Bless API Book

API Integration Best Practices

Follow these best practices to create robust, efficient, and secure API integrations.

Implement Caching
Cache API responses to reduce unnecessary requests and improve performance.
  • Use browser caching for static resources
  • Implement server-side caching for API responses
  • Set appropriate cache expiration times based on data volatility
  • Use ETags and conditional requests to validate cache freshness
Optimize Request Frequency
Minimize the number of API calls to improve performance and avoid rate limits.
  • Batch API requests when possible
  • Implement pagination for large data sets
  • Use webhooks for event-driven updates instead of polling
  • Implement request throttling to prevent overloading
Minimize Payload Size
Reduce the amount of data transferred to improve response times.
  • Request only the fields you need (if the API supports field filtering)
  • Use compression (gzip, Brotli) for request and response payloads
  • Implement pagination to limit response size
  • Consider using GraphQL for precise data fetching
Asynchronous Processing
Use asynchronous processing for time-consuming operations.
  • Implement background processing for long-running tasks
  • Use message queues for handling high-volume requests
  • Implement webhooks for event notifications
  • Consider using serverless functions for scalable processing