API

An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate. In web development, APIs typically refer to REST or GraphQL endpoints that accept HTTP requests and return data, usually as JSON. A well-designed API includes authentication, authorization, input validation, rate limiting, proper error responses, and versioning. AI-generated APIs often work for the happy path but lack these production necessities, leading to security vulnerabilities and poor error handling when unexpected inputs are received.