The hottest APIs Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

So... what are RPCs [System Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 219 implied HN points • 25 Sep 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) allow for program procedures to execute in a different address space without the programmer having to explicitly write details for the remote interaction.
  2. RPCs are prevalent in modern systems design due to their efficiency, scalability, and flexibility in enabling communication between various services.
  3. RPCs are a powerful tool for building distributed computing systems, offering advantages such as efficiency, scalability, and flexibility in communication between services.

Introducing Fencer

microapis.io • 196 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. API security testing requires a holistic approach covering all components
  2. There is a need for open source automated API security testing tools
  3. Automating API security testing can help catch vulnerabilities and reduce breach risks

Teaching Language Models to use Tools

Deep (Learning) Focus • 176 implied HN points • 29 May 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Teaching LLMs to use tools can help them overcome limitations like arithmetic mistakes, lack of current information, and difficulty with understanding time.
  2. Giving LLMs access to external tools can make them more capable in solving complex tasks by delegating subtasks to specialized tools.
  3. Different forms of learning for LLMs include pre-training, fine-tuning, and in-context learning, which all contribute to enhancing the model's performance and capability.

The Customer Is Always Right (but not always human)

How the Hell • 49 implied HN points • 17 Sep 25
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. AI agents are getting much better at long, uninterrupted work and will learn to budget their thinking and compute, which will push costly or complex tasks from cheap subscriptions to pay-per-use models.
  2. Agents will pay for external resources like compute, data, web access, and licenses, and websites and services will likely charge tiny fees to serve those automated clients.
  3. A new market will appear to sell services to agents—everything from automated testing, voices, and compliance checks to agent banks and even shady offerings like credential markets.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

API Forking for an Adaptive Development Process

computers suck • 78 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Designing a flexible API to maintain data integrity is challenging under shifting client requirements.
  2. Using the Parallel Change pattern can help handle API forking for adaptive development processes.
  3. Maintaining parity in naming and types between different interfaces is crucial for easy remerging and migration.

RAG is more than just vectors

Tribal Knowledge • 11 HN points • 17 Jul 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. RAG provides context to an LLM by fetching data from various sources, not just vector databases. It can use any data store to enhance the language model's predictions.
  2. Context for an LLM can include system prompts, chat history, RAG, fine-tuning, and more. Any way to turn information into text can improve LLM performance.
  3. RAG can work with vectors, but it's not limited to them. By enabling the LLM to call functions, it can fetch data from a variety of sources beyond vectors, like relational or graph databases.

Building developer community and trust in today’s AI-first world

Dev Interrupted • 14 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. AI assistants are becoming a primary discovery channel for developers, so content must work well for both humans and machines.
  2. Treat documentation as a product: structure docs in machine-readable formats and make them authoritative so AI gives accurate, trusted answers.
  3. Keep humans at the center. Use AI to scale support and mixed-mode experiences, and update metrics to measure AI visibility and developer trust.

Workflows as Abstractions to Capabilities

The API Changelog • 4 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Baking API integrations into code creates maintenance hell because the more services you add, the higher the chance a change will break something and make troubleshooting hard.
  2. Map integrations to business capabilities (like “sale close”) instead of raw API operations so it’s easier to diagnose failures, reduce complexity, and swap vendors without breaking business flows.
  3. Implement those capabilities as visual workflows with low-code/no-code tools so teams can see, manage, assign, and lifecycle-manage integrations, making fixes and outsourcing simpler.

MCP servers are the bridge between AI agents and APIs

Dev Interrupted • 56 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. MCP servers act as a bridge that helps AI agents communicate with APIs more effectively. This makes the interaction smoother and allows for complex tasks to be automated without exhaustive programming.
  2. The introduction of MCP changes how APIs are designed. API providers need to focus on better search capabilities and richer metadata because AI agents require more context to function well.
  3. Soon, MCP will be the standard for how AI interacts with APIs. Companies must adapt their API strategies to consider how AI agents work, ensuring they're built to support this new way of connecting.

Agoda Universal MCP, Moltbook API Keys Leak, Radware + Pynt

The API Changelog • 3 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. APIs are shifting from fragmented, hand-wired integrations toward unified, AI-first ecosystems where machines can discover and use capabilities directly.
  2. That shift exposes serious security risks, as agent platforms and Model Context Protocol servers can leak API keys and sensitive data, so security needs to be built into the API lifecycle.
  3. APIs are becoming strategic infrastructure across industries — from finance and trading to robotics — enabling faster automation, compliance-by-design, and new AI-driven services.

Kong + Solace, Odynn $9.5M, Knorex Ads API

The API Changelog • 1 implied HN point • 23 Feb 26
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Companies are merging traditional request-response APIs with real-time event streaming to create a single, observable data fabric. This elevates event streams to first-class API products and enables unified governance for agentic AI.
  2. APIs are being built specifically for autonomous AI agents so they can manage complex tasks like cross-channel advertising and real-time market analysis. Standards and agent-ready interfaces let AI systems interact in natural language and operate autonomously at scale.
  3. APIs are opening new markets and modernizing industries such as finance, loyalty, and travel by standardizing access and enabling embedded, real-time services. This reduces fragmentation and lets businesses offer seamless, personalized experiences.

