When developing an e-commerce website, there are several factors to consider. A well-designed eCommerce API, however, can greatly speed up the procedure and can help in creating better experiences for both the business as well as the customers.
However, the eCommerce API market is heavily crowded as a result of the growth of the API economy. Determining which eCommerce API design would offer the best answer for your website can be challenging. You might be interested in utilizing 10 of the most useful eCommerce APIs for your company from our list.
What are eCommerce APIs?
Application programming interfaces, or APIs, are a set of guidelines that permit data to be pulled from software. After that, the data can be seamlessly integrated into another program. An extension of that definition is an eCommerce API. Ecommerce APIs enable communication between programs on commerce platforms in a manner similar to that. Ecommerce APIs are typically broken down into subcategories. Ecommerce platforms, payments, inventories, and marketing are some of them.
Each of these subdivisions has a distinct purpose.
- APIs for eCommerce platforms aid enterprises in setting up their online stores (think WooCommerce or Shopify).
- Payment APIs make it easier to acquire things, which is another crucial step in e-commerce. In order to give customers a seamless shopping experience, payment APIs can be integrated with other APIs to bring purchasing functionality to a website (think AfterPay or PayPal).
- Inventory APIs come next. These APIs help online businesses by streamlining many processes and duties, like ordering new goods, receiving orders, updating stock levels, and even warehousing (think Sellbrite or Fulfil.IO).
- Finally, marketing APIs enable your e-commerce site to connect with customers via email or social media, wherever they may be.
Why are Ecommerce APIs Necessary?
The use of eCommerce APIs is so common for a reason. These integrations are crucial for both small and large businesses since they greatly ease the daily operations of running a firm. Developers can save time and money by using an eCommerce API because they won’t have to start from scratch and can instead use an existing integration. These APIs are dependable because the teams that designed them worked to iron out their peculiarities.
Ecommerce APIs are particularly crucial because they enable firms to swiftly adapt to client needs without having to spend a lot of time or money completely redesigning the website. An eCommerce API lets a business manage, automate, and coordinate its e-commerce activities, which is another advantage for businesses. Less time spent on these business operations frees up more time for the organization to focus on improving the customer experience.
You will have a ton of interesting data to report on if you operate your business online or utilize any type of online service, like Amazon, Shopify, Stripe, Etsy, WooCommerce, and many others. For instance:
- It helps you keep track of your best-selling items and stock levels.
- You can keep track of coupon usage
- Helps you in knowing your MRR according to subscription type
- Allows you to investigate rival price trends on Amazon
- You can track the fulfillment of your most recent orders.
- Allows you to analyze the efficacy of the advertising budget in terms of add-to-cart and cart value.
Benefits of API Integration
With capabilities including order fulfillment, courier management, labeling, invoicing, printing package information, tracking, and confirmation alerts, e-commerce fulfillment APIs can assist organizations in automating, coordinating, managing, and streamlining their processes. Thus, you must incorporate an API in your shipping and logistics software solution if you want to build a strong foundation for your online store.
- Its extensible- APIs link various software parts and allow them to communicate with one another by receiving requests and responding to those requests. You can complete your work more quickly because it increases applications or website functionalities.
- Increased Security- By enabling users to request data from your systems, APIs increase the security of software systems. Your E-commerce data is safeguarded by the API using security methods like encryption.
- Reusability- Because APIs are developed using a service-oriented methodology, they can be utilized with different platforms and applications. Reusable programs allow developers to work on a project with less time and effort, which boosts productivity.
- Scalability- With the use of scalability APIs, you can connect to any new system without altering the original system, software, or hardware. Connecting to any new system only a few lines of code and can be scaled to handle more complicated transactions.
- Synchronization- You can design a platform for your online store that is tailored to your unique business requirements by picking and choosing components from other applications and programs thanks to API connection. You can logically align your operational workflow in this way.
Our Top Favorite Ecommerce APIs
The eCommerce API that meets all of your company’s requirements for required processes is the ideal one for you. Ecommerce API architecture is also crucial; a poorly built integration will result in more problems than it solves. Finding the finest eCommerce API for your online business might be difficult because there are so many possibilities. By compiling some of our favorites, we’ve made it easier to choose the best eCommerce API.
1. Shopify
One of the most popular APIs in the e-commerce industry, Shopify boasts more than one million active users worldwide. It is regarded as one of the most dependable e-commerce APIs, powering millions of websites worldwide. The Shopify API works with XML and receives regular updates that make it easier for developers to collaborate effectively. It is well-balanced and synchronized in a suitable framework and gives developers access to a variety of methods, including Order, Category, Customer, and others.
