API Knowledge Base. Start anywhere.
Everything you need to know about APIs and APIContext — how APIs work, why they matter, and how to test and monitor them.
Everything you needed to know about APIs and APIContext (but were afraid to ask)
If you’re even marginally around the tech world, you’ve probably heard of APIs. They’re an integral part of pretty much everything you do online, whether it’s on a computer or in an app. So, it’s natural that you want to know more about them. Our API Information Knowledge Base is designed to help guide you through.
For example – what the heck is an API? What kinds of API data are there? How can you test it before you go live, and how can you monitor an API to make sure it’s doing what you want it to do?
And what is something called REST?! Sounds like it’s slacking off.
So, you have questions. And lucky for you, here at APIContext, we’ve got answers. Answers to questions you were embarrassed to ask, and even some questions you didn’t know you needed to ask.
So without further ado, please check out our knowledge base, linked to the left. And make sure to visit every once in a while, as we’ll be adding more so you can talk about APIs with confidence – no matter who you are!
Even if it’s your job to explain them to others, these articles might give you some help in doing so. They’re written for people who are not experts.
And if you want to know about some specific we haven’t covered here, then just let us know – we’re here to help. Happy reading!
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Knowledge Base
Catalog · 12 entriesEverything you need to know about APIs and APIContext — how they work, why they matter, and how to test and monitor them.
API Testing: Frequently Asked Questions
In API testing you test the various components of the API both directly and in action with the site itself.
What Is An API?
Learn what an API is, what it does, and why it matters for web development and programming.
RESTful APIs Explained
A clear introduction to REST and RESTful APIs for web developers and technical managers.
Cloud APIs
Understand what cloud APIs are, how they work, and why your business needs them to leverage cloud services.
API Examples
If some companies just made a little more effort and investment in their APIs, the results of these API examples would look very different.
REST API
Learn what a REST API is, why your website needs one, and how it enables communication with external services.
Bank APIs
They are the building blocks of any online transaction with the bank. Let’s take a look at some common bank API issues.
Understanding the API Economy
Explore how APIs power the digital economy and why they are integral to everything you do online.
API Monitoring Basics
Learn how API monitoring reveals real user behavior so you can optimize how your site actually works.
API Tutorials
Creating and using APIs doesn’t have to be that hard. We scoured the web and found some of the best API tutorials around that can help you get started.
Government APIs
What are we talking about when we discuss API data? When it comes to government APIs we are talking about publicly available information.
Open APIs
Use Open API software to create APIs without building from scratch — save time and money.
Understanding APIs
Foundations · 10 entriesA guide to the API ecosystem, critical monitoring technologies, and how APIContext fits into your DevOps world.
API Gateway
Learn what an API gateway does, how it manages access and traffic, and how APIContext complements it with active monitoring.
API Ratings
Rate and monitor the quality of third-party APIs you consume, not just the ones you build and control.
API Monitoring For Dummies
API monitoring basics: why enterprises using 1,000+ APIs still struggle with monitoring and how to do it right.
Service Level Objectives
How to define and measure Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and how they relate to Service Level Agreements.
APIContext Global Coverage
APIContext’s cross-cloud Global Monitoring Network for containerized environments, with custom location deployment.
Advanced API Monitoring
Why dedicated API monitoring matters beyond cloud-native and stack monitoring tools in your DevOps toolchain.
Why API Monitoring – Problems
Why you should monitor APIs separately from your existing IT monitoring stack and the problems it solves.
KPIs for APIs – Key Performance Indicators
Define and track API KPIs to understand performance impact on your services, users, and partners.
CASC – Cloud API Service Consistency Score
CASC scoring simplifies API KPI data into a single meaningful quality score, improving on systems like Apdex.
SLA for APIs: Monitoring Your API SLA (Service Level Agreement)
How to measure and manage API SLAs — choosing the right factors, setting expectations, and tracking compliance.
APIContext User Guide
Product · 15 entriesGuides to APIContext features and services, including Open Banking monitoring, SLA tracking, and more.
API Monitoring Frequency – how much is too much?
How to choose the right API monitoring frequency — from once per second to daily, and when each makes sense.
Tutorial: Handling Microsoft Graph API Auth
Tutorial: how to make secure API calls to Microsoft Graph API endpoints and monitor them with APIContext.
APIContext Case Study Power Utility
Case study: how Shell Energy (formerly First Utility) uses APIContext to increase throughput without adding capacity.
APIContext Case Study Government APIs
Case study: how New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment monitors APIs with APIContext.
Automated Postman Collection Monitoring
Automated Postman Collection Monitoring with APIContext’s global cross-cloud network — no manual setup required.
Make an API Call
Make your first API call with APIContext — if you can type a URL in a browser, you can do it.
APIContext AI-Based Reporting and Analytics
APIContext's AI-based reporting cuts through API metrics noise to answer the key questions about performance.
Tutorial: Schedule API Calls
Schedule repeated API calls with APIContext — set frequency, locations, and automated monitoring workflows.
Types of API Calls
All API call types supported by APIContext — REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and more for SOA, mobile, and SaaS.
PSD2
What is PSD2, how does it change banking, and what does the EU’s Revised Payment Service Directive mean for APIs?
API Monitoring Features
APIContext's complete API monitoring suite: reporting, alerting, analysis, and real API call testing.
Who Uses APIContext
From developers and DevOps to the C-suite — who uses APIContext and why across the digital business.
Free API Tools
Tools · 12 entriesFree API tools and datasets from APIContext: performance dashboards, regional data, and reference test servers.
Cross Cloud API Latency Analysis
API latency heat map comparing GET request performance across Google locations from AWS, Azure, IBM, and Google.
HTTPbin Network
Free HTTPbin test API servers from APIContext — measure performance from multiple locations, no setup required.
US Government API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext tracks US government API performance with ratings for quality, latency, and uptime from global data centers.
UK Government API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext tracks UK government API performance — GOV.UK, Police.uk, Met Office, NHS, and more.
Social Networking API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext rates social networking API performance — find out which APIs work best with free reports.
Search API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext tracks search API performance for Google, Bing, Foursquare, and more with free rating reports.
PSD2 Sandbox API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext rates PSD2 sandbox APIs used by open banking and fintech — quality, latency, and uptime data.
Cryptocurrency Exchange API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext tracks cryptocurrency exchange API performance with quality, latency, and uptime ratings worldwide.
COVID19 API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext tracks COVID-19 API performance — quality, latency, and uptime ratings for CDC and other providers.
Corporate API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext rates corporate APIs from Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and hundreds more for quality and uptime.
CMA9 Open Data API Ratings Dashboards
APIContext tracks FCA-mandated CMA9 Open Data API performance for UK banks — products, branches, and ATMs.
API Ratings Dashboards
Free API ratings dashboards from APIContext — detailed rankings and analysis on APIs you use or depend on.