Creating API Products and Plans

In API management, Products and Plans help API providers organize and offer their APIs in a structured, scalable way.

API Products

An API Product groups one or more APIs into a single offering. API providers use products to bundle related APIs and present them to consumers as a unified solution. They can include the same API in multiple products to serve different use cases or customer segments.

For example, a company that provides travel services might want to simplify how developers access its various APIs. To do this, it creates a product called Travel essentials, which includes:

  • Flight booking API to search for and book flights.
  • Hotel search API to find and reserve accommodations.
  • Currency conversion API to convert prices between currencies.

By grouping these APIs into a single product, the company offers a comprehensive solution for developers building travel applications. Developers can subscribe to the Travel essentials product and gain access to multiple related services with a single subscription.

API Plans

An API Plan defines how consumers can access the APIs in a product. API providers use plans to offer different levels of service, pricing, and support. Each product can have multiple plans, allowing providers to serve a wide range of customers.

Although you can edit or delete a plan with active subscribers, it’s best to avoid doing so to prevent disruptions.

For the Travel essentials product, the provider might offer these plans:

  • Basic plan

    • Limited number of API calls per month
    • No guaranteed uptime
    • Community-based support
    • Offered at no cost
  • Standard plan

    • Moderate number of API calls per month
    • Includes uptime guarantee
    • Email support
    • Priced at a fixed monthly rate
  • Enterprise plan

    • High or unlimited API usage
    • High availability with strict SLAs
    • Dedicated support and account management
    • Custom pricing based on usage and requirements

These plans let the provider serve different customer needs while maintaining control over usage and service quality.

Creating API Products and Plans

To support different user preferences and workflows, we offer two ways to create and manage API products and plans:

  • Form view. A user-friendly interface that allows you to define products and plans through guided input fields, ideal for quick setup and non-technical users.
  • Code view. A structured, configuration-as-code approach that enables advanced users to define products, plans, and usage limits using declarative syntax.