The popularity of Shopify’s eCommerce API can be attributed to both the platform’s simplicity of use and the tool’s wide range of possibilities. It has a storefront API, an administrator API, and more. It can handle a variety of HTTP requests, including POST, GET, PUT, and DELETE, and it supports XML and JSON.
The manageability and superior security characteristics of this eCommerce API get it points. Additionally, using the Shopify Storefront API is cost-free.
2. Stripe API
Due to the fact that it belongs to the payment API class, Stripe is an example of a more specialized eCommerce integration. Digital retailers can accept a variety of payment ways using one API by using Stripe’s Payment Methods API. Reading evaluations of Stripe’s API can let you immediately see how highly regarded this integration is. Users adore how user-friendly it is and how visitors can easily identify the Stripe name on their website and know it’s secure.
REST serves as the framework for the Stripe API. Our API employs standard HTTP response codes, authentication, and verbs, takes request bodies that have been encoded using a form, and delivers responses that have been encoded using JSON. In test mode, you can utilize the Stripe API without affecting your live data or interacting with the banking networks.
It offers straightforward pricing ‘Pay as you go’ and ‘Enterprise plan’. Everything a large-scale internet business needs to operate is provided by Stripe. Get in touch with the sales team for more information.
3. BigCommerce API
It is one of the most fantastic APIs for software developers because it offers a variety of SDKs that can be freely used across various activities to save time. Perhaps this is one of the key reasons it attracts more than 150,000 businesses worldwide. One of the greatest options for developers is BigCommerce, especially for starting new online storefronts. On the other hand, it also makes use of CRUD and REST, which makes this API more scalable and advantageous for SEO strategies.
The BigCommerce API makes it possible to access a shop’s order and product catalog information. It has tools for recovering abandoned carts, helping with inventory management and control, and even supporting bulk ordering.
A number of features in this eCommerce API are designed to make operating an online store easier. BigCommerce can help, whether your goal is to simplify the ordering process or to better analyze inventories.
4. Magento API
The most well-known online e-commerce Content Management System (CMS) is Magento, an open-source eCommerce platform created by Roy Rubin. In 2018, Adobe paid $1.68 billion to acquire the business. By offering calls for working with resources like customers, categories, goods, and sales orders, the Magento API enables developers to administer eCommerce stores. Additionally, Magento offers REST endpoints that let developers adjust numerous tier prices, base prices, special pricing, or cost values with a single call.
This API facilitates connections for improved integration, enabling full utilization of online services. Calling out for products, orders, categories, etc., aids developers. On the other hand, it makes use of four techniques to handle both JSON and XML (POST, PUT, GET, DELETE). More than 2,50,000 customers use this API globally, making it a promising one. It employs REST and SOAP, respectively, which both use XML-RPC to communicate with the client, just like some APIs. Currently, it serves as the foundation for more than 7,80,000 websites worldwide.
For individuals who need to quickly adjust tier pricing, base prices, or cost values, Magento’s REST endpoints are extremely useful. It enables businesses to construct their online storefronts and finally customizes everything.
5. PayPal API
Without including PayPal, any discussion of the top eCommerce APIs would be incomplete. The REST eCommerce API from PayPal helps with orders, subscriptions, disputes, and invoicing in addition to cash collection. This thorough integration is appropriate for both startup and existing businesses. Order, payment, subscription, invoicing, and dispute workflows are all included in the organization of the PayPal REST API. Create a developer account on the Developer Dashboard to begin using the PayPal REST API.
You may generate your login information, authentication token, and sandbox accounts from there. You need a developer, personal, or corporate account to access the Developer Dashboard, acquire credentials, and create sandbox accounts. Different levels of access to PayPal functions are available with each account. On the My Account tab in the Developer Dashboard, you can upgrade your account if you need access to a feature, you don’t currently have.
A comprehensive list of useful tools that simplify operating an online business is included in PayPal’s eCommerce API. A billing gateway, check fraud detection, and even barcode scanning is some of them. It offers a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking consistent payment.
6. WooCommerce API
Launched in 2011, WooCommerce is a free and open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress that was created by Mike Jolley and James Koster. It is intended for WordPress-using small to large-sized online retailers. It is regarded as one of the most successful and reliable e-commerce platforms not only because it has 4.5 million clients worldwide but also because it employs a REST Structure, which makes it more frictionless than competitors. Whereas REST is used to contribute to receive information from, etc. of any specific website, which lets it function flawlessly while maintaining.
