Understanding API Documentation

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Before you start documenting everything there is to know about your favorite APIs, you should understand what API documentation is and why it has become ubiquitous in the development world.

What is API documentation?
API documentation is a user guide that contains detailed information about a specific API and how to use it.

It's the go-to resource for explaining what the API can do and answering questions about its features, usage, and functionality.

Its main purpose is to explain how the API will react when it receives a specific request. The documentation details these requests, called API calls, so that developers know what they can ask the API to do and how.

Poor API documentation is often overly technical and text-heavy, making it inaccessible to all users.

In contrast, good API documentation explains each endpoint, error code, and step-by-step instructions audit directors auditors email list for using the API effectively, leading to better adoption and fewer compatibility issues.

**Also read

How to Write Project Documentation: Examples and Templates

Types of API
APIs are like bridges that allow different software applications to communicate with each other. Let’s examine the four main types of APIs.

Fun fact : Some APIs hide fun surprises for developers. For example, GitHub's Octocat API used to have a "zen" endpoint that returned random inspirational quotes to cheer developers up a bit.

Open APIs
Also called external or public APIs, these are available to everyone. Think of them as public libraries that anyone can access to borrow books. Open APIs encourage developers to create new apps, tools, or integrations that extend the functionality of the original platform. For example, the Google Maps API powers thousands of apps, from food delivery to ridesharing.

Associated APIs
They are shared between companies or partners and often require permission or a special key to access. For example, a travel company may have an API to access an airline's flight information.