What if APIs were like Honeybees

Within a beehive there are many honeybees going to flowers to find resources that will help the colony. Each bee is completing a task to move resources from one place to another.

On a website, sometimes you need to find out the current weather, track a delivery or check if a customer has paid. Instead of finding this information yourselves you can send a request to another service, often via an API.

This can help you understand better what an API is, how they work and why they are important for websites.

What is an API?

An API (Application Programming Interface) is an established way of requesting information from one application to another.

You can think of your website as the beehive with another service being the flowers. An API will provide a set of rules to make your request.

Many websites will use APIs to request information. For example a travel website may want to show live weather forecasts. Instead of having a system in place to track the weather they can request information using the weather service API. This will then give a response which can be shown to customers.

An API isn’t always another app or button but is an interface used by developers.

Why are APIs like Honeybees?

Just as honeybees move between flowers and the hive carrying information, APIs help transfer information between two applications. Using this analogy:

1. Beehive – Website/application wanting information.
2. Flowers – Another system with information or service.
3. Journey – API request.
4. Returning to the hive – API response (price, location, payment).
5. Rules – Technical rules which tell the applications how to interact.

One thing to note though, honeybees are alive whilst APIs use pre-set software rules. APIs won’t know what information your business needs.

How do APIs work?

Below is a simple example of how an API works. Let’s say a customer visits a shopping website and wants to check their delivery.

1. Customer action – Customer clicks ‘Track Order’.
2. Request – Website software sends a request to the delivery providers API. They will have a specific URL (endpoint).
3. Check request – The provider may check they have the correct API key or authorisation.
4. Response – The provider will send back the delivery status in an organised format, usually JSON (JavaScript Object Notation).
5. Show response – The customer will see a message showing the delivery status.

The customer doesn’t need to worry about JSON, endpoints or authorisation. They’ll just see the information they wanted.

Like the hive will benefit from the bees bringing back useful resources, the website will benefit from the other service providing useful information.

Common examples of APIs in everyday life

APIs are very common within the digital services we use daily. Some examples include:

1. Weather apps – Using an API to request information from weather data providers.
2. Online stores – Using a payment service API to start payments and check status.
3. Delivery websites – Using an API to get tracking updates from a shipping/logistics provider.
4. Maps – Using a map service to show maps, locations and directions.
5. Sign-in – Using an external identity provider to sign-in.

Software is interacting with another system using set rules. This means you don’t need to build every feature yourself.

What is a REST API?

REST APIs are a common type of API used for websites. REST APIs are often based around resources (products, orders, users). These are often based around HTTP requests:

1. GET – Get information (order status).
2. POST – Send information or create something.
3. PUT/PATCH – Update something.
4. DELETE – Request to delete something.

This is similar to the honeybee analogy. The system will look at the method, endpoint and request to decide how to respond.

Not every API will be a REST API but it’s a good starting point to understand how web APIs work.

How are APIs secure?

Just like a real beehive would need security, your business website will need security. An API can pass sensitive information so it is very important to keep them secure.

Many developers will use the following to secure an API:

1. HTTPS – Encrypts information.
2. Authorisation – Helps confirm who/what is requesting.
3. Authorisation – Restricts what information can be accessed.
4. Validation – Checks the data coming in.
5. Rate Limiting – Limits too many requests.

Whilst there are many security measures in place you still need to make sure you work with trusted providers. It’s also important to keep your credentials safe and set up your integrations correctly.

What happens if an API fails?

Sometimes the message carrier won’t be able to deliver the message. The service may be down, the request is incorrect or access denied.

An API can return an error code. 404 usually means a resource wasn’t found. 500 means there has been an internal server error.

A well designed website should handle this in a clear way. The customer won’t be left with a static screen but will receive an informative error message and the option to try again.

Why is API integration important for your business website?

API integration can help your business connect useful services. For example you could connect a booking form to a booking system, online store to payment provider or connect customer accounts to delivery tracking.

Benefits can include:

1. Improved customer experience – Customers can see important updates in one place.
2. Less manual work – Systems can automatically share information.
3. Faster – Your team can build on existing services.
4. Expandable – You can add services to your business that are supported.

However there will always be some dependencies with any integration. Consider working with reliable providers, cost, data privacy and maintenance.

At Arish IT Services we recognise the importance of having clear and connected digital experiences. Take a look at our web development services and portfolio to find out more.

Summary

The hive works because there are many small tasks helping a bigger system. APIs can help websites and applications work together by having set requests and responses.

Next time you track a delivery, see a live map or complete an online payment, remember the honeybee analogy. One system is asking for information and the other is providing. Useful information is being passed to where it needs to go.

If you need a website for your business that will connect the right tools and services, get in touch with our team.