KB User's Guide - API - What is an API?

This document provides a general description of what an Application Programming Interface (API) is, as well as some helpful references in learning more about how you can use the KB APIs to pull KB data into other applications.

Image of two circles, one labeled "Your KB" and the other labeled "Their App". A square labeled "API" is in between them, and a "Request" arrow points from "Your KB" to "Their App", and a "Data" arrow points from "Their App" to "Your KB".

An Application Program Interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications which specifies how software components should interact. They essentially provide a means to receive and/or send data to and from an application. Because the data is stripped of information related to its presentation, it can more easily be consumed by other applications.

For more background the KB's APIs, you can watch the recording from the 2016 KB User Group Meeting, led by Weizhong Wang, the KB's Technical Lead. The specific section relating to APIs starts at 12:24 in the recording.

FreeCodeCamp also has a helpful in-depth explanation of how APIs work if you are interested in learning more.

See Also


Keywords:
api Application program interface 
Doc ID:
29280
Owned by:
Leah S. in KB User's Guide
Created:
2013-03-29
Updated:
2022-06-27
Sites:
KB User's Guide