API
An API is a door with agreed rules through which one piece of software sends data to another and gets an answer back. Your website uses an API to send an order to the shipping company and receive a tracking number.
What is an API?
An API is how one program gives data to another or asks it for data. The name stands for Application Programming Interface. The rules are fixed in advance: what information goes where, in what format, and what comes back.
Here is an everyday case. An order arrives on your website. The site sends the customer name and address to the shipping company through its API. The shipping company answers with a tracking number, and your site emails it to the customer. Nobody retypes anything.
Why does it matter?
APIs end manual data entry, which is slow and error-prone. When you choose a software product, check whether it offers an API. If it does not, connecting it to other systems later gets hard. See how we connect systems on our integrations page. The most common kind is explained under REST API.
Frequently asked questions
What does an API do?
An API lets two programs exchange data without anyone retyping it. Your site sends orders to the shipping company, invoices to accounting and payments to the bank through APIs. The data is entered once and flows everywhere else.
What is the difference between an API and an integration?
An API is the door. An integration is the work of connecting two systems through it. An integration often uses several APIs and also handles errors, retries and logging.
How do I know if my software has an API?
Check the vendor's developer documentation or ask their support team. Vendors that offer an API usually publish a documentation page and a test account. Without one, data can move by file export, which is slower and more fragile.
Is using an API safe?
Yes, when it is set up properly. Each request is authenticated with a key or token and the connection is encrypted. Keys stay out of the code and get only the permissions they need.