What is an API (Application Programming Interface) and How to Use It

Welcome to this in-depth guide on understanding what an API is and how to start using APIs in your applications and workflows. Published by RM Digital, this 5000+ word guide aims to help anyone – from students to experienced developers – better comprehend APIs and integrate them into projects.

Defining What an API is

So what exactly is an API?

API stands for Application Programming Interface.

At its core, an API is a set of definitions, protocols, routines, and tools for building software applications. APIs allow different software programs to communicate with each other by providing a standardized set of integration points.

Here’s a simple real-world analogy that helps explain APIs:

A restaurant API allows customers to access the restaurant’s full menu, submit an order, modify items, pay the bill, and provide feedback. The customer doesn’t need to know how the restaurant prepares each dish, manages orders internally, or handles payments. They simply use the available API endpoints to seamlessly order and pay.

Similarly, web and software APIs enable applications to seamlessly integrate with and leverage each other’s data and functionality using simple interfaces, without needing to know about complex internal implementations.

Some other examples that help conceptualize APIs:

• A library API allows accessing book catalogs and borrowing or reserving books without handling backend details.

• A parcel delivery API enables tracking packages, scheduling pickups, and integrating shipping without dealing with warehouses, trucks, and internal logistics.

• A weather API permits building weather apps by tapping into weather data sources in standardized formats.

These help illustrate how an API establishes a simplified façade to easily use complex backend functionalities.

Types of APIs

There are different categories and types of APIs:

Public vs Private APIs

• Public APIs are open, documented, and accessible for any developer to integrate into an application. E.g. Twilio SMS API, Twitter API.
• Private APIs are internal APIs used within an organization. External consumption is restricted.

Web APIs

• Web APIs expose web application data and functions for public or private consumption over HTTP requests. They power most modern web and mobile apps by facilitating data sharing and service integration. Examples: Facebook Graph API, Spotify API.

Programmatic APIs

• Programmatic APIs enable developers to directly call functions, libraries, frameworks and software tools using code and tooling support. Can enable automation scripts or code-based access to databases and operating systems. More hands-on coding is needed to work with these types of APIs vs web APIs.

There are also various vertical-specific classifications:

• Banking APIs
• Telecom APIs
• Government APIs
• IoT APIs
• etc.

Common API Protocols and Standards

Several protocols and architectural styles have emerged as best practices for standardized web/programmatic API development:

REST – REST (Representational State Transfer) is the most common web API design standard. Core principles include using HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE to manage stateless client-server interactions and sending/receiving JSON- or XML-formatted data. Offers increased scalability vs older SOAP style.

GraphQL provides an alternative to REST for building APIs focused on efficiently querying data with rich support for handling nested or related records in a single call. Often used for mobile or web apps requiring specialized data queries vs generic CRUD APIs.

SOAP – SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is an older XML-based messaging protocol for exchanging structured information between web services. Defining rigid XML schemas makes it less flexible but better for legacy systems.

gRPC – Remote Procedure Calls allow APIs to execute procedures on different machines with efficient binary serialization. Languages like gRPC help enable high-performance low-latency connectivity for microservices.

Webhooks – Webhooks provide event/notification-driven APIs invoking actions based on triggering relevant events rather than continuous polling. This “reverse API” push model enhances performance monitoring pipelines, payments, etc.

The incredible variety in API types and protocols has powered immense innovation in integrating services, data sharing, orchestrating systems, and building robust applications. Understanding these concepts is key for unlocking API capabilities.

Why APIs Matter

Now that we’ve looked at API definitions and types, let’s explore why they have become so indispensably vital:

Enable Critical Application-to-Application Communication

APIs standardize how software applications share data and functionalities. This empowers developers to tap into powerful capabilities without reinventing the wheel – saving immense time and effort.

Uber wouldn’t function without having Google Maps integration to show drivers real-time directions and ETAs powered by the Google Maps API, for example. Multiple complex services combine intelligently thanks to elegant APIs.

Unlock Innovation Velocity

By opening up datasets or functionality for external usage, companies can enable partners and independent developers to build on top of their platform – creating exponential derivative value.

Salesforce achieved runaway success by launching developer-friendly CRM APIs empowering partners to augment its platform with custom apps tailored to every industry. This ecosystem strategy and leveraging extensibility through APIs fueled unprecedented growth.

