How do APIs work?
An API is essentially a set of methods/functions that can be accessed when a third-party application sends an HTTP request.
Step 1:
A client/third-party application sends an API request to the web server in a simple HTTP request.
Step 2:
The API then makes a call to the web server if the request is valid.
Step 3:
The server then sends back the requested data to the API, and the API sends the response back to the client application. The response is sent back in a JSON/XML format.
API key
API keys are used for identification and authorization purposes to protect servers from malicious requests. It is a unique identifier that is assigned to client applications. When the client applications make an API call, they send the API key along with the HTTP request. This key helps the application uniquely identify each user and keep track of the number of requests being sent. It also takes care that spam requests are not being sent to the server.
Real-world APIs
Now that we understand the basics of API let's have a look at some very popular real-world APIs,
The first API in our list is Whatsapp. Today, all of us use WhatsApp to stay in touch with our family and friends. WhatsApp Business API is an API meant for large and medium businesses, enabling business enterprises to interact with customers worldwide. So WhatsApp, which was initially launched for personal use for everyone, has also paved its way into the business arena. The main advantage of using it is that WhatsApp Business API gives plenty of integrations with other services as well. It also supports various media message features like text, images, location, audio files, interactive buttons, etc. You can learn more about it here.
YouTube is another familiar name for all of us. The YouTube Data API lets developers add YouTube functionality to their applications. It allows us to search for videos, channels, upload videos, manage a playlist, and do a lot more in our web applications. You can learn more about it from their documentation page here.
The next API we are going to talk about is Google Maps API. Google Maps is a web mapping platform by Google. It offers very rich geographical data with over 220 countries and territories mapped along with real-time GPS navigation and traffic information. So, it is of no surprise that businesses use Google Maps API extensively to connect with clients. There are tons of things that we can do in our application, with Google Maps APIs starting from adding a map, drawing a route to getting directions data, getting name address, opening hours of places. Have a look at their documentation page here.
Nowadays, third-party applications like Paytm, Flipkart, etc., have made the online booking of airline tickets effortless and convenient. But it is essential to know that these third-party applications use APIs of various airline services to do the job. One famous airline API is the Indigo API, provided by Indigo airlines. You can check out the documentation page of Indigo API here.
AccuWeather provides the best and the most sophisticated weather forecasts with superior accuracy. It is trusted worldwide, and so is its API. The AccuWeather API can be easily integrated with any client application and can be used according to the app's needs. Check out the official AccuWeather API website here.
Twitter is an amazing social networking service that allows users to post 'tweets'. The Twitter API lets us read and write Twitter data - from posting tweets, reading profiles, downloading images, and a ton more. Check out the official Twitter API documentation page here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is an API?
Ans: API is an intermediate software that allows two applications to interact using a defined set of rules.
Q2. What are some real-world APIs?
Ans: Some real-world APIs are Facebook API, WhatsApp API, Twitter API, Google Maps API.
Q3. What is the full form of API?
Ans: The full form of API is Application Programming Interface.
Q4. What are the different types of API?
Ans: There are mainly four types of APIs,
- Open APIs/Public APIs: This type of API is publicly available and is open for everyone to access.
- Partner APIs: Unlike Open APIs, this type of API is not publicly available, and a developer requires a license to access it.
- Internal APIs/Private APIs: As the name suggests, this kind of API finds its use only for internal usage within an organization/company.
- Composite APIs: Composite APIs are designed to bundle multiple API requests sequentially into a single API call.
Key Takeaways
APIs are used everywhere, from social media to businesses, and are integral to most modern applications. In this blog, we learned about APIs and some real-world applications of APIs.
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Happy Learning, Ninja!
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