What is application programming interface integration?
Definition
Application programming interface integration implements the authentication, requests, response handling, data mapping, retries, and error behavior needed to use another service. The integration translates between the external API contract and the application's internal data and workflow requirements.
A production integration should protect credentials, validate untrusted responses, respect rate limits, avoid duplicate side effects, and preserve useful diagnostics. Clear ownership is important because changes to either side of the contract can affect the workflow.
Acronyms and aliases
API integration acronymservice API connection variant
Specialised terms
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What does an application programming interface integration contain?
It typically contains authentication, request construction, data mapping, response validation, retries, rate-limit handling, and error reporting.
Can an artificial intelligence agent maintain an API integration?
It can assist with bounded changes and monitoring, but updates still require authorization, testing, credential safety, and compatibility checks.
