API stands for Application Programming Interface and it’s just a way for two websites to securely talk to each other and exchange data. APIs are typically used to connect the databases that two websites are using. So, for example, you could use an API connection to collect real estate information from a data vendor and display it on your website. The data exchange can be triggered by certain events or happen at predetermined times.
APIs have specific use cases and would be overkill if you’re just needing occasional or small bits of data exchanged with another website. But if you find that you need to exchange data with another website on an ongoing basis, an API connection may be worth it.
Setting up an API connection requires that both your website and the other website have APIs ready to be connected. If your website doesn’t have one then an API will have to be created on your end (if the other company doesn’t have an API, you’re probably out of luck). The API connection can be very challenging to set up because typically APIs are either not documented or the documentation is hard to understand. A lot of back-and-forth with the other company’s tech support may be required.
But once the connection is set up, the data exchange can begin and it usually will save a lot of time over having to manually type information from another website into your website.
Crunch42 has extensive experience setting up new API connections. Let’s discuss whether an API is right for you!