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About APIs

Find out what an API can do to improve your customer's experience.

What is an API?

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) define the ways in which applications and software components communicate with each other.

The term usually refers to web-based APIs, which underpin digital ecosystems by making services and information easily available within and across organisations.

Benefits of an API

APIs allow:

  • open or appropriately secured information and data to flow within government
  • government and non-government systems to interact with each other
  • information to be held in 1 place but used and reused in many places
  • active support for the principles for open and transparent government.

An API:

  • saves time — updated information is available through the API automatically
  • helps to make information more reliable as it managed from 1 source
  • makes it possible to share information through many sources in a consistent way
  • increases the focus on customer needs by enabling agencies to share information and deliver multi-agency or ‘joined-up’ services more efficiently.

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