An API, or application programming interface, is a set of rules that lets one piece of software ask another for something.
A menu, not a kitchen
Think of it like a restaurant menu: you can order what's listed without knowing how the kitchen works.
Everyday examples
A weather app asks a weather service's API for today's forecast. A shop's checkout asks a payment API to charge your card.
Why companies offer them
An API lets other developers build on a service safely, without giving them access to everything inside it.
Keys and limits
Most APIs need a key to identify who is asking, and they limit how many requests can be made.
Series · Part 1 of 4Tech, Plainly
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- 1 Sample source: background reference
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- 3 Sample source: explainer from another publisher (facts only)
