The API Changelog

The API Changelog Substack covers a wide range of topics related to APIs, including architectural best practices, integration platforms, governance, security, and productization trends. It offers opinions, news, and analyses on API developments, tools, and their impact on businesses and technology.

API Development and Best Practices API Security and Governance Integration Platforms as a Service (iPaaS) API Productization and Market Trends Software Architecture and Product Thinking No-Code Development and iPaaS API Documentation and Marketing Funding and Acquisitions in the API Ecosystem

The hottest Substack posts of The API Changelog

And their main takeaways

Governing API Consumption

4 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Consumer behavior Developer Experience
  1. Breaking changes in APIs can disrupt consumer integrations, leading to failures. Producers need to understand and mitigate breaking changes to maintain API usability.
  2. API governance faces challenges as consumers may not adhere to contracts, causing uncontrolled consumption and dependencies. Aligning API usage closely to expected scenarios helps manage these issues.
  3. Controlling API consumption can be improved by providing SDKs that offer a standardized way to interact with the API, reducing the risk of breaking changes and fostering smoother interactions between producers and consumers.

Common iPaaS Challenges

3 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Integration Customization Scalability
  1. Setting up the right iPaaS solution for your business comes with challenges due to integrating systems with different data formats and protocols.
  2. Customization is critical in iPaaS solutions to manipulate data, interpret errors, and adapt to changes in APIs for successful integrations.
  3. Scalability in iPaaS solutions is essential to handle increasing requests, queueing for load balancing, and prioritizing requests to prevent overload and ensure integration continuity.

Google SQL Translator API, StackOne €3.3M, Salt Security Developer Portal

2 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Fintech Security Events Funding
  1. Google introduced a unified SQL translator API for BigQuery, aimed at enhancing efficiency in translating jobs and supporting various SQL dialects.
  2. StackOne secured €3.3M in seed funding to improve its AI-powered unified API for SaaS enterprises, acknowledging its potential in streamlining SaaS integrations.
  3. Salt Security launched a Developer Portal as a centralized resource to automate API security, focused on improving developer experiences and enabling secure API integrations.

The Impact of a Large Number of API Features

2 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🕹 Technology APIs Integration Developer Experience Documentation
  1. API features play a crucial role in how customers interact with a product when building integrations, and having a large number of features can be a significant business decision.
  2. The number of API features impacts the structure of teams within a company, as each feature may require a dedicated team, potentially increasing operational complexity.
  3. A low number of API features can lead to easier support, clearer documentation, and a simpler Developer Experience, ultimately contributing to better business outcomes.

Tray.io AI-Augmented API Management, Dwolla Open Banking, JetBrains UI Testing API

2 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Fintech Security
  1. Tyk introduces AI-augmented API management for collaborative integration and microservice creation, reducing technical debt and operational costs.
  2. Dwolla unveils Open Banking Services enhancing payment functions for seamless business integration and operational efficiency.
  3. JetBrains releases Compose Multiplatform 1.6.0 with a UI testing API, improving cross-platform UI testing and accessibility on iOS.
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Is API Documentation Marketing?

3 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Development Marketing Documentation
  1. API documentation can borrow elements from marketing when done right, focusing on presenting the API to potential users.
  2. API documentation parallels some aspects of the traditional marketing framework, such as product presentation, pricing visibility, architectural choices, and technology support.
  3. Good API documentation aims to quickly and easily engage a technical audience, aligning consumer needs with business objectives to serve as a marketing tool.

Two Ways to Influence Business Growth with API Documentation

2 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology APIs Business Growth Documentation Cost reduction Customer Retention
  1. Good API documentation can significantly reduce the cost of API support by enabling consumers to troubleshoot their integration issues independently.
  2. Enhancing customer retention is crucial for business growth, and providing a positive developer experience through good documentation can lead to increased retention rates.
  3. API documentation plays a vital role in influencing both the cost of support and customer retention, ultimately driving the success of a business.

Exposing Your API Should be Easy

5 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology APIs Security Development
  1. Exposing your API locally provides advantages like security and ease of use.
  2. Using ngrok can help make your local API publicly available over the internet.
  3. Adding a gateway like Zuplo can enhance security and authentication for your exposed API.

The Ruler of API Governance

3 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🕹 Technology APIs Governance Security Development Business
  1. API governance is crucial for aligning API goals with business objectives and ensuring consistency in the API lifecycle.
  2. The role of the ruler of API governance involves overseeing all aspects of the API lifecycle, such as design, versioning, security, and compliance.
  3. Being a great ruler of API governance requires deep thinking, wisdom to navigate business complexities, and a desire to improve processes.

