What is an API

You may have seen that Google has updated several of their API’s recently. Google Classroom API will allow for companies to integrate better with Google Classroom. The Google Sheets API will allow companies to have more seamless integration.  The Google Slides API will allow companies to push their data automagically into a Slides presentation. But what the heck does that mean?!

API – Play Nice with Others

Application program interface (API). Uh… don’t worry about that. Let me put it in other words. If a product has an API it means it plays nice with others. The API is a set of ways that other products can interact with a companies product. For example, the goo.gl URL shortener. If you go to goo.gl you can take a long link and make it a short link. However, many other products will create a goo.gl for you without you having to go to the goo.gl website.

I log into a lot of websites by signing in with my Google account. For example, I can log into Fiverr without making a Fiverr account. Fiverr takes advantage of the Google Apps API to allow signing in.

You do not have to know how to make an API you just want to be excited when you hear one exists. Your favorite products can work more closely together.

Keep data flowing seamlessly between your apps and our apps with new APIs: https://t.co/pYoaT9o2Ky #io16 pic.twitter.com/iFykYRGFLk

— Google for Work (@GoogleforWork) May 19, 2016

The Slides API lets your app push data directly into Slides. No more copy and paste: https://t.co/pYoaT9o2Ky #io16 pic.twitter.com/iF9ySotagM

— Google for Work (@GoogleforWork) May 19, 2016