The components of any API should be made modular and reusable whenever it makes sense to the business use case, keeping schema, parameters, examples, error responses, and other common parts of an API as reusable and interchangeable as possible within a single API, but also across all APIs.
APIs Must Reusable Whenever Possible
Policies
OpenAPI Components
The OpenAPI Components object enables the centralization of common technical details within an API, promoting modularity and reusability. Using the components object as a standard practice helps re...
Experiences
Access
Gaining the necessary access to effectively use an API is often more challenging than it appears. Intentional and unintentional barriers can create friction in discovering and onboarding with an AP...
Automation
Automating business operations is a primary driver for adopting and governing APIs, enabling organizations to achieve the scale, speed, and quality needed to remain competitive in global markets. A...
Communication
Consistent communication about the production and consumption of APIs is critical for effective enterprise governance. APIs are inherently difficult to visualize, making it essential to invest in m...
Consistency
Achieving consistency in the design, delivery, and maintenance of HTTP APIs across an enterprise is a significant challenge—one that often complicates API operations. Small differences, such as var...
Discovery
The average enterprise maintains approximately 0.5 APIs per employee, making it a constant challenge to track the growing inventory of HTTP APIs being produced and consumed. Enterprises often addre...
Onboarding
Transitioning from API discovery to integration as a consumer requires a well-defined and streamlined API onboarding process. Onboarding begins with discovery and relies heavily on clear documentat...
Quality
The quality of HTTP APIs powering an enterprise tends to decline as the number of ungoverned APIs grows across internal, partner, and public landscapes. Low-quality APIs lead to poor downstream exp...
Reliability
If an API isn’t reliable, consumers will eventually look for alternatives. Reliability starts with the platform and infrastructure where the API is deployed, but it also depends heavily on the pace...
Security
API security is a top priority for any enterprise, with even higher standards for externally available APIs. However, security doesn’t end with the APIs an enterprise produces—it also applies to co...
Self-Service
Self-service is the experience of a consumer being able to discover, access, and integrate an API without having to talk to a human. Portals, sign-up flows, documentation, and keys let developers g...
Simplicity
Simplicity is a hallmark of well-designed HTTP APIs, but achieving simplicity requires effort. The likelihood that a partner or third-party developer will abandon an API increases as cognitive load...
