Software development Back to glossary
Application Programming Interface
Acronym : API
An API is a set of rules that lets two pieces of software communicate, exposing functionality or data without either one needing to know the other's internal workings.
Why it matters
API quality and stability determine a company's ability to integrate new tools, open up to partners and evolve its system without breaking everything.
Concrete example
A company's billing API lets its external accounting tool automatically retrieve every new invoice.
Related notions
InteroperabilitySoftware architectureTechnical documentation
Related Kaliteq diagnostics
Assess your organization's maturity on this topic
Start the diagnostic