API stands for Application Programming Interface. It’s a software intermediary that lets two applications communicate with each other. For example, the National Weather Service has a system that stores weather data. Your phone’s weather app uses an API to “talk” to that system and pull in the latest weather information.
How APIs Work
To integrate two applications, one (called the client) sends a request to the other application's API server. The API server checks the request to make sure it’s valid. If it is, the API performs the requested action. Then, it sends a response back to the client.
Each API has documentation that specifies how information can be transferred. The most common APIs are categorized as either SOAP or REST.
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol): SOAP APIs are built using XML and enable endpoints to send and receive data through SMTP and HTTP
REST (Representational State Transfer): REST APIs are more flexible and define a set of functions like GET, PUT, DELETE, etc. that clients can use to access server data.
Endpoints are the communication touchpoints where APIs access the resources they need to complete the request.
CivicPlus APIs
You can find CivicPlus API documentation for your website by going to http://sitename/api (replacing "site_name" with your site name). Learn more about available CivicPlus APIs: