API Integration Patterns: All You Need to Know

There is no doubt that APIs are an inseparable aspect of today’s vast software ecosystem. They provide us with endless ways to connect a wide range of applications and play a crucial role in our digital transformation.

In this blog post, we’re going to touch upon APIs and explain the importance and the different patterns of API integration. We will also discuss why they are important and pinpoint a number of challenges that you might encounter along the path of API integration.

What is an API?

An API, which stands for Application Programming Interface, is a messenger between different software programs. It allows them to communicate with each other and exchange data or functionality.

In simpler terms, APIs provide a way for programs to ask for and receive information from other programs without needing to know the inner workings of those programs.

This simplifies and streamlines software development, and allows programmers to use existing functionalities instead of building everything from scratch.

APIs are used extensively in various applications. For instance, when you use a travel website to book a hotel room, the website interacts with the hotel’s API to check availability and prices, and eventually reserve your room. Social media platforms also make use of APIs to enable users to share content across different platforms.

Read More: 7 Must-Know API Trends to Watch Out For in 2024

What is API Integration?

API integration is the process of using APIs to connect two or more applications or systems to exchange data and perform functions.

Let’s imagine that a company’s transportation management system wants to exchange data with another company’s ERP system.

While in the past this would have involved faxing or emailing, nowadays, thanks to API integration, the data exchange can be achieved automatically without any human interaction.

By creating a communication channel, API integration allows businesses to operate more efficiently and accurately.

What are Different Types of APIs?

There are different ways to categorize APIs. A common way is to group them by who can use them. Based on this categorization, we can think of four main types – Open, Partner, Internal, and Composite APIs – which will be explained in more detail below.

Open APIs

Open APIs, aka public APIs, can be accessed by anyone. While they are easy to use, they might have limited data and security. Some are free and some others have paid plans based on usage.

There are benefits to making APIs public. The biggest one is allowing anyone to connect their software to the API’s app. This ease of use lets outside developers quickly use the API’s data.

For instance, the traffic app Waze uses public APIs from cities to show road closures and accidents. In return, Waze helps people navigate cities more easily, which benefits everyone.

Partner APIs

In contrast to open APIs, Partner APIs are exclusive to companies that have a business partnership with the API provider. Access is controlled tightly with only authorized partners and their licensed applications getting in. This focus on who can use the API makes Partner APIs more secure than public ones.

Companies overall choose Partner APIs for two main reasons. First of all, they get to decide who uses their data, and second, they can set rules on how that data is used.

Take Pinterest for example which only gives access to new data features of its API after partners explain exactly how they plan to use it.

Internal APIs

Internal APIs, unlike public or partner APIs, are for a company’s own use. They function as private data channels between different software programs within the company. Only the company’s developers have access, keeping them hidden from outsiders.

Internal APIs can be undocumented, but companies sometimes make them public later. They’re popular because they’re faster, more secure, and easier to track data flow compared to other methods.

Internal APIs also make it simpler to connect new company systems to existing ones, and thus help companies future-proof their tech infrastructure.

Composite APIs

Composite APIs can help you with accessing and retrieving information from various apps or sources simultaneously.

They act as a bridge by allowing you to combine multiple API calls into a single request. This means you get one unified response from all those servers, streamlining the process.

Another benefit is automation. You can set up a composite API to trigger a sequence of calls and responses automatically without you needing to do anything further. This can be helpful for complex tasks that involve multiple steps.

Since you’re making fewer total calls, composite APIs can improve overall system performance. There’s less load on the servers, and your code becomes cleaner and easier to manage. This is especially useful for microservices architectures where small and specialized services work together.

Read more: What is an API Development? The Things You Should Know

What are the Most Popular API Integration Patterns?

APIs come in various integration patterns. In what follows, we will take a look at five of the most important integration patterns.

Request-Response Pattern

This is a fundamental method for integrating APIs where a client initiates communication by sending a request to a server. The server then processes the request and sends a response containing data or a status update.

