What is an API? How and why to use an API?

Have you came across the word ‘API’? Does it seems complicated to you? Than this post is for you. APIs might seem complicated, but by the end of this post, you’ll know how an API works and what using them entails.

What is an API?

An API, short for automatic programming interface, is a series of rules. To be even clearer, it is an information middleman. APIs allow for an application to extract information from a piece of software and use that information in their own application, or sometimes for data analysis.

In the plainest terms, an API is a blueprint that enables “your stuff” to talk to and work with “their stuff.” Your stuff, in this case, is known as the “API endpoint.”

What is an API endpoint?

An API endpoint is the destination of the API requested by a website owner. If a content management system (CMS) requests access to an API, the CMS serves as the API’s endpoint. It’s important for websites to function well so they can become secure and supportive endpoints for developers looking to share their data.

Why are APIs important?

One of the first questions many marketers ask is: Why do all of these businesses share their data openly, for free?

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Normally, the answer is scale. As software companies grow, the staff within those companies quickly realize they have more ideas than they have time and resources to develop them.

By creating APIs, companies let third-party developers create applications that can improve the usage and adoption of the main platform. In that way, a business can build an ecosystem that becomes dependent on the data from their API — a dynamic that often leads to additional revenue opportunities.

How to Use an API

Understanding the value of a particular API is essentially about understanding what information is available through an API and how it can be accessed. To find out what a particular API can do for you, you can do one of two things.

Ask a web developer to look at an API and discuss it with you.
Do the research on your own. If you don’t have access or budget to use a web developer, this is an appealing option. But don’t panic — many online services have good API documentation.

Now that you all about APIs, have you thought about using it for your business? Give us a call or contact us. Here at Ujudebug, our team will help your business or website to reach new heights. You can also view our portfolio here.

UJUDEBUG

Established as a software company in Tezpur, Assam, UJUDEBUG has established itself as one of the premiere and uniquely customer friendly software solution companies of Assam and the North-eastern part of India. Our traditional business model is based on satisfying the software needs of common people in the digital markets of Assam as well as the whole of India. UJUDEBUG offers a vast and varied range of complete IT solutions to the clients right from web design to app development. At present, we are focused mainly on software services, embedded systems, website design and development, mobile applications, training services, digital marketing, SEO and eCommerce solution.