API Area - Common Building Blocks

07 Mar 2011

I have spent time reviewing 100+ of the most popular APIs. I am trying to determine a common set of building blocks that are essential to API adoption.

Here is a list of what I consider are the most common building blocks for API areas:
  • Overview
  • Getting Started
  • API Reference / Documentation
  • Code Samples
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • FAQ
  • Pricing
  • Terms and Conditions
The most successful APIs also provide self-service developer tools:
  • Registration
  • Application Registration
API pioneers like Ebay, Salesforce, Flickr, and Google have established a common set of essential API building blocks through trial and error over the last decade.

Other API providers can learn from this API history and experience, and make sure they start with the essential API building blocks for sucess.
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