The document outlines 7 habits of highly effective APIs: 1) communicating with developers via social media and status pages, 2) providing thorough documentation with code examples, 3) making the API easily accessible through automated key/quota setup and tutorials, 4) including a sandbox for experimentation, 5) offering client libraries, 6) understanding and serving the needs of intended users, and 7) planning for evolution through versioning and deprecating old versions gracefully. The author advocates that APIs should be understandable in 3 seconds, have discoverable endpoints within 30 seconds, and allow developers to get started within 3 minutes.

1. 7 Habits of highly effective APIs
Ole Lensmar, API aficionado
@olensmar

2. your API is highly effective because…

3. it has a @twitter account

4. it has a @twitter account
• communicates feature updates, new versions, etc
• exposes itself in API directories
• provides health / uptime / downtime info

5. it’s beautifully described

6. it’s beautifully described
• generous and easily navigated documentation
• code examples for “relevant” languages
• metadata for code generation and testing

7. it’s instantly accessible

8. it’s instantly accessible
• fully automated API key / account creation
• generous developer quota
• getting started tutorials and examples

9. it has a sandbox for experiments

10. it has a sandbox for experiments
• limited functionality or content
• simulations of errors and out-of-bounds situations
• no limits on usages – doesn’t consume quota

11. it has out-of-the-box clients

12. it has out-of-the-box clients
• lowers barrier of entry
• hides complexity related to authentication, parsing, etc
• adapts API to client paradigms

13. it knows and serves its user

14. it knows and serves its user
• uses the right technologies for the domain
• respects security and authentication requirements
• adopts common nomenclature and naming

15. it’s aware of its constraints

16. it’s aware of its constraints
• continuously evaluates its performance and availability
• monitors 3rd party APIs and dependencies
• handles unexpected events gracefully with the user in mind

17. it’s prepared for (r)evolution

18. it’s prepared for (r)evolution
• versioned from day 1 in line with best practices
• communicates and implements a versioning strategy
• handles “old” clients gracefully

19. 3:30:3

20. 3:30:3
• 3 seconds to understand what the API does
• 30 seconds to find the endpoint
• 3 minutes to be up and running
Thanks to Ori Pekelman!

21. Thank you!
Ole Lensmar
@olensmar