GraphQL and the beads on a string

Lucca's Blog • 58 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. GraphQL allows clients to make a single request for multiple pieces of data, improving user experience.
  2. GraphQL reduces complexity by stitching data together on the backend, rather than requiring separate requests.
  3. Exploring GraphQL, despite initial differences, can reveal its ease of use and benefits for APIs.

The future of APIs is promising and bleak

microapis.io • 58 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. The way APIs are built today makes them pervasive, but we still struggle to work effectively with them.
  2. Improving API development involves focusing on accountability and security.
  3. For better APIs, focus on clear specifications, formal documentation, and rigorous security testing.

Designing Idempotent Payment APIs

Arpit’s Newsletter • 98 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Building idempotent APIs is crucial for processing requests exactly once.
  2. Using idempotency keys helps in preventing duplicate processing in distributed systems.
  3. Considerations like error handling and database storage are important when designing idempotent APIs.

Introducing the Restaurant Booking API

microapis.io • 98 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. The post introduces the Restaurant Booking API series with educational tutorials and practical examples.
  2. The API will cater to customers and restaurant owners, allowing tasks like booking tables and managing menus.
  3. Key URL paths in the API include '/restaurants', '/owners', and '/customers', with detailed functionalities for each.

Tracing Bullets for API Prototyping in the Age of AI

The API Changelog • 3 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Generative AI and modern coding assistants make API prototyping fast and cheap, so there’s no reason to skip prototyping anymore.
  2. Tracing-bullet development means ship a minimal working flow quickly (ready, fire, then aim) to validate assumptions and deliver value while keeping code clean and tested.
  3. AI speeds up experiments but doesn’t replace fundamentals — developers must guide and validate generated code, and teams need consistent styles and governance to avoid messy, incompatible code.

Updates for January ~ April 2023

Listen Notes Company/Product Updates • 78 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Microfeed, the free podcast hosting solution, is improving and becoming more popular.
  2. Developers can now run code on the API Docs page to try out PodcastAPI.com in different server-side languages.
  3. A new feature has been added to the podcast database where the domain name of a podcast publisher can be found and utilized for searching podcasts.

Human API, Sapiom $15.75M, EU Challenges Meta

The API Changelog • 1 implied HN point • 16 Feb 26
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. AI agents are starting to make real purchases on their own as companies build secure spending APIs that turn budgets into programmable keys, letting agents buy compute, services, or physical work within human-set limits.
  2. APIs are moving beyond cloud data into the physical world and human labor — from programmable cellular networks and surgical-robot vision APIs to marketplaces that let agents hire people for last‑mile tasks.
  3. Platform control and regulation are becoming central: major platforms are tightening or restricting developer access while regulators push to keep key APIs open, reshaping how apps and agents get distribution and resources.

Rapid Development Of Intelligent Generative AI APIs

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 19 Apr 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Intelligent APIs use AI to add advanced features, making it easier for developers to integrate smart tech without deep knowledge of AI. They can improve apps in many areas like e-commerce and healthcare.
  2. Sometimes, just connecting an API to a language model isn't enough. It often needs extra logic or intelligence to function better, enhancing the user experience.
  3. The GALE platform helps automate tasks using generative AI, allowing businesses to streamline processes. This lets teams focus on more important and creative work.

Building a Working Recommendation Engine from Scratch

Building a Recommendation Engine • 3 HN points • 04 Aug 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. A recommendation engine can work without complex machine learning. Instead, it can be built using straightforward connections between content to suggest things users might like.
  2. Using an API from a platform like Are.na allows easy access to user content and helps find connections between different channels, making recommendations more relevant.
  3. It's important to filter out content that users already know or follow to give them fresh and exciting recommendations. Regular updates to the recommendations can also help keep things interesting.

Monitoring ChatGPT Usage in Microsoft Sentinel

Rod’s Blog • 59 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Monitoring ChatGPT in Microsoft Sentinel involves ensuring secure and responsible AI usage
  2. Utilizing detection rules like Watchlists can help monitor and secure ChatGPT API usage
  3. Open-sourcing resources like KQL queries and rules aids in managing AI monitoring challenges

API Renaissance: The Dawn of API Unicorns Supporting Invisible Apps

Alex Furmansky - Magnetic Growth • 58 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. The future may see billion-dollar startups without websites or apps, catering more to AI bots than humans.
  2. Apps are evolving to serve AI, with a focus on efficient endpoints for AI bots instead of human interactions.
  3. APIs are becoming crucial for AI interactions, leading to opportunities in API generation, documentation, accountability, authentication, paywalling, revenue generation, and marketplace exchanges.

The Future of Network Observability and Network Automation

Internet Dynamics • 58 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Network observability is crucial for network automation to handle real-time mitigation and remediation.
  2. Observability solutions need to consider topology, alerts, correlation, suppression, policy, and meta-data for effective network monitoring.
  3. Future approaches to observability and automation should recognize and manifest common components like Topology, CMDBs and Meta-data.

