Developer portal

As explained in Microsoft Azure in Action

A developer portal is a web interface that provides API documentation, interactive endpoint testing, access credentials, and usage information for API consumers.

A developer portal is the public front door for an API: a generated website where developers learn how to use endpoints, get credentials, and try requests before wiring the API into their applications. section 8.4.3

A developer portal gives API consumers:

• API documentation and endpoint examples. section 8.4.3
• A way to sign up, obtain API keys, and view account usage statistics. section 8.4.3
• Interactive endpoint testing, so developers can explore an API before connecting their own applications. section 8.4.3
• Customizable branding, styling, content, and navigation rather than a permanently vanilla-looking website. section 8.4.3

Figure 8.26 The vanilla freshly created developer portal includes tools for updating the design and features, as well as testing it.

Inspect the freshly created portal to see its design controls, features, and endpoint-testing tools. section 8.4.3

Within Azure API Management, the portal is the main developer-facing surface, while the API gateway handles application connections and the management plane administers the service. Detailed portal configuration is left for later; exploring the generated site is the practical starting point. section 8.4 section 8.4.3

How Microsoft Azure in Action covers it

How deep it goes

Defines capabilities and customization options, but stops short of detailed portal design or configuration procedures.

Examples

Uses a freshly generated portal to demonstrate documentation, design controls, endpoint testing, sign-up, and API-key acquisition.

What it assumes

Assumes an API exposed through Azure API Management and teaches the portal’s purpose before detailed configuration.

What you can do after

Evaluate/understand how developers discover, test, authenticate to, and monitor an API through its public interface.

How it connects

Connects API documentation, API keys, endpoint testing, usage statistics, API gateway, and management plane.

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Also explained in

• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Automating API DeliveryA developer portal is an online platform that provides API documentation, discovery, access, and related resources to API consumers.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Effective Platform EngineeringA developer portal is a centralized interface for organizing developer documentation, resources, services, and engineering tools.

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Related concepts

• internal developer platformcontrasts with · An internal developer platform is an organization-provided system of self-service interfaces, automation, abstractions, and reusable capabilities that supports software development and operation.
• websitekind of · A website is a collection of related web pages and resources made accessible through the web under a common site identity or address.
• Azure API Managementpart of · Azure API Management is a managed Azure service for publishing, securing, transforming, monitoring, analyzing, and distributing APIs.
• api catalogalternative to · An API catalog is a maintained, searchable inventory that documents an organization's APIs and enables their discovery and understanding.
• clientuses · A client is a person, organization, device, or software component that receives or uses a product, service, resource, or functionality provided by another entity.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Microsoft Azure in Action. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.