Depending on the specific situation and the communication protocol, there are two major approaches for sending requests and receiving responses:

• Synchronous: In protocols like HTTP, the client waits for the server’s response before sending another request.
• Asynchronous: Message queues operate asynchronously. Here, the client and server can send and receive messages independently without waiting for each other’s response.

Request-response is well-suited for straightforward interactions where a client needs to retrieve or modify data on a server.

Publish-Subscribe Pattern

This is another popular API integration method. Here, a publisher broadcasts messages to a designated topic, and multiple subscribers can receive those messages.

In this integration pattern, the publisher and subscribers are decoupled, i.e. they don’t need to be aware of each other’s identities, locations, or even if they are currently active.

This pattern is particularly beneficial for event-driven and distributed systems. It allows a publisher to notify multiple subscribers about changes or events.

Representational State Transfer (REST) Patterns

REST is a widely used and straightforward method for request-response integration. It relies on a stateless client-server communication model. In this model, each message transmitted between client and server includes all the data required for the server to comprehend and fulfill the request.

The core concept of REST APIs revolves around resources. These resources represent entities made available by the API and can be accessed or modified using designated URL paths.

To interact with a REST API, the client initiates a request directed at the server. This request specifies the desired action (using HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) on a particular URL (the resource).

Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Pattern

An extension of the request-response pattern, RPC allows clients to call functions or methods directly on the server. The server executes the requested function and returns the result.

This pattern simplifies communication by making client-server interactions resemble local function calls, even though they occur over a network.

Data formats like XML-RPC, JSON-RPC, gRPC, or SOAP can be used with RPC. Given that RPC reduces the complexity and the number of steps required in API calls, it is useful for exposing complex server-side logic to clients.

GraphQL

GraphQL offers a more flexible approach to data retrieval compared to REST APIs. Unlike REST, where clients request specific resources, GraphQL allows clients to define precisely which data fields they need from various resources within a single query.

The server interprets this query, retrieves the requested data efficiently, and returns it to the client.

This method grants clients greater control over the data they receive. However, it also necessitates servers capable of handling more intricate and potentially unique queries.

To put it another way, GraphQL functions like a customizable restaurant menu. Instead of requesting pre-defined dishes (resources in REST), clients can specify the exact data points (ingredients) they desire.

While this approach shares similarities with the RPC pattern, it’s important to note that clients are not dictating how the data is generated, but rather how it’s presented.

One potential drawback of GraphQL is its increased complexity for the server. Parsing intricate user queries requires additional processing power compared to REST.

Despite this, GraphQL has a significant advantage over REST and RPC which is smaller response sizes. By allowing clients to request only the necessary data, GraphQL minimizes the amount of information transferred that will contribute to faster response times.

Read More: Top 10 API Development Companies in the World

What are the Benefits of Using API Integration Patterns?

There are numerous advantages to making use of API integration, some of which are:

1. Higher Performance

API integrations contribute to higher performance in a number of ways. To begin with, data transfer between applications happens in milliseconds which helps employees and partners have near real-time access to critical information.

Moreover, API integrations are resilient to changes in application user interfaces (UIs), so updates won’t disrupt functionality. Also, third-party application connectors can simplify setup and management. These connectors can handle API changes over time and ensure seamless integration without interruptions.

2. Eliminating Data Silos

One of the main advantages of API integration is its ability to eliminate data silos.  Without integration, employees often struggle to locate the information they need. This can lead to them wasting time asking colleagues, requesting data from IT, or even assuming the data doesn’t exist.

API integration solves this problem by allowing employees to access the data they require directly within the applications they already use, and at the precise moment they need it.

3. Reducing Human Errors

Manual data entry is a recipe for mistakes. By automating data transfer between applications, API integrations do away with the risk of typos, copy-and-paste errors, and accidentally entering the wrong information.

This will contribute to better data accuracy, and more importantly, prevent downstream issues that can arise from bad data.

4. Increasing Productivity

Without integrated systems, employees may switch between numerous applications. API integrations streamline processes by making necessary data accessible within commonly used applications.

This means that, for instance, a finance team member won’t have to access the CRM to find out the sales representative associated with a particular deal. Instead, this information would be automatically updated in the ERP system.

