What is an API?

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a menu of things one app lets other apps ask it to do. When Auto Appy adds a row to Vidya Coaching’s enquiry sheet, it’s using Google’s API. When Skyline Realty’s developer pulls a daily report out of Auto Appy, he’s using Auto Appy’s.

The waiter analogy

Think of a restaurant. You (an app) want food from the kitchen (another app’s data). You don’t walk into the kitchen; you give your order to a waiter (the API), who checks it, takes it to the kitchen, and brings back your food (the response).

Animated explainerHow an API call works

1Two apps need to work together. Skyline Realty's website has a new buyer enquiry, and the CRM should save it as a lead.

2The website sends a request to the CRM's API: "please create this lead". Like a waiter taking your order to the kitchen.

3The request carries an API key, a secret password for apps. The API checks it: who is asking, and are they allowed to?

4The CRM does the work. It saves the lead in its database.

5It sends back a response: 201 Created and the new lead's ID. The website now knows it worked.

The parts of a request

Every API request has the same few parts:

Part	What it is	Example
Address (URL or endpoint)	Where the request goes	https://api.autoappy.com/workflows
Method	What kind of request	GET read · POST create · PUT update · DELETE remove
Headers	Labels on the envelope, including who you are	Authorization: Bearer aa_key_…
Body	The details, usually as JSON	{"name": "Vikas Shetty", "phone": "919867045612"}

JSON is the usual format: names and values in curly brackets, readable by people and apps alike.

{
  "name": "Vikas Shetty",
  "phone": "919867045612",
  "interested_in": ["2 BHK", "3 BHK"]
}

The response and its status code

The answer always comes with a three-digit status code:

Code	Meaning	What to do
200 / 201	Worked / created	Nothing.
400 / 422	Something in your request is wrong or missing	Read the message; fix the field it names.
401	No key, or the key is wrong	Check the Authorization header.
403	The key is fine but not allowed to do this	Use a key with more access, or ask an admin.
404	That address or item doesn’t exist	Check the URL and the ID.
409	Clashes with the current state (for example, the workflow is paused)	Change the state first.
429	Too many requests too fast	Wait a moment and slow down.
500	Something broke on the server	Try again later; tell support if it repeats.

API keys

An API key proves who is calling. It’s a long secret string that works like a password for apps. In Auto Appy, keys start with aa_key_ and you create them in Settings → API keys. Keep keys out of web pages and screenshots: anyone with the key can act as you.

Try it: list your workflows

Here is a real request to the Auto Appy API, in three languages. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with a key from API keys.

curl

curl "https://api.autoappy.com/workflows" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

JavaScript

// Run this on a server (Node 18+), never in a public web page.
const res = await fetch('https://api.autoappy.com/workflows', {
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.AUTOAPPY_API_KEY}`,
    Accept: 'application/json',
  },
});
console.log(res.status, await res.json());

Python

import os, requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.autoappy.com/workflows",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['AUTOAPPY_API_KEY']}",
        "Accept": "application/json",
    },
)
print(res.status_code, res.json())

You don't need the API to use Auto Appy

Everything in these docs can be done in the app with clicks. The API is for developers who want to connect their own software.

What is a webhook?

Auto Appy REST API