Glossary A–ZLetter A
API
An API is an agreed interface through which two programs exchange data without anyone transferring it by hand.
The abbreviation stands for “application programming interface”. An API defines which requests are allowed, how the data is structured and what each item means.
In screen networks, an API connects the management system with other systems. An advertising portal might use one to fetch a schedule or report back what has played. A merchandise management system can supply prices that then appear on screen, and a calendar can pass room bookings to a door display.
Both sides must follow the same rules for how the data is structured and what it means. Before buying, operators should ask whether the interface is documented, how access is secured, for example with keys and encrypted connections, and what happens when the interface changes in a new version. An API on its own delivers nothing: someone has to set up and maintain the connection.