Required for Modern Apps

Virtually every modern mobile or web application serves a rich user experience by intelligently combining discrete services in the backend.

Your favorite ridesharing app manages geo-tracking, maps, payments, SMS notifications, and more by leveraging over dozens of unique APIs working harmoniously. Removing APIs would make most ambient computing applications completely dysfunctional.

As users expect more intelligent and responsive applications, leveraging API building blocks becomes inevitable to accelerate excellence.

Integrate Third Party Functionality

APIs allow seamlessly blending externally created functionality into any app. This dramatically cuts development cycles.

Embedding a full-featured GPS maps experience inside custom apps is only possible thanks to the availability of mapping APIs like Google or Mapbox rather than building complex GIS and navigation from scratch.

Payment processing, messaging, image moderation, recommendation engines, analytical algorithms, and countless other services get conveniently incorporated into apps via third-party APIs doing the heavy lifting.

The API revolution has shifted app development from always reinventing the wheel to focusing on elegantly leveraging existing Lego blocks of functionality using simple programmatic interfaces.

Key Reasons to Use APIs

Now that we’ve established the immense value unlocked by APIs powering interoperability and composable services, let’s explore the major motivations driving API adoption:

Automating Workflows

Connecting discrete systems using code allows scripting complex business logic and workflows. Robotic automation relies extensively on leveraging APIs rather than brittle screen scraping.

For example, keeping Salesforce contacts data automatically in sync with email newsletter subscriber lists avoids manual exporting/importing. APIs enable elegantly bridging these systems.

Transactional systems like payment processors, ERPs, support portals exposing APIs radically simplify workflow automation across departments.

Building Custom Tools and Apps

Combining key functionality exposed from multiple APIs allows quickly building custom mobile or web apps.

Leveraging mapping, weather, event ticketing, and recommendation APIs facilitates rapidly creating niche geo-based apps like event discoverers or travel planners rather than coding those facilities from scratch.

Access to core business data via APIs also helps employees or partners quickly prototype tools addressing pet peeves or optimized scenarios – boosting productivity.

Enriching Experiences

Embedding externally available data and multimedia helps engage users with richer context. Travel sites leverage currency conversion APIs showing up-to-date exchange rates across booked accommodations, flights, and activities rather than just billing amounts.

Image moderation APIs help platforms combat toxicity by auto-flagging inappropriate content. AI APIs analyze user interests to serve hyper-personalized recommendations fueling better engagement.

Accelerating Speed to Market

Vibrant API ecosystems help launch Minimum Viable Products faster and achieve shorter time-to-value by leveraging building blocks handling non-core application logic – right from user authentication to notifications.

Focus expertise on creating differentiated value and user experience while APIs handle undifferentiated heavy lifting.

Monetizing Data Assets

Organizations create immense data assets through transactions, engagement, and business processes. Exposing data treasure troves via APIs unlocks fresh revenue channels from licensing access.

Diverse weather sensor datasets get unlocked for third-party innovation by meteological agencies offering APIs. Retailers let brands pay for analytics APIs revealing behavioral insights to power their customer engagement models.

Wrapping valuable siloed data in secure and scalable API access control layers helps participation in the API economy.

In summary, APIs drive immense latent value – making them indispensable enablers of application development and modern digital experiences in every industry.

API Usage Examples

Let’s explore some typical examples of popular API usage across domains:

Maps and Location

Interactive maps hugely boost usability across transportation, real estate, tourism and urban discovery use cases. Google Maps APIs and Geocoding service get leveraged in everything from food delivery to insurance claims processing by letting developers embed rich customizable mapping interfaces with minimal effort.

Ecommerce inventory dashboards leverage geo-mapping visualizations powered by APIs showing demand hotspots, supply gaps, and logistics flows optimizing planning. Ridesharing experiences utterly depend on maps integration.

Location APIs also facilitate GPS tracking and navigation in distribution, autonomous vehicles, and employee journey mapping scenarios – opening innovation opportunities.

Payments

From SaaS subscription management to conference registrations, collecting user payments is integral to monetizing digital offerings. But coding bespoke payment logic across geographies and methods like cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers proves complex fast.

Payment APIs from the likes of Stripe, PayPal, RazorPay and regional providers like CashFree (India) reduce this operational burden by handling risk analysis, securing sensitive data, managing regional compliance and settlement – freeing up engineering bandwidth for creators.

