What is an API communication protocol?

It establishes the formats, structure, and behavior for sending API requests and receiving API responses between the server and the application. A communication protocol also provides a standardized way for software to interact via an API. This ensures compatibility, interoperability, and efficiency when exchanging data between software systems.

The communication protocol defines the key aspects of how an API works, including:

• Message format: The protocol specifies the format and structure of the messages exchanged between the API server and the client application. This includes the syntax and semantics of the message components, such as headers, body, and data formats (e.g., JSON, XML).

• Transport mechanism: A communications protocol defines the mechanism (another transport-specific protocol) for sending and receiving messages over the network. This could be HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), HTTPS (HTTP Secure), WebSockets, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), or other protocols.

• Request methods: The protocol specifies the supported request methods (also called verbs) that the client application can use to interact with the API server. Common methods include GET (retrieve data), POST (submit data), PUT (update data), DELETE (remove data), and others.

• Authentication and security: API protocols should define how to authenticate and secure communications between the client and the server. Such mechanisms may include token-based authentication, API keys, OAuth, encryption, and other security measures.

• Error handling: The protocol specifies how errors and exceptions are relayed between the client application and the API server. It defines error codes, error messages, and the expected behavior when an error occurs during an API interaction.

APIs can use various communication protocols, depending on the API requirements, the use case, and the ecosystem in which the API will be used.

Common API communications protocols

• REST (Representational State Transfer): REST is a popular architectural style for building APIs. It uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) as the underlying communication protocol and HTTP request methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to execute operations.

• SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol): SOAP is a protocol for exchanging structured information in web services. It uses XML (Extensible Markup Language) as the message format and typically uses HTTP or other transport protocols for communication.

• GraphQL: GraphQL is a query language for APIs. It allows applications to request specific data and receive precisely that data from the API server.

The communication protocol of an API includes the processes, standards, and data formats that APIs use to communicate with other computer servers and systems.