A lot of enterprises think of API development as a technical detail. But is it just that? Not really. It’s backbone of modern software. You will be surprised to know that 82% of organisations have adopted some level of API-first approach. In fact, 25% are now working as fully API-first. A 12% increase from 2024.
Meaning, companies are now leaning towards reusable, scalable interfaces over inflexible code structures. However, we also know some people have questions going on in their minds:
– What is API development?
– What are types of API?
– Which API development methods exist?
– What technologies and tools are best for development?
– What goes into the full API lifecycle?
In this blog, API Connects will share answers to all these questions regarding API development. We will make sure your API doesn’t become another bottleneck in your business project. So, keep reading as we unpack everything you need to know before building!
What is API Development?
Before talking about the development part, you need to understand what APIs really are. Think of them as messengers. Application Programming Interfaces are set of rules that allow different software applications to communicate with each other.
They take requests from one system and deliver them to another. And their job doesn’t end there. They bring responses back in a structured, predictable way. API development is the process of designing, building, and maintaining these communication layers.
It focuses on portraying endpoints, request formats, responses, and behaviours that other applications can count on.
What are the typesof API?
Different types of API exists depending on who can access them, manner in which they are opened and how they are constructed. Here, we have created a list!
Not only will it give information about these types but also assist you in selecting the appropriate API approach prior to development rather than fixing mismatches subsequently:
Open APIs: Also called Public APIs, these are available to external developers or public. Platforms usually use these APIs for integrating third-party applications with their services like payment gateways, social media platforms, or mapping services.
Sure, access to Open APIs requires authentication or rate limits but the fundamental concept is openness and extensibility.
Internal APIs: We bet you’ve already guessed by the name what these API are going to be about. For those who haven’t, let us tell you – internal APIs are private APIs. Used within an organisation, these assist various internal systems to communicate effectively with one another without exposing functionality to the external environment.
Internal APIs enhance modularity and accelerate development. They enable teams to work independently while keeping systems secure.
Partner APIs: Next up is Partner API. These sit between public and private APIs. They are not shared to general public. Instead, you can share them with certain business partners.
Access is usually restricted by contracts and authentication keys. Partner APIs are widespread in B2B ecosystems where secure data exchange is pivotal.
Do check out these resources as well:
Custom business applications development
Platform engineering guide
Designing data pipeline system
Legacy to cloud native transformation
Which API Development Methods Exist?
Now that you are aware of API, it’s time to discuss the development approaches. Different techniques determine the way APIs are designed, structured and made accessible to clients.
Think of selecting it as picking construction style for your building. Purpose, scale, future growth – all these factors matter. Here are most popular API building methods used by API engineers today:
REST: Representation State Transfer (REST) is most popular of the API development methods simply due to its simplicity and flexibility. It interacts with resources by using standard HTTP protocols like GET, POST, PUT and DELETE.
REST APIs are stateless. They are simple to scale and compatible with web and mobile apps. Reason why they are the best fit in contemporary software ecosystems.
SOAP: SOAP is extremely standardized and structured API technique used mostly in enterprise environments. It is based on XML and rigid message, security and transaction regulations.
While not as lightweight as REST, Simple Object Access Protocol is not as is much more desirable in situations where reliability, formal contracts, and compliance are paramount.
GraphQL: Enterprises that want to enable their clients request only required data (no more, no less) should consider GraphQL. Multiple endpoints? No, it uses a single endpoint with flexible queries.
This API development method is particularly effective with applications that have complicated data relationships and frontend performance concerns.
gRPC: gRPC is a high-performance API protocol designed to support service-to-service communication. It has both HTTP/2 and Protocol Buffers and hence, is fast and efficient to use in microservices and real-time systems where latency is a critical consideration.
Webhook-based API development: Webhooks send out data automatically as event happens rather than upon requests. This API development approach suits perfectly for notifications, real-time updates and event-driven systems. It can minimize unnecessary polling.
RPC: At last, we got Remote Procedure Call (RPC). APIs built using this approach are concerned with performing actions, not with manipulating resources. They are simple but less flexible. Thus, suitable for internal or strictly controlled systems.
As you saw above, each API development method serves different use case. Enterprises should make accurate selection based on the performance requirements, complexity of the data, security requirements, and how API will be consumed.
Which Technologies and Tools are Best for API Development?
The idea of forging the best sword will be nothing if the right tools aren’t selected by the swordsmith. You also need appropriate technologies and tools to create API. The better the tools, the smoother the development process becomes.
