Walking in the modern web development world without APIs is not a wise decision. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) can simplify the developer experience as it is like a bridge that helps connect two different pieces of the digital world. From data exchange and processing payments to improving user experience and connecting microservices and social media platforms, secure APIs can help do it all efficiently.
But before we discuss the role of API development in modern web apps, including custom API, let’s tell you the common types of API.
Types of API
Third-party APIs
Third-party APIs help you in the API integration of ready-made external apps or software into your apps. For instance, using Stripe or PayPal for payments or Facebook logins in games.
REST APIs
REST APIs use standard HTTP requests and provide data in JSON format. They are the most commonly used type of APIs to perform lightweight and scalable actions, such as Delete, Put, and Post.
SOAP APIs
Simple Object Access Protocol or SOAP APIs are older and more complex than REST APIs. They use XML format for requests as well as responses and are mostly used in enterprise systems that prioritize structure and security.
GraphQL
GraphQL is a newer approach in APIs that is developed to provide only the requested data to the client. This approach is used to fetch data in apps like Facebook.
Why APIs are Important in Modern Web Apps
1. Connects with Third-party Services Effortlessly
Modern apps rely on third-party services for a variety of features, like using PayPal for processing payments, integrating Google Maps to track locations, or incorporating chatbots for 24/7 customer queries. API integration (more specifically, third-party APIs) utilizes these services in web apps for simpler and more efficient operations. Simply put, APIs connect web apps with ready-made external services through third-party integration, which otherwise would take weeks or months to be built.
2. Supports Developer Experience
When web developers have so much on their plates, any helping hand that can simplify the developer experience for them is like a savior. APIs are exactly that savior as they help developers use ready-made features rather than reinventing things and starting from scratch. This approach not only saves the developer’s time and effort but also reduces costs and the need for a large development team.
For instance, APIs can help a small-scale company develop powerful apps more quickly than a large company with a big development team, which would typically plan and build things from scratch.
3. Syncs Cross-platform Progress
Whether web, desktop, or smartphone, users want the apps to work seamlessly across all devices and they want synced data exchange across platforms. If you’re playing a game on your phone, you’d also like the progress to be saved on the web in real-time, right? APIs can serve as the link that connects the current data with the existing data. It means that instead of using separate formats for each platform, developers use a standard API for all, making it easy to maintain the app across all devices.
4. Makes Flexibility and Scalability Easier
As your user base grows over time, you must make your app flexible and scalable to accommodate new changes. API development services help make in-app updates easier to scale and implement without needing to change or rewrite the entire web app backend. You can make your app adaptable to the future with a scalable architecture by removing outdated features, adding new features, updating the app interface, and everything else for a better user experience.
5. Customizes Individual User Experience
Custom APIs can help create a personalized in-app experience varying from user to user. A customized individual user experience is likely to result in consumer satisfaction, which can further boost engagement and conversions. APIs fetch data from the existing user interaction on an app and make recommendations based on that.
6. Can Help Enhance Security
Enhanced security is crucial in modern web development, and APIs play a vital role in improving web security. Using secure APIs can help authenticate users, detect suspicious activities, and restrict users from accessing sensitive data. This ensures that the users have a seamless and secure experience when using your web apps.
7. Automatically Performs Repeated Tasks
Apps and websites must work smart to match the pace of the modern digital world, like performing tasks in automation to maintain workflow efficiency. APIs can help do just that without any repeated commands. They can trigger emails when a user signs up, automatically update customer records, or sync cross-platform updates.
8. Connects Microservices
Microservices are independent services, each of which individually handles specific tasks in a web application, such as payments and notifications. Even though they are independent services, to function as one unified app, they must be connected, and that’s where APIs work their magic. APIs connect all these microservices and make development more flexible, easier to scale, and faster to update.
Conclusion
No doubt that APIs are the present and future of effective web development. From enhancing safety and improving user and developer experience to third-party integration and cross-platform data exchange, APIs handle it all for you. With all these vital roles of APIs in sight, get in touch with API development services, which can help you navigate the future of APIs for your websites and apps.
If you’re unsure how to create secure, custom APIs or they make third-party integration seamless for your web apps, get in touch with our API development services experts at Deliverydevs. We’d love to talk about making your responsive web apps more user friendly and scalable.
