API (Application Programming Interface) integrations allow two or more software applications to communicate with each other, exchange data, and perform actions. The technology acts as a bridge between different software systems.
With API integrations, a user can take action in one software system while also retrieving information or performing a task in other connected systems simultaneously.
A good way to think of an API integration is like a waiter in a restaurant. The waiter takes the request of the diner (a user of one software system) and communicates it to the kitchen (the second software system), and then delivers the food (the response or output) back to the diner. The API itself is like a menu of the possible operations that can be performed.
If you've ever used a large travel booking platform to search several hotels or airlines at once or tracked your food delivery order on a map within the delivery service app, you've seen API integrations in action.
API integrations boost efficiency, cut costs, and increase productivity for almost any type of business.
Businesses can use API integrations to automate manual and time-consuming tasks like transferring data between two different applications so a change is updated across all platforms. Not only does that save time, but it also cuts down on errors that might occur with the manual input of data.
API integrations also allow a business to expand its services cost-effectively by connecting with other platforms instead of building or customizing new tools. Many startups build their entire business model on a combination of APIs that when bundled together serve the needs of their customers.
Yext currently features over 250 API integrations with platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google, Salesforce, Shopify, Zendesk, and more. These connections allow your business to update its digital knowledge across the web with just a click, ensuring your data is visible and correct everywhere. Browse our network of apps, publishers, and partners.
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