A chat API is an application program interface that provides access to a back-end chat service & server infrastructure with the stability and broad features required to easily embed real-time chat inside of your app at a scale suited to your needs from an intimate conversation to a very large chat group.
Chat API embraces countless use cases only limited by your imagination including ride sharing, delivery, marketplaces, communities, healthcare, education, sports, live streaming, and entertainment. It essentially allows you to implement live (sometimes asynchronous) chat and messaging within your own mobile application, website, game, or other service. It can open new customer support, and marketing channels as well as increase user engagement and retention. It emphasises the core strengths of your product. It empowers conversations.
Power one on one chat or engage an audience of millions.
The most familiar form of online chat. Users can communicate in a game, dating-app, team collaboration app like Slack, or messenger apps.
Communication on an e-commerce platform between the platform, seller and buyer.
Communication between a service provider and a user or customer at a financial institution, healthcare provider, ride hailing service, or any other on-demand service provider.
Communication among a live audience and between broadcaster and the audience.
A chat API should provide some basic features
These days many use cases like food delivery and healthcare need more than chat. They also need to be able to escalate the interaction to a voice call or even a video call if something goes off plan. Video has become increasingly popular in healthcare, education, and dating to name a few industries.
Some Chat API vendors, including Sendbird, also provide a Voice API and Video API as well as part of their communication platform.
