All popular social media networks have APIs that developers can use to create social media management tools. You can learn more on each network’s developer site:

• Instagram API
• Facebook API
• YouTube API
• Twitter API
• LinkedIn API
• Pinterest API
• TikTok API

How does it work in practice? Social media tools like Hootsuite have full integration with all the major social networks through API access. APIs connect Hootsuite with your social media accounts. With them, you can manage all your social media accounts from one centralized dashboard, rather than switching between tabs to handle profiles on different platforms separately. This includes scheduling and publishing posts, generating analytical reports, responding to messages and comments, and more.

Networks decide how much social media data their APIs give developers access to. This means that apps and other tools that help you manage your social media accounts must follow the rules set by the social platforms. That’s why connecting social accounts to a third-party tool for the first time can be cumbersome – social platforms usually ask you to confirm your consent to share data before granting initial access through their APIs.

Social media APIs also define what features third-party tools can – and cannot – provide. Does it seem like your social media management tools make you jump through hoops to get things done? That’s probably because they’re working within the limitations of the social platform’s APIs.

For example, Instagram has two main APIs. Instagram’s basic display API allows developers to create consumer-level applications (e.g., applications that allow users to host their Instagram feed on their website). It only requires basic access to an Instagram account.

The Instagram Graph API provides more functionality. It is designed for applications that allow professional Instagram accounts to manage their Instagram presence, such as Hootsuite.

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If we divide APIs for a mobile application in terms of technologies, we can distinguish such large subspecies.

• RPC (Remote Procedure Call) – interfaces that are based on calling functions or procedures in remote nodes / third-party systems.
• SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) – interfaces built on the protocol of information exchange in a distributed computing environment.
• REST (Representational State Transfer) – interfaces based on architecture for distributed systems.
• GraphQL – an agnostic data query description language that allows a client to interact with multiple nodes within a single query.

The REST style is simple, secure, not constrained by protocols, and platform independent. REST API for mobile application can be written with any languages used in website development: PHP, Python, Ruby, and others. Regular app users don’t have to think about how to recognize an app’s API, because their experience is not affected in any way.

API as a set of functions

To visualize how an API works, it’s worth talking about the concept of a function in programming. If you’ve ever been interested in development, you’re familiar with it.

A function can be described as a logical block that receives data as input, performs some operation with them, and outputs the required information. In essence, an API is a function or a set of functions for communication between platforms. Its task is to set a standard for data transfer.

The internal structure and set of API functions may look different. It all depends on how developers organize it. You can make one common API with a standard set of functions, or you can form a set of separate interfaces by functionality or other criteria.

To add API support, developers define the format of data transfer, prepare a list of necessary functions, and work out parameters for each of them.

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The scope of API application has no boundaries, today such interfaces are considered as a separate product for developers. API applications are approached to creation of APIs as to creation of software: with testing, user support and version control.

Why API is needed

Someone may notice that the above “features” can be realized without third-party APIs. Then why are they so popular? The whole point is that there is no more convenient solution today.

With the help of APIs for mobile applications, developers clearly separate the application from the source of information, easily implement new functions of service architecture in their product.

Using APIs can give businesses tools that they don’t have the resources or the right expertise to create. In addition, it can be used to test a hypothesis or service idea in practice without investing in in-house development.

Pros and cons of working with APIs

API technology is used very widely today. What are its advantages for developers? At a quick glance, we can name such advantages:

• Acceleration of development. When using third-party APIs, coders do not have to delve into low-level functions of software and solve trivial tasks. This means that the work on the project will progress faster.
• Security. Program interfaces reduce the risk of vulnerabilities in software.
• Simplification of integration. APIs provide a structured format for communication between applications, which makes the introduction of new services much easier.
• Savings. Why pay for the development of something that is already implemented in third-party projects? In typical situations, a third-party API for writing an application allows you to save a lot of money: you don’t need to write accounting or video hosting functionality for the application, for example.

All this makes API application development highly demanded. But the technology also has disadvantages that limit the potential for further growth. Let’s list the three biggest disadvantages here:

• Each API has a unique structure. Although APIs have gained immense popularity, the process of creating unified standards for program interfaces is moving very slowly. This limits the scenarios for their use.
• Quality Control. API application development is not constrained by standards or common certification. As a result, many interfaces suffer from general “raw” execution.
• Dependence on other people’s development. By relying on APIs in their application, developers are relying on someone else’s product in one way or another. API creators can do what they want with it: suddenly change the terms of use, or close the resource altogether.

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Let’s say a currency converter on a website or in a user’s smartphone uses an API to retrieve up-to-date exchange ratios. A mapping application receives information about traffic jams in this way, an online store pulls data from 1C. The technology has many applications.

Not so long ago, most programs were self-sufficient, each copy of software could independently solve a certain task on the capacity of a separate system. But with the mass arrival of online everything has changed: most websites and mobile applications now rely on external servers and clouds.

At the same time, the flexibility of software development has increased. Today, specialists do not need to “reinvent the wheel”. It is enough to integrate the necessary package to implement functionality already created by someone else: from a widget with weather forecasts to cybersecurity tools and machine learning algorithms.

Basic API functionality

The potential of APIs in mobile apps is huge and useful for any business. Here are just some of the functions that can be implemented in an app using external interfaces:

• Authorization in the service via a social media account or Google account;
• Various client online forms (appointment, consultation request, etc);
• Currency converters and financial calculators;
• Chatbots and means of communication between the client and the support team;
• Integration of online cards;
• Use of electronic wallets;
• Mobile banking;
• AI tools (voice recognition, for example).

The provision of APIs itself is often a service for developers. Today, many services offer program interfaces of their own platforms as a finished product. Creating an API for a mobile application can be turned into a separate business.

API tools help businesses to quickly and cheaply automate routine processes, transform outdated web services. At the same time, it takes only a few weeks to implement new technology with this approach.

The scope of application of APIs depends on the sphere and conditions of a particular business. There are already robust programmatic interfaces for data delivery and analytics that are useful in almost any industry.

For example, in fintech, such tools are used for e-wallets, connecting algorithms to combat fraudsters and illegal transactions. In retail, APIs can help with the implementation of a complex system of notifications for customers, automate the processing of applications.

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