Monitoring APIs for Better Performance

In this week’s Tip Tuesday, we are focusing on API monitoring. APIs are a set of rules or standards, which extend the functionality of an application, allowing different applications and/or programs to interact. These little helpers are built with flexibility and ease of integration in mind. APIs simplify programming, allowing developers to build complex applications without having to worry about usability. In terms of the end user, API usage can lead to improved customer satisfaction and retention due to simpler interactions, access to more features, and better performance.

The Pervasiveness of APIs

APIs are everywhere, invisibly powering many of our everyday interactions for work and leisure.

One prominent example is the feature that allows you to log-in using credentials from another site, such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. As opposed to actually logging into the user’s account, applications leverage APIs to authenticate the user with every log-in.

APIs are at the center of most open banking applications and legacy banks have also increasingly begun to move APIs to the center of their digital strategy.

APIs are also heavily used in eCommerce.

On the average product page, APIs are responsible for supplying a wide array of integrations, from offering product information (from size and color options to in-stock notifications) to enabling a quicker site search, particularly helpful for very large eCommerce sites. Payment handling APIs offer a simplified interface for users to enter their payment details, making the managing of digital transactions more straightforward.

API Failure Matters

When an API fails, returns invalid content, or throws errors, you’re sure to notice it. API problems will impact the performance and functionality of a website or application, for instance stalling a credit card verification or not returning product information. These sorts of problems can quickly lead to customer frustration and prevent a user from completing their transaction.

There are various reasons APIs can go wrong; for instance, the integration may not be fully functional, the API endpoint may be experiencing an outage, or there may be an issue with data processing that is slowing down the application.

The reliability of APIs also depends on many components along the digital delivery chain – from DNS to business logic validation to network connectivity.

API Monitoring is Essential

Proactive API monitoring is critical so that your IT teams can determine the precise point of failure before it impacts your end user. Catchpoint allows you to monitor your API endpoints not just for availability, but also to measure response time trends, validate whether they are returning the expected content, and trigger alerts when an API generates an error.

In this video, we will show you how Catchpoint can help you:

ensure that API integration on your site is functional and you are maintaining availability to end users worldwide
run tests that measure the APIs responsible for specific web transactions
verify your APIs are returning the correct data
understand where and when a problem has occurred
quickly drill down to investigate the root cause.

To find out more and have your questions on API monitoring answered, attend our upcoming webinar and Q&A, API Management Trends 2020.