Experience Stack - 💭 What Is an API | Issue #13

💭 What Is an API | Issue #13

By Esat from Experience Stack • Issue #13 • View online

Hey there 👋, from another issue of the Experience Stack Newsletter!

In the previous posts, we talked about MACH and JAMstack. Today, it’s all about ‘APIs’ - one of the backbones of MACH architecture and JAMstack:

what API is
what are the API types
how API works
benefits of using an API

Let’s jump to this week’s topic.

Then as always, you’ll have the best blog posts, videos, podcasts, and other types of content from last week 🚀

API (Application Programming Interface) Explained Under 60 Seconds

The term API stands for → Application Programming Interface

When you use a mobile phone application, it connects to the Internet and transmits data to a server. The server then receives the data, analyzes it, takes the appropriate steps, and delivers it back to your phone. The program then analyzes the data and displays the information you requested in a legible fashion. This is what an API is - all of this happens via API.

An API is a group of logic that takes a specific input and gives you a specific output.

Here’s an example from Technically:

If you give the Google Maps API an address as an input, it gives you back that address’s lat / long coordinates as an output

So far, we understand what API is and how it works. But what are the types of APIs:

Internal API → API that is intended only for use within the enterprise to connect systems and data within the business. We can count Partner APIs under this category too.
Public API → API that is open and available for use by any outside developer or business.
Composite API → Composite APIs generally combine two or more APIs to craft a sequence of related or interdependent operations.

Whether you’re looking to streamline your operations or create a more user-friendly experience for your customers, APIs can be a powerful tool. Here are just a few of the benefits that APIs can provide businesses:

increases productivity
saves costs
improves connectivity and collaboration
enhances customer experience

Resources to learn more about API:

What's an API? - by Justin - Technically

What McDonalds and Lyft have in common

technically.substack.com • Share

Rounding Up the Stack

Each week, we try to read, listen, and watch tens of blog posts (if not more than a hundred), guides, podcasts, videos, webinars, and any means of content to deliver you the best content from the last week.

These are the content from last week that we enjoyed reading and caught our attention:

Blog Posts

5 Tips for a Successful Transition to Headless

As e-commerce grows, so does the headless architecture approach that allows us to overcome the shortcomings of traditional commerce and gain full control of online store management—a huge potential:

5 Tips for a Successful Transition to Headless

blog.reign.cl • Share

Your Essential Guide to Building In-Product Experiences

Here are our top tips for launching successful in-product experiences that drive maximum user engagement:

Your Essential Guide to Building In-Product Experiences

www.trychameleon.com • Share

Talia Wolf on Emotional Targeting for Conversion Optimization

No matter how digitalized our lives and our businesses get, one thing remains constant: we make decisions based on our emotions:

Talia Wolf: “Emotional triggers help you create content that converts and stand out in a competitive market.”

www.omniconvert.com • Share

Why Modern Marketing Teams Should Consider Going Headless

Modern marketing teams — especially within organizations that have a complex technology stack with multiple content systems — must evaluate how they can take advantage of headless:

Why Modern Marketing Teams Should Consider Going Headless

www.cmswire.com • Share

Customer Care – The Key to Success

Existing customers, regular customers, loyal customers – how can you tell them apart:

Care of Existing Customers – The Key to Success

www.zenloop.com • Share

Podcast Episodes

Data Unlocked

Linking Data with Business Strategy and Leadership with Rajesh Midha, CEO of Bottle Rocket and President of Ogilvy Experience

Rajesh Midha shares his insights on how companies can effectively use data to drive business outcomes:

Data Unlocked

JAMstack Radio

Open Source Data Integration with Michel Tricot of Airbyte

Brian Douglas speaks with Michel Tricot of Airbyte. This conversation examines data distribution connectors, lessons on improving flexibility within tech stacks, and tactics for leveraging community resources as a startup:

JAMstack Radio

Videos and Webinars

Going Headless with John

What Is GraphQL A Beginners Guide

This video will attempt to help you understand the basics of what GraphQL is and how its supports MACH and headless architectures in the world of composable commerce:

What Is GraphQL A Beginners Guide

Guides, Case Studies, and Reports

Localized Marketing: Definition and How to Build an Effective Strategy (Complete 2022 Guide)

We may live in a globalized and connected world. But when it comes to marketing your business, putting your local audience first is a must:

Localized Marketing: Definition and How to Build an Effective Strategy (Complete 2022 Guide)

weglot.com • Share

Upcoming Events and Webinars

Headless Creator

How to Make Personalization a Success

Personalization is a powerful tool, but you need certain things to make it a success. In this lesson, you’ll learn about processes, education, culture, and analysis so that your personalization implementation is a successful one.

🗓 Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 7.30 pm PT | 4.30 pm CET

How to Make Personalization a Success

www.headlesscreator.com • Share

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That’s it from our side.

Hope you’ll enjoy the content presented above.

Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or feedback. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us by replying to one of the emails or emailing directly to me via esat@experiencestack.co

And, if you think your friends or colleagues might enjoy reading this newsletter, feel free to forward it to them 🤗

Till next time 😉

Esat