API integration
API integration connects software systems through an agreed interface for requests and responses. One system supplies a permitted request; the other returns data or performs an operation according to its contract. Reliable integration also defines authentication, field mapping and failure handling, so an accepted request is not mistaken for a completed business task.
By Ai Flowi · Published
What does API integration mean?
An API, or application programming interface, specifies how software can interact with another system. For an HTTP API, the contract may include the endpoint, method, headers, request body and response shape. The integration adds the logic needed to use that contract in a particular process. A reachable URL alone does not describe which operations are supported.
Separate the source data from the destination requirements. An intake form may supply a display name, while a destination expects an immutable record identifier. Copying a field because the labels look similar is not a mapping decision. Record the meaning, type, allowed values and handling of absent values for each field that crosses the boundary.
A harmless generic HTTP example
Consider an illustrative read request for a synthetic catalogue item. The following address is a reserved example address, not a usable provider endpoint. This sketch describes the request shape and intentionally contains no credentials or claimed response data.
GET https://example.invalid/api/items/SAMPLE_ITEM
Accept: application/jsonThe intended output is a JSON object containing the requested item’s identifier and documented description, or a documented error. The integration should verify that the response concerns the same identifier before displaying it. A response with missing description should become an unavailable-information state, rather than a model-generated substitute for the missing field.
A real provider may use a different path, an authentication header or another media type. Its documentation determines the contract. This generic example does not establish access to any branded service. Write operations need an additional decision about permissions and duplicate handling before they belong in a workflow.
Authentication and authorization
Authentication identifies the calling software or user. Authorization determines which operations that identity may perform. An API key accepted for reading records may not permit updating them. Design the integration with the narrow access required for the task, and test denied access without adding broader permissions merely to make an error disappear.
Use your own provider account and the credential type its API requires. Keep credential values out of shared workflow text and logs. The AI Flowi connection guide explains existing credential mechanisms; the correct mechanism still depends on the component. Provider charges, quotas and account restrictions remain separate from the workflow subscription.
Related: Unified API: shared contracts across service APIs.
Schema mapping and response checks
If contract columns extend beyond the screen, scroll within this table or focus it and use arrow keys.
| Boundary | Decision to document | Failure example |
|---|---|---|
| Identifier | Which stable key identifies the same object in both systems? | A display label matches more than one record. |
| Type | Which fields are text, numbers, booleans or lists? | An identifier loses leading zeros after numeric conversion. |
| Absence | Do missing and null values mean different things? | An absent field is interpreted as a request to clear a value. |
| Success | What response proves the intended operation completed? | A queued job is reported as an already completed write. |
| Version | Which schema version does the mapping expect? | A renamed response field passes through as empty data. |
Validate at both ends: before sending a request and before trusting its response. A JSON response is a transport representation, not proof that every field meets the business rules. Preserve enough diagnostic context to reconcile a failed operation while excluding sensitive payloads from user-facing error text.
Pagination and rate-limit references
For collection traversal, consult API pagination; for request allowances and throttling decisions, consult API rate limits.
Retries, timeouts and idempotency
A timeout means the caller stopped waiting; it does not prove the destination performed no action. Repeating an uncertain write can create another record. Idempotency means repeated use of a defined operation has the intended repeat-safe effect. Some APIs offer an idempotency-key contract, while others require reconciliation against a stable identifier. Confirm the destination’s actual behavior.
Choose who is responsible for retrying and who investigates uncertain outcomes. Read requests and record creation have different consequences. When a write’s result is unclear, inspect the destination before deciding to repeat it. A local “already seen” list is not equivalent to an atomic guarantee against simultaneous deliveries.
Catalogue-backed integration responsibilities
The API Request, JSON Operations and Condition references cover HTTP transport, object mapping and key-based routing respectively.
Consider a second synthetic contract: an export request returns an accepted state and a job reference while the destination prepares a file. The correct immediate result is “export accepted,” with the job reference retained for reconciliation. It is not “file ready.” A later status lookup might report queued, processing, completed or failed; these are illustrative application states, not catalogue option values or a particular provider’s response schema.
Define what completion means before connecting a branch. A completed status might require a file reference belonging to the same job, while a failed status needs an inspectable failure reason. If the response says completed but lacks the required file reference, treat the contract as unresolved. Do not make a language model invent a download address to satisfy the expected output shape.
Two identities matter here. The business request identifies the export the user asked for; the job reference identifies the destination’s asynchronous execution. A retry of the initial submission may create another job unless the provider defines repeat-safe submission. A repeat of the status lookup should continue tracking the existing job. Keep these operations distinguishable when deciding what a timeout permits you to retry.
The integration roles are documented in the catalogue; not production-tested by Ai Flowi for these illustrative contracts. The provider must specify the status operation, terminal states and access lifetime; a generic request component supplies none of those business meanings.
Common mistakes and when to stop
- Treating a catalogue component as a native connector for every service. Verify the endpoint and operation you need.
- Assuming every successful HTTP response proves business completion. Inspect the documented body and any asynchronous result.
- Retrying a write after every timeout. Reconcile uncertain outcomes and honor the destination’s repeat-safety contract.
- Using an AI model to repair a strict identifier or missing required field. Reject or request correction instead.
A file export may cover an occasional exchange without maintaining a live integration. Stop when the destination has no authorized interface, or when failure cannot be detected and reconciled. Your provider bills third-party API use separately.
Plans: Go from USD8/month billed yearly (USD10 monthly), Plus from USD16 (USD20 monthly), Pro 100 from USD80 (USD100 monthly), Pro 200 from USD160 (USD200 monthly) and Pro 500 from USD400 (USD500 monthly), with 5,000 to 250,000 Flowi Tokens/month and top-ups; 1 token per node run; third-party API and model usage is not included.
Related terms and references
See conversational AI for dialogue processing and intelligent-agent examples for action selection. The component catalogue and tested and documented workflow pages supply their own implementation boundaries.