There was a time when web developers dreaded certain feature requests from clients mainly because it required tedious work. This is mostly thanks to APIs.
However, with thousands of APIs out there (and what is API even?), figuring out the best one for web development can be challenging. But, worry not because we have done the groundwork for you. In this article, you will discover what an API is, along with the 10 best ones for web developers.
Understanding APIs
Before proceeding to the 10 best APIs for web developers in 2021, you first need to know what is API. API stands for Application Programming Interface. This is an intermediary that enables 2 applications to communicate with each other. You use an API every time you open an app such as Facebook and Messenger.
10 Best APIs for Web Developers in 2021
There are plenty of APIs nowadays, but some are just better than others. This is the case mostly because they can help improve the overall quality of your website’s user experience. With that said, here are 10 best APIs for web developers in 2021:
Facebook Apps and Plugins
Today, Facebook is considered to be one of the top social media platforms in the world. Aside from being widely popular, it also has a lot of monthly active users. But did you know that they also provide APIs for developers?
Facebook offers developers APIs to help them integrate their marketing effort into the platform. They also provide a set of SDKs and APIs usable on websites that you can use to embed social media posts and feeds, add Facebook login, and track website conversion related to Facebook.
In reality, most social media platforms nowadays offer an API. However, what makes Twitter among the most valuable ones is the fact that it has plenty of users similar to Facebook. However, compared to Facebook, the API of Twitter is lighter. But, it will allow you to embed the platform’s share button and feed.
Youtube
It is not a good practice to upload video files using your server. But if you need to do this, then the Youtube API might be helpful for you. It will allow you to embed video players into your website easily. You can also personalize the playback setting if you want.
Paypal
Manual process payment information is obsolete. This is why it’s important to integrate major payment processors into your website to provide a user experience. This is exactly what Paypal API will offer you. It will allow you to not only collect the payment but also track and handle disputes and refunds.
Dropbox
If you are looking for a secure place for file storage from your website, the Dropbox API can be useful. Aside from that, you can also use it to enable visitors to upload documents to your Dropbox account. This feature can really be helpful, especially if you are building a human resource recruitment website.
G Suite Apps
G Suite is now referred to as Google Workspace. It is a suite of web applications made by Google primarily for business. And yes, you guessed it right. G Suite Apps also has its own APIs.
The G Suite API will enable you to configure it so that it can capture the data submitted by your website’s users. This data can then be used by business owners or sales members to prepare prior to a call.
Google Calendar
A calendar can be very handy for websites that host lots of events. In this case, the Google Calendar API can make things a lot easier. You can use it to make instant connections and start displaying upcoming events.
Google Analytics
Being able to track visitor activity on your website is a must-have feature, and this is exactly what the Google Analytics API offers you. Other than that, you use this API to monitor customer data like lifetime value calculations and conversion rates. You can also use it to make a custom tracking dashboard for your website’s backend.
Google Translate
Are you working on a website that gets plenty of international traffic? In that case, the Google Translate API will help you integrate numerous language translations into your website in a very convenient way.
Google Location
It’s a known fact that Google Map is the most popular geo-location API from Google. But, aside from that, it also has other advantages. For example, you can use it to embed maps to your website in any way you like. This means that you can either have it in 360-pivot or street view.
Final Words
There you have it, those are the 10 best APIs for web developers. Each API on the list can help make a better website by improving its user experience through seamless and convenient integration of apps.