Here are some reliable and common options to go with in 2026:
Programming languages: The language on which API is constructed is the foundation. JavaScript (Node.js) is popular for being high-performing and scalable APIs. Similarly, Python is popular for readability and rapid development.
Java for enterprise-grade reliability and Go for high-performing, concurrent systems. Ask your hired engineers to pick the right language based on their knowledge and performance needs.
API frameworks: Frameworks accelerate development process by handling routing, requests, and responses. Tools like Express.js, FastAPI, Spring Boot, and Django REST Framework minimise boilerplate code and impose best practices. Letting developers write about business logic rather than infrastructure.
API design and specification tools: APIs require organisation prior to code writing. OpenAPI (Swagger) and RAML can be useful in specifying the endpoints, parameters, and responses.
These tools are like blueprints. It makes certain that everyone (developers, testers and stakeholders) is aware of how the API functions.
Testing tools: APIs should be tested before release. For testing, Postman, Insomnia, and SoapUI are considered the best. They let developers test endpoints, validate responses and simulate real-world usage. Testing prevents broken integrations and surprises.
Authentication and security tools: Security is non-negotiable nowadays – we bet our readers already know that. Tools and standards like OAuth 2.0, JWT (JSON Web Tokens), and API keys prevent unauthorized access to APIs.
Setting multiple layers of security using these not just provide data integrity but also allow authorized users to access data easily.
Databases and storage: You need to connect your APIs to databases for better performance, scalability, and flexibility. Technologies like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB are widely used choices for API-backed applications. Particularly for those with extensive data volume.
API gateways: Since you’re about to spend a lot of greenbacks in API building, don’t skip the idea of controlling traffic. Use API gateways like AWS API Gateway, Kong, and Apigee.
They handle rate-limiting, authentication, logging, and routing. Thus, helping your APIs stay secure and scalable as usage grows.
Deployment and containerization tools: Tools like Docker and Kubernetes make APIs portable and easy to scale. They guarantee the stability of environment across development, testing, and production.
Monitoring and logging tools: APIs should be monitored after they become live. Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK Stack will assist tracking performance, errors, or usage trends so that your hired engineers can resolve problems before users notice.
What Goes Into Full API Lifecycle?
Now that all the tools are arranged, it’s time to focus on the development part! As an enterprise, we bet you’ve built products for your company before. How you need to plan, build, launch, and improve them over time. Think of the API development lifecycle like a product journey.
It is divided into several stages:
Planning and requirement analysis: First, your hired developers will ask you about the purpose of creating an API. They will collaborate with your team to define:
– Who will use it
– Problems to be addressed
– Required data
– Performance requirements
– Security needs
Proper planning eliminates future redesigns.
API design: API structure will be mapped before development begins. This involves specification of endpoints, request and response format, naming, versioning strategy, and error management. Applications like OpenAPI can be used to standardise design.
Development and implementation: Actual API logic is built by developers with the choice of languages and frameworks. At this phase, the emphasis is on endpoint-building, interconnection of databases, authentication, and business rules.
Testing and validation: Newly developed APIs will be put through functionality, performance, security, and edge cases testing. Automated and manual testing are used to confirm that they are performing well under different scenarios and usage loads.
Deployment: After testing, APIs are then deployed to staging and production environments. Configuration, scaling rules, and environment variables are finalised to ensure smooth operation.
Monitoring and performance optimisation: After launch, usage, response times, and error rates are continuously monitored. By gathering insights, developers determine bottlenecks and improve performance.
Versioning and updates: New API versions get enrolled as the company’s requirements evolve. Existing integrations don’t get interrupted. Clear versioning ensures backward compatibility.
Maintenance and retirement: Ongoing maintenance is done by fixing bugs, releasing security patches and updating documentation. Older APIs are eventually decommissioned and retired in a responsible manner.
Hire API Connects for API Development
There you go!
We shared everything about developing APIs for NZ enterprises. As you can see, the process is not at all easy. One needs to hire a team that doesn’t just understand code. They also comprehend business logic, security, scalability, and long-term growth very well. So who should you hire?
*Enter API Connects*
We have been helping enterprises in New Zealand design, develop, and scale API that actually work in the real world. Modernising legacy systems? Building new API-first products? Our highly experienced engineers can take care of all your business requirements.
Call us on 092430360. Let’s build your APIs together!
Check out our other popular services as well:
DevOps IM Services in New Zealand