5. Better Client Loyalty

By allowing customers to connect your offering with their existing systems, your product inherently gains in value.

This integration means that clients can avoid the cumbersome process of manually transferring files to and from your application as data from third-party services can be seamlessly incorporated.

Such integrations can also enable the creation of automation within the app, and the data obtained can enhance the functionality of AI-driven features. Over time, these improvements should lead to a better user experience and, consequently, higher customer retention rates.

What are the API Integration Use Cases?

Many software projects, regardless of how they make money from their APIs, rely on integrating different APIs. Below we will explain some of the most common use cases for API integration.

Web Scraping

Web scraping APIs rank high in popularity for integration into software projects. They facilitate a direct flow of data from specified websites into the systems of the applications that employ them. This enables automated data retrieval by the connected systems through the APIs.

Take the Zenserp API as an example which is a web scraping API that’s been incorporated into a multitude of projects. It delivers continuous and swift Search Engine Results Page (SERP) data to the integrated projects.

It is versatile and supports a range of search engines, including Google and Yandex, and can scrape and transfer data across nearly every category with a level of accuracy comparable to Google.

News Aggregation

News websites make use of API integration extensively to compile and present up-to-the-minute news from a variety of sources. These sites typically pull from several APIs to offer a rich mix of content to their audience, thereby minimizing manual data entry and enhancing the precision of the information presented.

A good example is the mediastack API, which consolidates articles from more than 7,500 news outlets globally, including the New York Times, CNN, BBC, and ESPN. This API provides current and accurate news from over 50 countries in numerous languages.

News websites that integrate the mediastack API can offer their readers a comprehensive view of world events from a singular platform.

Conducting Timely Surveys For HR Purposes

Imagine your platform enables HR and recruitment teams to conduct surveys with potential and current employees to analyze their feedback. It’s essential to time these surveys correctly.

For example, a survey could be sent to a new employee after their first month to assess their onboarding process or to candidates when they either accept a job offer or are declined, to evaluate their interview experience.

By integrating your system with your clients’ HRIS and ATS platforms, you can synchronize crucial data such as employment status or start dates, enabling surveys to be sent out at these critical moments.

Maintaining Current Employee Data Within Your System

Consider you have a system that lets employees send messages and rewards to their coworkers. To make sure new employees can access your system, former employees cannot, and that gift budgets are adjusted according to job levels, you can integrate your system with your clients’ HRIS.

Regularly syncing the employee lists from the HRIS to your system (e.g., hourly) makes sure that the employee data in your application is always up-to-date.

Currency Data Platforms and API Integration

There has been a rise in the number of platforms catering to data science professionals and general users with currency-related information.

These platforms deliver real-time updates on a multitude of currencies. The role of API integration is pivotal here because these platforms typically source all their currency data from dedicated currency APIs.

The Fixer API is one such currency API utilized by a vast network of over 200,000 developers and companies, including tech giants like Microsoft, Samsung, and Kranken.

It offers immediate access to data on 170 official currencies. The precision of the data from this API is notably high because it is sourced directly from authoritative financial institutions.

Platforms that take advantage of this API are able to offer their users currency conversion tools featuring the latest and most accurate currency information.

How to Implement API Integration

If you want to create reliable API connections within your product or internal application, there are several important practices that will help you achieve a smooth and efficient integration.

1. Grasping the API Prior to Integration

The initial phase of integrating an API should be dedicated to thorough research and comprehension.

Each API comes with its unique set of recommended practices and norms that have to be adhered to. As a result, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the API’s data structure, URI pattern, and the data formats it accepts and delivers.

2. Embracing API Versioning

APIs evolve as vendors add new features, which can potentially disrupt existing applications. Therefore, anticipating changes is a vital component of the integration strategy.

Most prominent API providers manage breaking changes through API versioning, allowing multiple API versions to coexist.

You specify the version you’re using with each request, like how GitHub enables specifying an API version with the X-GitHub-Api-Version HTTP header.

