Your API Consumers Aren’t Who You Think They Are
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The document discusses a shift in API consumption where non-coders are increasingly utilizing APIs, raising questions about how to support these users effectively. It emphasizes the need for improved documentation, better error messaging, and flexible endpoints to facilitate CRUD automation. The author suggests that simplifying API interactions and providing real-time data through webhooks can significantly enhance user experience.
Your API Consumers Aren’t Who You Think They Are
- 1. Your API Consumers Aren’t Who You Think They Are
- 2. Hello. - I’m Bryan Helmig - Co-founder @ Zapier - CWO (chief whiskey officer)
- 4. Zapier ♥ APIs. A lot. - h’s of m’s API calls/mo - 300k+ unique integrations across 200+ APIs
- 5. We’ve noticed a bit of a shift....
- 6. A shift in API consumption.
- 7. Who you might think consumes your API...
- 8. "Is this really RESTful?" "Can you do bulk multipart uploads?"
- 10. "Where can I buy the API* tokens?" * pronounced "appy" "How do I hook my MS Access into the REST?"
- 12. This is awesome.
- 13. A•P•I n. enable missing features (some assembly required)
- 14. But will they feel empowered or overwhelmed?
- 15. What sort of crazy features are they dreaming up?
- 16. CRUD automation.
- 17. What can we do to help these users consume APIs? What can we do to improve APIs for CRUD automation?
- 18. Easier Documentation Better introduction. Provide a wedge. Live data.
- 19. Multiple Auth Mechanisms OAuth for platforms... ...API keys or basic auth for OMWP. Live code.
- 20. Useful Error Messages 401: Not authenticated. 404: Not found. Serialize failures the same way.
- 21. Do What I Mean A sufficiently intelligent error... ...why not just do what they meant? Within reason, of course.
- 22. What can we do to help these users consume APIs? What can we do to improve APIs for CRUD automation?
- 23. Flexible Endpoints Automation is long tail. Order, filter, paginate, hydrate... Complexity.
- 24. Get Real (Time) Naive cRud means polling. Webhooks are great! Skip long-polling or websockets.
- 25. PATCH & Upsert PATCH fixes unintentional nulls. Upsert handles uniqueness. Less complexity!
- 26. What can we do to help these users consume APIs? What can we do to improve APIs for CRUD automation?
- 27. Who is really at the end of your API requests?