High-volume platforms handling tickets, e-commerce, donations or membership dues invariably use payment APIs as scale multipliers by offloading complex problems of dynamically reconciling hundreds of daily transactions.

Notifications

Engaging users by sending real-time SMS, email or push notifications during critical events provides tremendous utility whether for order dispatch alerts, SMS OTP authentication or invitation reminders.

Building this reliably across global telco systems and device types consumes pointless engineering resources. Notification APIs from Twillio, MailChimp and OneSignal simplify adding these real-time messaging capabilities into apps via simple API calls for infinitely scalable reach.

Machine Learning

Sophisticated machine learning models like visual classifiers, predictive analytics and natural language processing techniques assist in tackling use cases like personalized content ranking, predictive maintenance of industrial assets, biometric security or medical diagnosis support and more.

But gathering relevant training data and engineering complex models requires specialized skill. ML APIs by contributors like Google, IBM Watson and Algorithmia allow easily incorporating pre-built and optimized models like image/video recognition, predictive insights and conversation analysis into apps via simple API calls to activate AI-powered functionality.

User Management

Robust user identity capabilities like centralized authentication, account security and access control prove vital for usable and secure consumer and workplace apps.

Platforms like Auth0, Okta and Firebase Authentication furnish authentication APIs, social login integrations and user security APIs that offload identity dev overhead for engineering teams – letting them focus on core app logic.

Payments

From SaaS subscription management to conference registrations, collecting user payments is integral to monetizing digital offerings. But coding bespoke payment logic across geographies and methods like cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers proves complex fast.

Payment APIs from the likes of Stripe, PayPal, RazorPay and regional providers like CashFree (India) reduce this operational burden by handling risk analysis, securing sensitive data, managing regional compliance and settlement – freeing up engineering bandwidth for creators.

High-volume platforms handling tickets, e-commerce, donations or membership dues invariably use payment APIs as scale multipliers by offloading complex problems of dynamically reconciling hundreds of daily transactions.

These demonstrate a tiny sample of the incredibly diverse modern API ecosystem powering simplistic access to incredibly advanced functionality across verticals and domains – saving development effort multifold.

Understanding API Requests and Responses

Now that we’ve comprehended the immense capabilities unlocked by APIs, let’s get into the basics of technically building with and using APIs for application development tasks:

API Endpoints

Think of API endpoints like dedicated URLs that expose specific functionality or data resources offered by the API provider for external usage.

For example, Stripe’s API exposes endpoints like:

https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges - Manage payments and transactions
https://api.stripe.com/v1/customers - Create and manage customers
https://api.stripe.com/v1/invoices - Handle invoicing

The domain and path structure helps categorize related capabilities that developers can access by calling with appropriate authorization.

Calling unlisted endpoints will mostly yield errors lacking valid credentials and access permissions for that resource. So sticking to interacting with designated endpoints proves vital.

For example, an e-commerce inventory API could designate:

/products - Get product catalog
/orders - Get order history  
/warehouses/{id} - Get inventory for specific warehouse

This surfaces related data in a structured manner.

API Request Methods

APIs expose their capabilities using different HTTP verbs applied to endpoints that manipulate or fetch data:

GET – Safely requests resource representation without modifying state. Usually returns JSON- or XML-formatted resource data. Used for data queries.

GET /products 
# Fetches full catalog list 

POST – Submits data to API to create new objects or trigger actions. Often used to create new records or execute operations.

POST /orders
# Create new order object

PUT – Fully replaces/updates a full target record with request data. Can be used to overwrite records.

PUT /products/22314512 # Overwrite product 22314512 record 

PATCH – Selectively modifies parts of a target resource rather than full replacement. Granular record updates.

DELETE – Deletes/deactivates specified data record on API. Removes rather than edits data.

So by combining endpoints with the appropriate actions, API capabilities get exposed for application developers.

API Request Structure

Most web APIs expect client calls containing:

• Endpoint – API URL path designating relevant object or action
• Method – GET, POST, PUT, PATCH or DELETE operation type
• Headers – Metadata like data formats used (JSON, XML) or authentication (API keys)
• Parameters – Additional filters or configs sent along in query string
• Request Body – Nested structured data payload sent in POST, PUT, PATCH calls

Here’s an example API call:

POST /orders  

Headers:
   Content-Type: application/json
   Authorization: Bearer API_KEY 

Parameters: 
   customerId=1234

Request Body:
    {
     "items": [
        {"productId": 432432, "quantity": 2},
        {"productId": 546546, "quantity": 1}
     ],
     "timestamp": 1677324746
   }

This request contains the endpoint, POST method, headers for data formatting and authorization, optional filtering parameters and a JSON body with order details.

