0.2.1, with a postman-mcp-server binary, and run it over stdio. Two things to know before you rely on it: environment endpoints need the full uid in {ownerId}-{environmentId} form rather than the bare environment id, and some endpoints return 403 depending on your region and Postman plan. The project describes itself as under active development, with breaking changes expected.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — npm install -g @postmanv3/postman-mcp-server, then supply credentials
USE CASES
01
Finding out what is in a workspace you just joined
List the workspaces, then the collections and environments inside the one you care about.
02
Adding a request to an existing collection
Open the collection, create the folder if it needs one, then create the request inside it.
03
Proposing a change to a collection someone else owns
Fork it into your workspace, make the edits, then merge the fork back.
04
Keeping a collection in step with an API schema
Update the schema files, then run the sync and follow the task until it finishes.
05
Changing one variable in an environment without disturbing the rest
Update the environment with only the variables that changed — the others are left alone.
06
Sorting out who can edit what
Read the current workspace and collection roles, then update them — up to 50 operations per call.
77 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
add_pan_element
Add element or folder to Private API Network
create_api
Create a new API
create_api_comment
Create a new comment on an API (max 10,000 characters)
create_api_schema
Create a schema for an API
create_api_version
Create a new version of an API
create_collection
Create a new collection in a workspace. Supports Postman Collection v2.1.0 format.
create_collection_folder
Create a new folder in a collection
create_collection_request
Create a new request in a collection
create_collection_response
Create a new response in a collection
create_environment
Create a new environment in a workspace. Creates in "My Workspace" if workspace not specified.
create_update_schema_file
Create or update a schema file
create_webhook
Creates webhook that triggers collection with custom payload
delete_api
Delete an API
delete_api_comment
Delete an API comment
delete_api_version
Delete an API version
delete_collection_access_key
Delete a collection access key
delete_environment
Delete an environment
delete_schema_file
Delete a schema file
fork_collection
Fork a collection to a workspace
fork_environment
Create a fork of an environment in a workspace
get_accounts
Gets Postman billing account details for the given team
get_api
Get details of a specific API
get_api_collection
Get a specific collection from an API
get_api_comments
Get comments for an API
get_api_schema
Get a specific schema from an API
get_api_schema_files
Get files in an API schema
get_api_tags
Get tags for an API
get_api_version
Get a specific version of an API
get_api_versions
Get all versions of an API
get_authenticated_user
Get authenticated user information
get_collection
Get details of a specific collection
get_collection_folder
Get details of a specific folder in a collection
get_collection_forks
Get a list of collection forks
get_collection_request
Get details of a specific request in a collection
get_collection_response
Get details of a specific response in a collection
get_collection_roles
Get roles for a collection
get_environment
Get details of a specific environment
get_environment_forks
Get a list of environment forks
get_schema_file_contents
Get contents of a schema file
get_tagged_elements
Get elements by tag
get_task_status
Get status of an asynchronous task
get_user_info
Get information about the authenticated user
get_workspace
Get details of a specific workspace
get_workspace_roles
Get roles for a specific workspace
get_workspace_tags
Get workspace tags
health_check
Perform a local system health check to verify Postman MCP server configuration and connectivity. Returns system information and configuration status.
list_account_invoices
Gets all invoices for a Postman billing account filtered by status
list_apis
List all APIs in a workspace
list_collection_access_keys
List collection access keys with optional filtering by collection ID
list_collections
List all collections in a workspace. Supports filtering and pagination.
list_environments
List all environments in a workspace. If workspace not specified, lists environments in "My Workspace".
list_pan_elements
Get all elements and folders in Private API Network
list_workspace_roles
Get all available workspace roles based on team's plan
list_workspaces
List all workspaces
merge_collection_fork
Merge a forked collection back into its parent
merge_environment_fork
Merge a forked environment back into its parent
patch_collection
Partially update a collection. Only updates provided fields.
pull_collection_changes
Pull changes from parent collection into forked collection
pull_environment
Pull changes from parent environment into forked environment
remove_pan_element
Remove element or folder from Private API Network
resolve_comment_thread
Resolves a comment and any associated replies
sync_collection_with_schema
Sync a collection with its schema
transfer_collection_items
Transfer items between collections
update_api
Update an existing API
update_api_comment
Update an existing API comment (max 10,000 characters)
update_api_tags
Update tags for an API
update_api_version
Update an API version
update_collection
Update an existing collection. Full collection replacement with maximum size of 20 MB.
update_collection_folder
Update a folder in a collection. Acts like PATCH, only updates provided values.
update_collection_request
Update a request in a collection. Cannot change request folder.
update_collection_response
Update a response in a collection. Acts like PATCH, only updates provided values.
update_collection_roles
Update collection roles (requires EDITOR role)
update_environment
Update an existing environment. Only include variables that need to be modified.
update_pan_element
Update element or folder in Private API Network
update_workspace_roles
Update workspace roles for users and groups (limited to 50 operations per call)
update_workspace_tags
Update workspace tags
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
77 tools when we connected. Tools create, update and fork collections, but none deletes or runs one. The project is under active development and warns of breaking changes.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- POSTMAN_API_KEY in your environment
Where it runs
All 3 documented setups run the server on your machine.
CONTEXT COST
Moderate Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 77 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
npm install -g @postmanv3/postman-mcp-serverMCP Clients
Claude Desktop — npx
CLAUDE DESKTOP — NPX · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"postman": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@postmanv3/postman-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"POSTMAN_API_KEY": "<YOUR_POSTMAN_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}<YOUR_POSTMAN_API_KEY> is your Postman API key from go.postman.co/settings/me/api-keys.
Claude Desktop — global install
CLAUDE DESKTOP — GLOBAL INSTALL · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"postman": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@postmanv3/postman-mcp-server/build/index.js"
],
"env": {
"POSTMAN_API_KEY": "<YOUR_POSTMAN_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}/usr/local/lib/node_modules is the usual global folder; npm root -g prints yours. <YOUR_POSTMAN_API_KEY> is your Postman API key from go.postman.co/settings/me/api-keys.
Cline
CLINE · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"postman": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@postmanv3/postman-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"POSTMAN_API_KEY": "<YOUR_POSTMAN_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Cline uses the same configuration as Claude Desktop: add it to your Cline MCP Servers configuration. <YOUR_POSTMAN_API_KEY> is your Postman API key from go.postman.co/settings/me/api-keys.
