What to Know about APIs, the "On-Ramps to the Digital World"
An application programming interface, or API, is a defined process that allows data to be shared between applications or programs. Each API consists of a set of rules that dictates how communication occurs between a client and a server or external program. The required request format, the authentication process, and the encryption of data all have set guidelines so that the API knows what information to share and when and how to share it.