Structured, standardized requests help APIs parse out relevant elements unambiguously.

Understanding API Responses

API calls by clients receive corresponding responses containing:

• Status Code – 3-digit HTTP status summarizing result – 200 OK, 400 BAD REQUEST, 500 SERVER ERROR etc.
• Headers – Metadata on response structure, caching instructions etc.
• Response Body – Requested data payload in JSON/XML or error object on failure

For example:

200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
X-Cache-Enabled: True

{
   "orderId": 923842093, 
   "createdOn": "2023-02-28T09:30:43.52Z",
   "status": "CONFIRMED"
}

Here 200 OK denotes success, Headers describe output structure, and Body contains Order details from the POST call earlier.

Other responses could be:

400 BAD REQUEST 

{
    "error": "invalid_items",
    "message": "Order contains invalid product IDs" 
}

404 NOT FOUND

{} # Empty body still well-formed “`

So APIs exchange requests and correlated responses between clients and servers – powering seamless interoperability.

Key Steps for Consuming an API

We’ve now covered API concepts in depth. Let’s practically explore typical steps involved in leveraging APIs within software applications:

1. Find Relevant API and Documentation

Numerous catalogues like RapidAPI, Postman API Directory and ProgrammableWeb help discovering readymade APIs delivering desired data or services across categories like payments, user authentication, messaging, machine learning etc.

Provider developer portals serve interactive reference docs illustrating usage of specific APIs:

• Endpoints – Available API resources
• Requests & Responses – Example API calls and outputs
• Authorization – Instructions securing API access
• SDKs & Tools – Code libraries and utilities simplified adoption

2. Obtain API Keys & Credentials

Public APIs usually require upfront signup and registration to issue API keys granting usage quota and access management abilities before enabling integration.

For example, the Stripe or Twilio payment and messaging APIs provide scoped test and live API keys letting developers safely build initially before launching production apps handling money or messages using mature approval workflows.

APIs may also support OAuth access tokens as credentials for secure delegated app access granted by users at runtime rather than upfront API keys for streamlined UX.

3. Study API Reference

Based on relevant documentation and sandbox experimentation, developers should learn:

• Supported endpoints and actions
• Required and optional inputs
• Expected output schemas
• Data structures like JSON
• Authentication mechanisms
• Error handling processes
• Usage quotas or rate limits

Thorough API homework sets up smooth integration down the line.

4. Set Up a Development Sandbox

Most APIs provide configurable test environments and sandbox workspaces helping developers safely build integrations with mock data and simulated outcomes before dealing with real-world dependencies:

Sandboxes facilitate exploring API capabilities, prototyping requests, inspecting responses, handling errors without operational side effects before final production deployment.

5. Test API Calls with Sample Data

Using POSTMAN collections or writing minimal scripts, start constructing representative API calls for expected app usage flows:

• Test auth mechanisms
• Exercise CRUD operations
• Validate error handling
• Confirm expected outcomes

Momentum by incrementally proving API reliability prevents downstream surprises.

6. Handle Edge Cases and Failures

While sunny day scenarios may work well, prepare for less happy paths by:

• Testing invalid or malformed requests
• Triggering auth failures
• Forcing errors and studying responses
• Checking quotas or rate limits
• Considering latency SLA breaches

This hardens integration robustness for real-world cloud variability.

7. Move to Production

Once confidence in API stability grows via testing, transition the validated integration patterns into production applications.

Continuous monitoring, analytics and scaling preparations help ensure delightful end user experiences calling APIs indirectly.

Carefully secured keys and access tokens remain vital for the production arena.

Following these steps helps smooth API consumption – opening doors to powerful capabilities!

API Best Practices

Beyond nuts-and-bolts API integration, what separates basic API implementations from excellent, industrial grade designs that delight developers and customers?

Here are 8 API excellence best practices:

Easy to Understand Documentation

Comprehensive, up-to-date API reference documentation with extensive examples remains vital for software teams to leverage capabilities confidently. Interactive consoles accelerating experimentation help tremendously.