RouteOne On-Demand API, Reddit IPO, Naz.API 1B Leaked Credentials

3 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🕹 Technology API Fintech Security AI Funding
  1. A new book called 'Building an API Product' by Bruno is now available and targeted towards Product Managers and non-technical individuals.
  2. Several companies have made significant announcements, such as Techmap launching an international Job Posting API and Blue Sage Solutions launching a digital servicing platform for mortgage life cycle support.
  3. Reddit is planning to launch an IPO in March, aiming to become the first social media IPO since Pinterest in 2019.

Nylas API v3, MuleSoft PDK,Escape Found 18K+ Leaked Secrets

2 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology APIs AI Fintech Security
  1. API trends in 2024 include a dynamic ecosystem of tooling, AI integration, and the rise of API product managers for enterprise success with a focus on governance and visibility
  2. Companies like Nylas, MuleSoft, and BlueBox Systems are introducing new API solutions to enhance performance, security, real-time tracking, & urban infrastructure development
  3. Security remains a critical concern with news of over 18,000 exposed API secrets discovered by the team at Escape, emphasizing the importance of token management and regular rotations

The Relationship between No-Code and iPaaS

3 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Integration No Code UI Design AI
  1. No-code allows users with little or no coding experience to build software solutions, especially integrations between applications.
  2. Visual UIs in iPaaS solutions simplify the process of creating integrations without code, but may lack troubleshooting capabilities for non-technical users.
  3. An emerging trend involves intent-based UIs powered by AI, enabling users to control APIs and connect applications using voice commands.

The Evolution of iPaaS

3 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Integration Scalability
  1. iPaaS evolved from manual, inefficient data exchange methods before the rise of EAI and SOA.
  2. Modern iPaaS is cloud-based, user-friendly, and supports real-time integration for businesses.
  3. Challenges in iPaaS evolution include security, data privacy, legacy system integration, and the emerging use of AI.

The Hard Things about Naming Things

2 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Developer Tools
  1. Use familiarity when naming new operations to make it easy for developers to understand.
  2. Use identity to disambiguate names and make the purpose of the operation clear.
  3. Follow consistency in naming conventions across different operations in your organization to maintain clarity.

Kong AI Gateway, Bitly Barcode API, Feever €10M

1 implied HN point • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Fintech Security Funding API
  1. Kong has introduced a new open-source AI Gateway with features focused on simplifying AI integration and centralized access.
  2. Feever, a Swedish Powertech firm, secured a substantial €10 million funding for expanding its energy asset connection platform across Europe.
  3. Bitly Inc. unveiled the first API for generating 2D Barcodes to enhance product data capture and consumer engagement, aligning with the predicted industry shift towards 2D Barcodes becoming standard by 2027.

Is Productization the Future of APIs?

1 HN point • 11 Jan 24
🕹 Technology APIs Industry Trends
  1. API-related funding in 2023 was over $800 million, showing a strong interest in growing API products.
  2. Companies like Amazon, Apple, and Meta launched new APIs in 2023 to enhance their existing products.
  3. In 2024, the trend of API productization is expected to continue, with more companies using APIs as standalone products or distribution channels.

How Breaking Changes Affect API Documentation

0 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Consumers Updates Dependencies
  1. Breaking changes in APIs can cause a mismatch between what the API does and what the documentation says. Updating documentation with new restrictions is complex and involves updating various elements like how-tos, tutorials, and code samples.
  2. When capabilities are removed from an API, corresponding parts of the documentation become outdated. It's crucial to update documentation to reflect what capabilities are no longer available, instead of leaving users confused with dead-end links.
  3. Maintaining a list of documentation dependencies for each API operation can help keep documentation aligned with changes introduced in the API. This method ensures that all relevant parts of the documentation are reviewed and updated when necessary.

Google Marketing API, Tavus $18M, Microsoft Patches 60+ Issues

0 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🕹 Technology APIs Fintech AI Security Software
  1. Google introduced a new API enhancing administrative control over analytics properties, merging organization details for easier management.
  2. Tavus, a generative AI video firm, raised $18 million and unveiled its Developer Platform with Replica API for text-to-video and digital replica creation.
  3. Microsoft patched over 60 security issues including critical vulnerabilities in HyperV and Open Management Infrastructure to ensure user safety.

How iPaaS Transforms Chaos Into Productivity

0 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
  1. iPaaS solutions can transform chaotic information sharing into a productive environment by involving non-technical users in creating integrations early in the process.
  2. Using iPaaS simplifies handling data synchronization complexities, such as implementing data flow logic and workflows, leading to easier maintenance and scalability.
  3. iPaaS solutions offer centralized visibility and monitoring of integrations, enabling better performance understanding and adaptability to changing requirements.