However, older versions eventually get retired, forcing you to upgrade. To deal with API changes, you can do the following:

• Regular Updates: Transition to newer API versions as they’re released to avoid last-minute rushes when older versions are deprecated.
• Steer Clear of Deprecated Features: Do not rely on deprecated API elements since they are likely to be removed in future updates.
• Fallbacks For Schema Changes: Set up fallback mechanisms and alerts to handle unforeseen schema changes, such as sending an email to developers if a response lacks an expected property.

3. Standardized Authentication Methods

The way you connect to an API depends on the provider. Some use simple API keys, like a password in your request, while others require a more secure standard called OAuth.

Always choose the most secure option available. This is usually OAuth, designed specifically to keep your connection safe. It uses access tokens and refresh tokens for added security, with different ways to grant those tokens.

4. Do not Flood the API

API providers often set limits on how many requests you can make per unit of time.  Going over these limits (called rate limits) can disrupt your service because you’ll be temporarily blocked from using the API.

To avoid this, keep an eye on how often you’re using the API and be ready to adjust if there are sudden spikes in usage.

If your app has many customers, consider setting your own usage limits for each customer. This prevents any one customer from hogging all the resources and slowing things down for everyone else.

Are There any Challenges to API Integration?

There are a number of challenges that you may come across when it comes to API integration. These challenges are explained below.

Variable Performance

The concept of performance in API integrations is not fixed and covers a range of aspects, from the duration of data synchronization to the precision of the data transferred.

If the goal is to achieve real-time data syncing or at least very frequent updates with flawless reliability, expect to allocate considerable effort and resources for the development and rigorous testing of the integration.

Scaling Complexities

The process of creating integrations is complex and demands a lot of time. Engineers must invest hours in comprehending the API documentation provided by vendors, crafting each integration with custom coding, and conducting thorough tests to confirm their functionality.

This might be feasible for a handful of integrations, but the workload can become unmanageable as the number of integration requests grows.

What’s more, engineers often have other critical projects to focus on, which might result in API integration tasks being sidelined or forgotten as time progresses.

Partnership Pain Points

Forming partnerships with third-party entities can be a complex process, particularly when dealing with larger companies. It’s often necessary to enter into official agreements with these vendors to gain access to their API documentation and test environments.

Such agreements may involve undergoing security checks, hashing out terms related to responsibilities and legal protections, and possibly paying an annual fee to the API provider.

The effort to finalize these agreements can be extensive, and costly, and sometimes may not justify the benefits of using the third-party APIs.

Documentation Difficulties

Even if you secure a partnership, the API documentation itself might be a hurdle. Accessing and using API documentation presents its own set of challenges such as:

• The documentation might not be available in your preferred language.
• Navigating the content to find specific details is cumbersome.
• Updates to the API are not promptly reflected in the materials.
• Reaching out to the API provider’s support team for assistance with the documentation is problematic.

What is the Cost of API Integrations?

Building an API integration can be quite expensive depending on how complex it is and how much time your developers spend on it. However, pre-built tools can significantly slash these costs and save your developers valuable time.

Overall, there are various costs to consider when integrating APIs, including:

• Development: How long will it take your programmers?
• Operations: Ongoing costs like bandwidth and storage.
• Support: Addressing user questions and troubleshooting issues.
• Maintenance: Keeping the integration running smoothly.
• Security: Protecting sensitive information.

When planning for API integration, it’s crucial to carefully evaluate these costs and ensure that they align with your business goals and budget constraints.

Proper management of resources and strategic decision-making can help mitigate risks and maximize the benefits of API integrations.

By analyzing the potential costs and benefits, you can make informed decisions about which APIs to integrate with and allocate your resources effectively to maintain a balance between API functionality and overall expenditure.

Final Words: How BSUPERIOR Will Help You?

Even if you adhere to all the practices, the process of API integration can still be quite demanding and susceptible to mistakes. However, there’s good news as BSUPERIOR is here to assist.

As a prominent software development company, we stand at the forefront of providing customized, state-of-the-art, and reliable API development services.

Our dedication lies in grasping the unique hurdles and prospects present in the current corporate environment. We enable organizations to enhance their operational efficiency, foster creativity, and boost client interaction through our dependable API solutions.