Working with API definitions

An API definition specifies the complete configuration for an API. You can create and configure your APIs either by using either the API Designer UI application, or by using the browser based API Manager UI.

Note: In the The Help icon.Help page of the Cloud Manager, API Manager, and API Designer user interfaces, there's a Product information tile that you can click to find out information about your product versions, as well as Git information about the package versions being used. Note that the API Designer product information is based on its associated management server, but the Git information is based on where it was downloaded from.
If you are working with APIs that conform to the OpenAPI Specification, note that API Connect uses the following terms:
  • OpenAPI Specification:

    The OpenAPI Specification defines a standard, language-agnostic interface to RESTful APIs. API Connect supports version 2.0 and version 3.0 of the OpenAPI Specification.

  • OpenAPI document:

    One or more files that describe an API conforming to the OpenAPI Specification.

  • OpenAPI definition:

    The description of an API that conforms to the OpenAPI Specification. In API Connect, you can create the API definition by filling in settings and properties, or by importing an OpenAPI document that contains an API definition that you want to work with.

The following topics provide full details for creating and configuring your APIs.