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---
lang: en
title: 'Preparing the API for consumption'
keywords: LoopBack 4.0, LoopBack 4, Node.js, TypeScript, OpenAPI
sidebar: lb4_sidebar
permalink: /doc/en/lb4/Preparing-the-API-for-consumption.html
---
## Preparing your API for consumption
### Interacting with your API
We'll use the repo
[loopback4-example-todo](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/blob/master/examples/todo)
to demonstrate how Swagger UI can be used to test your endpoints.
First, git clone the repository, install its dependencies, and run the
application:
```sh
lb4 example todo
cd loopback4-example-todo
npm start
```
Open <http://localhost:3000/explorer> to see the API endpoints defined by
`swagger.json`.
{% include note.html content="
Swagger UI provides users with interactive
environment to test the API endpoints defined by the raw spec found at
<http://localhost:3000/openapi.json>. The API spec is also available in YAML
flavour at <http://localhost:3000/openapi.yaml>
" %}
The Swagger UI displays all of the endpoints defined in your application.
Clicking on one of the endpoints will show the endpoint's documentation as
defined in your API spec. Next, click on `Try It Out` to send a request to the
endpoint. If the endpoint takes parameters, assign the values before the request
is sent. If the parameter involves a body, a template is given for you to edit
as specified in your spec. Click `Execute` to send the request:
The response to the request can be seen below the `Execute` button, where the
response code and the body are displayed. Ideally, each endpoint should be
tested with good and bad inputs to confirm that the returned responses are as
expected.
## Closing thoughts
Congratulations! You now have successfully created and tested an API with
LoopBack 4. We hope you enjoy the test-drive. Your feedback matters and please
share your thoughts with us.
This is just the beginning of the full LoopBack 4 developer experience. The
first beta release lays out the new foundation of LoopBack for extension
developers. It also demonstrates a path to create REST APIs from OpenAPI specs
together with Controllers and Repositories. More features will be added in the
coming weeks and months.
Here is a sneak peek of what's coming:
- More extensions and extension points an:
[loopback-next issue #512](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/512)
- Authorization component:
[loopback-next issue #538](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/538)
- Fully-fledged API explorer:
[loopback-next issue #559](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/559)
- Complete repository/service story for backend interactions
- [loopback-next issue #419](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/419)
- [loopback-next issue #537](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/537)
- [loopback-next issue #522](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/522)
- Declarative support for various constructs
- [loopback-next issue #441](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/441)
- [loopback-next issue #461](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/461)
- Alignment of microservices and cloud native experience
- [loopback-next issue #442](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/442)
- [loopback-next issue #25](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/25)
- Tooling:
[loopback-next issue #361](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/361)
- Plain JavaScript:
[loopback-next issue #560](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/issues/560)
The train is moving and welcome on board! Your participation and contribution
will make LoopBack 4 an even more powerful framework and greater
community/ecosystem. The team is very excited about the new journey. We look
forward to working with you on more ideas, more pull requests, and more
extension modules. Let's make LoopBack 4 rock together!