An application programming interface (API) is essentially the ‘middle man’ of the internet. API technologies power front-end to back-end interactions, ensuring that your customers have a great experience at every button click. But if developers don’t have their APIs in order, users start to experience frustrating error codes and excessive downtime. 

Functional testing and API automation can prevent malfunctions and increase the ease of product adoption. There are plenty of individual API products out there for design, documentation, testing, security, and deployment. Still, a scattered approach to API governance is a risk to many enterprises. Consistency and reliability are crucial to any API program.

An API Lifecycle management platform is like a toolbox that organizes valuable instruments for any developer or company looking to scale their APIs with good governance. Developing and publishing one API may seem relatively simple, but the challenge becomes more complex as your API ecosystem grows. 

A staggering majority of enterprise leaders see APIs as essential for their survival, so it’s no surprise to hear companies are planning to spend an estimated $23.6 million on APIs and related infrastructure in 2022. Choosing the right API tool to scale with will be integral to the success of these developments, so what should you consider when picking?

Levels of access 

A clear overview of API access control (who is using your APIs and their level of authorized access) is vital for successful scalability as it means you can safely work with both internal teams and external partners. 

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), which allows discretionary access based on user permissions, is simply a must-have for any enterprise tooling. RBAC allows you to collaborate effectively, without risking opening up data or access unnecessarily. 

Given recent changes to how every organization is operating in a Hybrid world, a zero trust model is the only way to safely and securely provide access to resources through APIs. This allows teams and partners to cooperate and work together from anywhere in a streamlined manner.

Ease of collaboration

Collaboration sparks and accelerates innovation, both internally and externally, creating synergy in teams for a stronger API ecosystem that improves both customer and developer experience. When people have a shared platform to use, workflows are streamlined and ideas are able to flourish. 

Collaborative platform-driven governance ensues,  when product owners, developers, analysts, and operation professionals work together in a united space, turning into a forceful driver of the API economy. For those wanting to scale up their operations, API tooling that allows for collaborative governance can accelerate the time it takes to market. 

When all actors have increased access to an API via a cloud-based management platform, the system is decentralized. As a result, individuals take on more accountability and there are more hands on deck to fix errors. 

Low-code and automation

Although it’s possible to write and rewrite code manually as needed, low-code platforms are there to save hours for developers. APIs also need to be carefully monitored at every stage of the API lifecycle to improve uptime. Low-code platforms and automated API management tools enable scalability by making it simpler to write code and track developments for many APIs and users at any one time.

Most importantly, you should never have to do things twice. Low-code collaboration and the automation of an API management platform means you can utilize templates and leverage drag and drop features for ease. Shared API libraries also allow developers to reuse-recycle good APIs across different environments and across organizations.

Sandbox and API documentation

At Apiwiz, we recommend a forward-thinking approach to API design best practices that prioritize centralization and standardization. The most successful API-first organizations like Stripe and Twilio are certainly great examples that API design-first is the way to go. 

A sandbox studio for configuration that allows for Behavior Driven Design (BDD) that designs API ecosystems around user actions, continuous automated testing, and integrated API documentation are just some functions or features to look for in your API management platform toolbox. 

The right API management platform will auto-generate most test cases from your API specification, but you also have the option to create more. Using a platform means you can make test cases specific to environments – and then reuse a test case across multiple instances. 

With standardized API documentation from a centralized source, scalability then becomes a far more achievable goal. Good documentation means users know what to expect when encountering your API, which means you are more likely to see the API adopted as it appears trustworthy and secure. 

If you’re thinking about scaling your APIs, read more about how to run API programs effectively at scale and with good governance, or try Apiwiz’s 14 days free trial for yourself.