We use them for everything from getting directions to finding out who’s running for office — even ordering a pizza! But what exactly are API Integrations ? And how can they help me? Let’s find out!
API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of protocols and tools for building software applications to exchange data. Companies build APIs so that other companies can use them to develop their own services or enhance an existing service. Basically, it’s how one software system talks to another.
In this article, we will discuss what API integrations are, how they work, and how you can use them in your app development process to deliver data and functionality to your users.
What are APIs ?
APIs are everywhere, often without you even knowing it. There are many popular perfex solutions that are well-known, including Facebook’s API, Twitter’s API and Fitbit’s API.
One of the main reasons that these services have become so successful is because they offer an open platform for developers to build applications on top of. This is what people mean when they say that APIs are driving the digital transformation of business – many third-party software systems and applications access these applications via their APIs.
What are API integrations?
APIs drive a company’s platform, providing developers with the tools they need to connect their products with external systems and other applications.
For example, you would be able to integrate Stripe’s payment processing API into your online shop in order to accept credit card payments without having your customer leave your website. Integrating with Stripe means you don’t have the burden of setting up complicated payment processing infrastructure on yours or your client’s website.
Another example is when you integrate with MailChimp in order to be able to send email campaigns via their perfex crm customization estimate. API integration tools can simplify the process of implementing APIs between two separate services by going through an intermediary.
For example, you can send an SMS message via Click Send each time a user is registered in your Back endless backend. The process is handled using an intermediary Zapier.
What is the API integration process?
API integrations are made possible through a process known as a “reverse REST” request. This is the key to what makes web hooks so powerful: instead of making a request and waiting for a response, you set up a cloud function that will be called whenever something happens on another website.
API integrations enable companies and developers to bring the best features from the web together, allowing them to work seamlessly with one another. Every day, APIs help create applications that connect multiple services and enhance user experience. It’s an important technology that should be considered as a priority by every company, large or small.
It’s not uncommon for today’s companies to operate in a variety of different industries. You might have one company that offers online marketing services, another that provides e-commerce solutions and a third that sells subscriptions to streaming music.
Of course, each of these businesses has their own unique needs, and no two are exactly alike. While they all offer products or services through the web, finding a way to connect them can be a challenge. Even if they share many of the same features, each platform has its own language and structure that make it difficult to bridge the gap.
This is where API integrations come in. They allow you to connect different systems together, making it possible for your websites to communicate with one another. Whether you use Stripe to process your credit card transactions or Zapier as a simple way to automate processes between apps, integrating with other services can open up new opportunities for you and your business.
Why is API integration necessary?
Integrated API connectivity helps a user share information without interruption. You permit the communication by a single API between two web applications.
It enables organizations to streamline processes, enhance seamless data exchange and incorporate present applications.
Enterprises should never ignore API integration as an important technology tool in modern society. After an increase in cloud computing applications, organizations have created a system that transmits data automatically between software products. API integration makes this possible by allowing the sharing of processes and business data within the same ecosystem.
Examples of API integration
E-commerce websites exemplify the main use for API integration: combining services without having to build them yourself. For example, Internet shopping sites are equipped with ordering management systems that handle the shopping and ship orders. But for processing they must use servers that contain customer information, product information, as well as inventory numbers.
It is common to integrate third party payment processing systems due to the high level of security required to protect sensitive customer information. Ecommerce sites and integrations such as Shopify utilize plugins which, in effect, automation the process of setting up an API integration with payment processing services. For the shop owner, the setup can be as simple as registering for an API key and adding it in their own backend.
Back endless offers a similar setup. Back endless users can implement our Stripe plugin to add payment processing with Stripe to their application. All you need to do is input your Stripe API key and you’re ready to go.
What is an API integration platform?
API integration platforms are web-based software that allow organizations to design their own APIs, which can be shared across any other organization. They provide the most secure and reliable way to manage and share data between different systems.
It is important to note that this process does not happen in real time. It takes a certain amount of time for an API to respond with a result. If a user updates information in one system, it may take a few seconds to update the other connected systems.
API Integration platform providers
There are a number of API integration platform providers that feature out-of-the-box integrations. Zapier, for example, is a service that helps you integrate and automate the tasks between different online apps and services.
This makes it easy for anyone to automate their workflow, regardless of technical knowledge.
Common uses for API integrations
Connect cloud apps to complete business processes
There are millions of cloud applications out there, many designed to serve very specific, small niche business purposes. In fact, there are many apps that exist only to serve as an API endpoint for a specific process that is otherwise complex to create.
In many cases, industry-specific requirements dictate software requirements. For example, the aforementioned ecommerce sites need the best security possible for payment processing while businesses in the medical device industry may require HIPAA compliance when processing transactions.
Custom integration apps
Some API integration software tools enable custom integrations by allowing the user to build custom integration apps. These apps are designed to help customers create new integrations that can extend an API’s functionality or enhance existing integrations.
Using this feature, end users can create their own integrations to connect different apps or processes.
Conclusion
API integration is a powerful tool that can help you connect complex app functions and simplify your development process, creating the foundation for complete business automation. The ability to automatically integrate apps will increase efficiency by allowing systems to communicate with each other without added effort on your end.
It’s important to remember APIs are built so they can be consumed in a variety of ways, meaning you aren’t locked in to a specific user interface or workflow. The goal of APIs is interoperability across all major platforms and use cases, so you should take advantage of the rich features these integration tools have to offer.