Application programming interfaces, more commonly known by the acronym API, are a cornerstone of modern software development.
The 2024 State of the API Report from Postman reveals just how critical APIs have become to modern digital architectures. This comprehensive survey, now in its sixth iteration, collates insights from more than 5,600 developers and API specialists, offering a detailed snapshot of the current landscape.
The findings underscore a marked acceleration in API production cycles, an uptick in API-driven revenue streams, and the persistent challenges in API usage.
Key findings from Postman's 2024 State of the API Report include:
• 74% of respondents implement API-first development, up from 66% in 2023.
• 63% of developers produce APIs within a week, compared with 47% last year.
• 62% work with revenue-generating APIs.
• 58% rely on internal documentation for API development.
• 44% utilize chat tools or email for API-related communication.
"More and more businesses are realizing the important role of APIs not just when it comes to technical innovation, but when it comes to revenue," Ankit Sobti, co-founder and CTO of Postman, told ITPro Today. "A surprising 62% of respondents reported working with APIs that generate income, and for 21% of organizations, APIs generate over 75% of total revenue."
What the API-First Approach Is All About
A key finding in the report is that more developers are taking an API-first, as opposed to a code-first, approach.
The difference between an API-first and code-first approach, according to Sobti, lies in the order of development and the focus on APIs.
In an API-first approach, the development process begins with designing the API itself before writing any other code, he said. This allows teams to focus on the API as a foundational building block, ensuring that the application can integrate seamlessly with internal and external services from the start.
In contrast, Sobti said a code-first approach starts with building the application and its core features, with the API being developed later. While this may allow for rapid prototyping and faster iteration, it can result in poor API design and integration issues. APIs in this model are often treated as secondary, which can lead to complications when trying to integrate with other systems or scale the solution.
"The code-first approach focuses on getting a working application up and running, and the API may require extensive redesign to meet long-term needs," he said.
The Impact of Generative AI on the State of APIs
Generative AI is significantly impacting the state of APIs by transforming how they are designed, tested and integrated.
"AI tools simplify complex interactions, enabling faster debugging and making API integration more flexible," Sobti said. "As AI-powered systems increasingly rely on APIs to execute actions and access data, companies without well-designed APIs risk becoming invisible to these systems."
Additionally, he noted that in the modern AI-driven world, coding alone doesn't cut it — AI can write code for you, but it's the APIs that power its smarts.
"Think of AI as the flashy sports car, but without well-built APIs, you're driving it on a bumpy road to nowhere," he said. "While many see AI as the magic bullet for productivity, the truth is, it's only half the equation."
The Primary Challenges for API Adoption and Usage
Sobti sees three primary challenges for API adoption and deployment in 2024.
Problem 1 — API Integration: Integrating APIs is hard due to poor API design. Without a streamlined onboarding process, it can take days to implement a "Hello World" example due to the time needed to understand docs, build requests and variables.
"To overcome API integration challenges caused by poor design, developers should focus on well-structured API design," Sobti suggests. "A successful API design clearly defines endpoints, methods, and resources in a standardized format."
To streamline onboarding, he recommends that developers use tools like mock servers to simulate the API's behavior, allowing them to validate assumptions before full implementation. Following best practices, like consistent naming conventions and prioritizing external user needs (outside-in design), can further simplify integration and improve the overall developer experience.
Problem 2 — Security Challenge: Developers will often share API keys via email and documents. API security is a significant challenge for developers because APIs are a common entry point for attackers and can expose sensitive data.
Sobti emphasized that developers need to implement strong security measures, including encryption, role-based access control, input validation, implementing security checks into CI/CD pipelines, and continuous monitoring, to mitigate these risks and protect both users and internal systems.
Problem 3 — API Discoverability Challenge: Companies don't necessarily know how to get developers to discover the APIs that the company has built, causing slow discovery and adoption.
Sobti noted that organizations need a searchable database that is automatically kept up to date for all public, private, and partner APIs in one place.
Overall, Sobti hopes that in the future more organizations will prioritize collaboration when it comes to APIs.
"We're seeing a ton of different tooling across organizations, which is resulting in context switching and negative impacts to productivity," he said. "What's shocking is that over 40% of respondents this year reported that they still use email as one of the tools to collaborate on APIs."
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