What is REST API?

In technology, sharing data between systems is so important. It’s basically how we get anything done! That’s why CANDDi offers so many integrations with all sorts of platforms. Web building platforms, ecommerce platforms, mail platforms, you name it.

But in order to work together with all these different systems, software applications need to use application programming interfaces (APIs). APIs provide a standardized way for two applications to send data back and forth.

There’s many approaches to building an API, but if you’re interested in introducing software integrations to your product, you need to get to grips with REST APIs.

What is a REST API?

REST API is an architectural style for an application program interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to access and use data. REST API design is designed to take advantage of existing protocols. It’s known for its flexibility, meaning developers don’t need to install any additional software to take advantage of a REST API design.

Why use REST API?

The freedom of REST API design allows you to build an API that meets your needs while also meeting the needs of very diverse customers. Unlike SOAP, REST is not constrained to XML, but instead can return XML, JSON, YAML or any other format depending on what the client requests. And unlike RPC, users aren’t required to know procedure names or specific parameters in a specific order.

REST APIs are also easily scalable. They’re designed for communication between any two pieces of software, regardless of size or capability. As a web application grows and adds more resources, its REST API will be able to quickly handle the increasing amount and variety of requests.

Because of all this, REST APIs incorporate existing web technologies, making them relatively easy to build and use. To request a resource via a REST API, you just need to provide its URL.

How to use REST API

Many APIs require an API key to use. An API key is a unique string of characters that an API provider gives to a developer to authorize access to their API. To access your CANDDi API, you just need to log into your CANDDi dashboard and head to the ‘Settings’ tab. Scroll down to the ‘Developers’ section and click on ‘API Settings’. Here you’ll be able to see your API key.

It’s important to note that access to our API key is only available to our pro+ payment plans.

CANDDi and API

If you’re interested in knowing more about making changes to your software with CANDDI, speak to your account manager about your options. You can get in touch at help@canddi.com