WooCommerce has over two million active users, and for good reason: it’s regarded as one of the most secure e-commerce systems. WordPress may be integrated with this open-source API to build robust online businesses. Additionally, it works with Shopify, Magento, and Amazon.
WooCommerce enables you to convert your WordPress website into a full-fledged eCommerce platform. Changing your subscription type is simple when using WooCommerce, which is an additional benefit. This product is useful if you need to filter through orders, reserve inventory, get item details, and swiftly add things to your shop.
7. Etsy API
Many of Etsy’s website features, such as public profiles, shops, listings, tags, favorites, and sales data, are accessible through the Etsy API, which offers a straightforward RESTful interface with lightweight JSON-formatted responses. OAuth is used to permit both read and write access to users’ public and private data. Small businesses and artisans can sell their goods on Etsy, an online marketplace.
This integration may be of interest to those who want to obtain the listings for their Etsy shop, display the Etsy reviews they have received on their website, and handle data transactions. The strength of the data offered by Etsy’s platform can be used by developers to create third-party applications.
An application key, which is supplied during app registration, is necessary for the Etsy API. The key is used to track overall call use and to identify your application to the Etsy web service. It is transmitted by means of the common API key argument. An OAuth access token is necessary for write access as well as for access to private user data. To begin the OAuth authentication procedure, you must enter your application key.
Working with Etsy can give your website — and business — more credibility because it is a well-known platform. The versatility of this eCommerce API’s features is another plus.
8. eBay API
How is eBay to be forgotten when discussing e-commerce? It currently reigns supreme in many parts of the world with an astounding 180+ Million users. Its API assists in handling a number of features including buying, selling, and searching for products on the marketplace. It utilizes XML and JSON and assists developers in answering questions on their Developer Forum page, although it should be noted that this procedure is also somewhat time-consuming.
The eBay API makes it possible to access fundamental features that are frequently used in connection with searching, buying, selling, and other commercial operations. As an illustration, eBay’s Sell APIs provide sellers and third-party developers with all the tools necessary to programmatically run your eBay business from beginning to finish, while its buy APIs allow developers to give customers the choice to buy things from eBay sellers anywhere.
Whatever feature you’re looking for an API for, eBay has it. Because it supports a variety of formats, this integrations suite is also one of the top eCommerce API choices.
9. Kite API
KITE is the most cutting-edge software platform for running a global print-on-demand online business and is installed on over 240 million devices worldwide. We provide unique products and photo print services to forward-thinking companies all around the world. The Kite API enables integration with the Kite platform, enabling developers to customize print-on-demand products that may be produced, packed, and delivered to customers.
For developers, our open-source REST API was created. Your users can manufacture, package, and ship personalized goods anywhere in the globe with just one API request to KITE. The selection of products is unmatched, and they constantly add new ones.
Any website can use Kite’s technology as an embedded code (or mobile application). With the use of its eCommerce API, firms can quickly print and distribute goods anywhere. This integration is perfect for people testing out new products or just getting started because this API makes it easy to print the product and send it. In addition to helping those who want to start their own small e-commerce business, Kite’s API also gets merits for its adaptability and embed ability.
10. Amazon API
It is regarded as one of the most widely used APIs on the market. The reason is that Amazon today has more than 100 million paying customers and more than 300 million active users monthly. When it comes to e-commerce, it offers to add, order, pay, etc., and offers a terrific experience. Users can browse product photos, vendor information, and much more in addition to this. One of the earliest available on the market, Amazon API uses XML or CSV for the exchange of information.
High levels of selling automation are made possible by Amazon, which can aid sellers in expanding their businesses. Sellers can enhance customer response times, lower labor costs, and increase selling efficiency by adopting Amazon MWS. The APIs from Amazon are renowned for being dependable and simple to use. Amazon’s integrations can be helpful if you’re seeking an API that will provide you with access to updated product data, real-time Amazon product prices, or review information.
Conclusion
Owning an online store is complicated, but eCommerce APIs may make the process easier while also taking your company to the next level. Whether your e-commerce company is well-established or just getting started, these connectors will successfully enable you to advance in your role as a business owner.
The bottom line is that while there are many other APIs available on the market, we have chosen a select group of the Top 10 Ecommerce APIs that you should be aware of. And, believe it or not, each of these Top 10 APIs is flourishing in its respective niche. Therefore, if you’re looking for any API integration, this could be one of them to help your website take off and reach new heights.
