You’ve heard about application programming interface. Companies like Twitter, FaceBook and Google have them. With an API, you can use it build new and interesting things.

What is an api?

By definition, it is an application programming interface. Programmers use an api to create a new app that uses the data from another source like getting the current weather in Austin, TX.

How do I start using an API

To start learning how to integrate an API into a web project, you can use an API that provides photos as a placeholder. You could use an API like Dog CEO API to place photos of dog or other animals quickly in your design.

If you prefer, you can start with Programmable Web’s API University. The API University provides you with tips, tutorials and best practices on using and designing APIs.

Where do I find APIs?

You can find apis at Programmable Web , API List or API Hound. Or on Reddit where you can find recommendations from other programmers.

Summary

With an application programming interface, you don’t need to know the same programming language that they used to build the API. You can incorporate it into your WordPress, static website or other CMS easily. With so many APIs to choose from, you can create almost anything.