What is an API?
An API (application programming interface) is a set of rules that lets different software applications talk to each other and exchange data. Think of it as a messenger that takes your request, tells a server what you need, and brings back the response. While you interact with a user interface by clicking buttons, an API works behind the scenes to connect applications automatically.
How APIs work
APIs follow a simple request-response pattern. You send a request to a specific URL (called an endpoint) asking for data or an action. The API forwards this to the server, which processes your request and sends back a response with the data you need, an error message, or a status code telling you what happened.
This happens over HTTP or HTTPS, the same protocols your browser uses. The difference is APIs let programs communicate directly without you opening a browser, typing URLs, or clicking around. Everything happens programmatically in seconds.
APIs vs web scraping
When you need data from a website, you have two main options: use their API or scrape the HTML. APIs are the cleaner choice when available. They give you structured data in formats like JSON or XML, which your code can immediately use. No parsing messy HTML or dealing with changing page layouts.
APIs are also more reliable. Websites redesign their pages all the time, breaking scrapers. APIs stay stable because they're designed for programmatic access. Plus, using an API respects the provider's terms of service, while unauthorized scraping might violate them.
The catch? Not every website offers an API. Or their API might not include all the data you need. That's when web scraping becomes your solution.
API endpoints and requests
An endpoint is the specific URL where you send your API request. Different endpoints handle different operations. One endpoint might retrieve user data, another might create a new record.
Your request includes several parts: the endpoint URL, the HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.), headers with metadata, authentication credentials, and sometimes a body with data to send. The response comes back with the data you requested, status codes (like 200 for success or 404 for not found), and headers with additional information.
API authentication
APIs need to know who's making requests. That's where authentication comes in. The most common method is API keys—unique strings you include with each request to prove you're authorized.
Other authentication methods include tokens in HTTP headers, cookies that persist across requests, or OAuth for more complex scenarios. Authentication protects both the service provider and users by ensuring only approved applications access the data.
Why use APIs for data extraction
APIs offer major advantages when you're building data extraction workflows:
Speed and automation: APIs automate tasks that would otherwise require opening browsers, logging in, and manually navigating pages. Your code makes requests and gets responses in milliseconds.
Clean data: You get structured, machine-readable data instead of raw HTML. No need to write complex parsers or worry about inconsistent formatting.
Better reliability: APIs are built for programmatic access and rarely change unexpectedly. Your data pipelines stay stable.
Legal compliance: Using an API is the intended way to access data. You're working within the provider's terms of service instead of potentially violating them.
Scalability: APIs handle high request volumes and integrate cleanly with your existing systems.
How Browse AI helps with API and web scraping
Not every website offers an API, and that's where Browse AI comes in. When APIs aren't available or don't provide the data you need, Browse AI lets you extract data from any website without writing code. You get the benefits of automated data extraction—clean, structured data delivered on a schedule—even when there's no API to use.
Browse AI turns any website into a custom API you can query. You set up what data you want once, and Browse AI handles the extraction, monitoring changes, and delivering results in formats you can immediately use in your applications or workflows.