Hardened Security Protections

APIs exposing functionality or data require hardened authentication mechanisms (API keys, OAuth tokens, service accounts), access control checks and policies, abuse detection, automated threat monitoring and remediation to prevent external impacts on customer trust or safety.

Carefully Managed Versioning

APIs evolve rapidly and support for multiple versions in sustaining legacy clients while progressing capabilities ensures smooth migrations. Deprecation policies and sunset runway help clients adjust.

Reliable Scalable Infrastructure

High performing, resilient API backends rely on scalable and dependable cloud infrastructure accommodating volatile traffic patterns and guaranteeing robust SLAs even under peak demand.

Business Continuity Assurances

Enterprise-grade APIs mandate formal availability and uptime SLAs, regional failover capabilities, redundancy in upstream systems, firewall-secured endpoints and proven disaster recovery provisions evaluating catastrophic risks.

Developer Experience Mindset

APIs succeed relying heavily on strong adoption within the developer community often outside direct control. Optimizing for effortless onboarding, delightful integration workflows and stellar support ultimately wins.

Analyze Usage Insights

Collecting fine-grained usage analytics regarding API traffic patterns, performance hotspots, reliability metrics, consumption trends and debugging telemetry unlocks data-informed improvements. Studying behavioral analytics provides a competitive edge.

Aligned Legal and Pricing Models

Mature API platforms invest carefully in pricing models incentivizing desired adoption behaviors from business tiers to consumption quotas, indemnities protecting mutual interests, change notification policies and fair TOS limiting future conflicts between platform interests vs developers relying on continued access for their livelihood.

Taking the time to evaluate these critical pillars beyond simply exposing functional API contracts pays off in spades when it comes to accumulating trust and growing thriving ecosystems.

API Learning Checklist for Beginners

While we’ve covered extensive ground understanding APIs, consolidating these key learning for reference helps master these essential concepts:

Define API

• Application Programming Interface for service and data integration
• Enables discrete software systems to communicate
• Provides facade hiding internal complexity

Examples

• Maps, Payment, Notifications, AI/ML APIs

Types of APIs

• Public vs Private
• Web APIs vs Programmatic APIs

Protocols

• REST, GraphQL, SOAP, gRPC

API Call Components

• Endpoint URL, HTTP methods, Headers, Parameters, Request Body

API Response Components

• Status Codes, Response Headers, Response Body

Benefits of APIs

• Accelerates software innovation
• Automates workflows
• Composable building blocks
• External data ecosystem

Steps to Use APIs

• Find documentation
• Obtain credentials
• Study reference docs
• Test in sandbox
• Handle failures
• Monitor in production

Best Practices

• Developer experience
• Hardened security
• Reliable infrastructure
• Usage analytics
• Legal terms

Learning these foundational API literacy concepts empowers participating in the API economy unlocking efficient interoperability.

FAQs about APIs

Let’s summarize some common reader questions about applying APIs:

Why are APIs important?

APIs enable easier interoperability between discrete software systems powering connected experiences. They drive velocity, automation and innovation across industries.

What can APIs be used for?

Typical API application areas:

• Data aggregation, analytics and reporting
• Workflow automation across systems
• Embedding third party functionality like payments or AI
• Building mobile/web apps by combining specialized APIs

What are examples of public APIs?

Some popular public API providers include:

• Stripe – Payments and checkout
• Twilio – Messaging and communication
• Google Maps – Interactive maps and location
• Twitter – Social media data
• Dark Sky – Weather data
• Clarifai – Image recognition AI models

How do I get access to APIs?

Public API providers offer API keys and free tiers to register, learn capabilities and start testing integration. Productionizing applications involves paid tiers. Private internal APIs follow organizational authentication and policies.

What are the most common API protocols?

The most ubiquitous API design approaches include:

• REST – Simple HTTP-based lightweight APIs
• GraphQL – Structured OpenAPI specification
• SOAP – Heavy payload XML-based web services
• gRPC – Performance remote procedure calls

How can I start using free public APIs?

Great places to locate free public APIs for experimenting:

• RapidAPI API Hub
• Postman API Directory
• ProgrammableWeb API Database
• Public API List on GitHub
• API Directory by Mashape

Check developer documentation portals of chosen APIs for integration guidance.

I hope this comprehensive guide helps demystify APIs for application development and automation projects. Please contact RM Digital for any additional consultation or projects assistance needed with API integration or adoption.