Partner api

As explained in The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition

A partner API is an application programming interface made available to selected external organizations under an established partnership.

A partner API is an interface exposed to selected external organizations through an established partnership. It enables controlled collaboration without making the API available to everyone. section 1.1.4 section 1.8

A selected-partner Search API

SOCNET exposes a Search API to selected partners willing to pay for access to more data. This contrasts with private Backend and Friends APIs and a public Face Detection API supplied by an external company. section 1.1.4

Designing a partner API requires balancing consumer value with organizational readiness:

• Build design skills through private APIs, because partner APIs often depend on existing private APIs. section 1.3.1
• Use a façade when underlying private APIs contain data, operational, security, or pagination problems. section 1.3.1
• Favor usability, interoperability, and clear behavior to accelerate integrations and time to value. section 1.2.5

Figure 1.4 The terms internal, external, private, partner, and public API may need to be disambiguated so everyone involved understands each other.

Use the openness-level diagram to distinguish private, partner, public, internal, and external API terminology. section 1.1.4

How The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition covers it

How deep it goes

Defines the access boundary and design rationale but stops short of detailed endpoint, authorization, or schema mechanics.

Examples

Uses SOCNET’s paid Search API, private Backend and Friends APIs, and public Face Detection API as contrasting examples.

What it assumes

Assumes API design familiarity and benefits from practice designing private APIs before exposing partner-facing capabilities.

What you can do after

Designs a partner API that meets consumer needs while shielding consumers from unstable private implementation details.

How it connects

Connects private APIs, public APIs, REST APIs, API design, interoperability, and API façades.

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Related concepts

• web servicekind of · A web service is a programmatic software interface that exposes functionality or data through web technologies or network protocols, typically HTTP.
• contractkind of · An API contract is a specification of the operations, data, and behavioral expectations that govern interactions between software components.
• sensitive informationuses · Sensitive information is information requiring protection because its unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or misuse could cause harm or violate obligations.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.