Google Developer Knowledge MCP, Linq $20M, FireCompass Explorer

The API Changelog • 1 implied HN point • 10 Feb 26
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. APIs are becoming the primary interface for AI and autonomous agents, shifting design and product decisions away from human‑first experiences. This lets assistants live inside existing apps and enables real‑time capabilities like voice translation.
  2. As APIs power more automation, security risks and supply‑chain exposure grow—hidden endpoints and misconfigurations can leak credentials across systems. Teams need proactive, agentic testing and stronger access controls to find and fix shadow APIs before attackers do.
  3. Enterprises are packaging complex domains behind unified APIs and tools to make AI integration practical across industries. Measuring AI‑readiness and centralizing documentation and access is becoming essential for reliable, maintainable integrations.

One step closer to a Universal Age API

Tech + Regulation • 19 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Meta is working on a Universal Age API that helps determine what apps users can access based on their ages. This is aimed at keeping kids and teens safer online.
  2. The plan includes steps for platforms to share age information, resolve any conflicts, and improve user experiences by not asking for age repeatedly. This will help ensure that kids aren’t exposed to inappropriate content.
  3. There’s a push for better age verification methods and standards to protect younger users online. Different platforms could collaborate to share age data for a safer internet.

Exploring recent Python repositories

Mostly Python • 314 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Use the GitHub API to explore popular new Python projects and find potential projects to contribute to.
  2. Consider filtering out AI-focused projects when exploring Python repositories to discover a variety of coding projects.
  3. Pruning repositories using specific terms can help identify non-AI Python projects to work on, providing valuable learning opportunities.

sqlmesh init -t dlt --dlt-pipeline bluesky duckdb

davidj.substack • 71 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Using dlt to work with Bluesky API allows for easy data extraction. It saves time by handling metadata and schema changes automatically.
  2. dlt simplifies dealing with nested data by creating separate tables. This makes it easier to manage complex data structures.
  3. sqlmesh can quickly generate SQL models based on dlt pipelines. This feature streamlines the workflow and reduces manual setup time.

dlt windsurfing

davidj.substack • 71 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. dlt is a Python tool that helps organize messy data into clear, structured datasets. It's easy to use and can quickly load data from many sources.
  2. Using AI tools like Windsurf can make coding feel more collaborative. They help you find solutions faster and reduce the burden of coding from scratch.
  3. Storing data in formats like parquet can make processing much quicker. Simplifying your data handling can save you a lot of time and resources.

sqlmesh init duckdb

davidj.substack • 71 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. There's a new public repository called bluesky-data where people can collaborate and follow along with its development. It's easy to get started by setting it up on your local machine.
  2. Using sqlmesh with the Bluesky data can provide real-time data availability, while also allowing for a more complete view of the data in a batch processing style. This means you can get both immediate updates and historical data.
  3. It's better to start with dlt and then initialize sqlmesh within that project. This way, you can efficiently manage large datasets without needing to compute everything each time.

What's an SDK?

Technically • 67 implied HN points • 16 Dec 24
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. An SDK, or Software Development Kit, is like a toolbox for developers, helping them build apps without starting from scratch. It lets them use pieces of code made by others, saving a lot of time.
  2. There are different kinds of tools: libraries are small, focused pieces of code for specific tasks, while SDKs are larger, more comprehensive sets that cover broader tasks like payment processing.
  3. SDKs help developers use APIs easily by providing helpful tools and documentation. They make tasks simpler, so developers can focus on creating great apps instead of writing everything from the ground up.

Which Llama-2 Inference API should I use?

LLMs for Engineers • 39 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. TogetherAI was found to perform the best overall in terms of cost, speed, and accuracy, closely followed by MosaicML.
  2. It's important to understand your specific needs when choosing an API, like cost and speed requirements, to find the best fit.
  3. Experimenting with system prompts can lead to major improvements in performance, so don't hesitate to try different settings!

AI agents are knocking. Is your API ready to answer? | GraphQL’s Matt DeBergalis

Dev Interrupted • 18 implied HN points • 05 Aug 25
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. AI is changing how developers work, focusing more on APIs than ever before. It's important for developers to adapt their systems to meet this new demand.
  2. Businesses need to rethink their software development approaches to work better with AI. Clear communication and good system design are becoming more important than just writing code.
  3. AI tools can save time for developers, but many are still facing organizational issues. Just using new tools isn't enough; companies need to understand and address developers' real challenges.

Government as a Service

Engineering Open Societies • 39 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. Define a clear business vision that is achievable and aligns with overarching goals
  2. Strive to balance idealistic mission with pragmatic solutions for open societies
  3. Adopt a broad perspective in shaping solutions to address diverse needs and requirements

OpenAI launches GPT-4!

MLOps Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🕹 Technology APIs
  1. OpenAI has launched GPT-4, a significant improvement over GPT-3 and ChatGPT
  2. GPT-4 has capabilities like academic success, steerability, and processing visual inputs
  3. OpenAI has introduced Whisper and ChatGPT APIs for commercial use cases