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Best practices for developers
API design in public administration
  1. Guide's start page
  2. Before procurement
  3. During the development process
    1. Use agile building methods
    2. Find or create an open data model
    3. Design the API structure
    4. Select an API style
      1. Increased importance of Web APIs
      2. Different API styles
    5. Manage processes by thinking of target groups
    6. Prepare for API testing
    7. Consider data protection, information security and access rights
  4. When a program or application has been completed
  5. Glossary

Select an API style

Increased importance of Web APIs

Web APIs (APIs working on the Internet) have increased in importance in the development of modern browser and mobile applications throughout the 2000s. More and more APIs will be needed in the future, for example to support AI and voice user interfaces.

Compared to conventional static pages, modern Internet-based applications enable more versatile user interfaces, smaller data transfer volumes and decreased load on servers. For example, such popular software development frameworks as React, Vue or Angular are used to implement applications of this type.

The number of appliances connected to the Internet is constantly growing, and the same applies to various terminal devices, programs and applications. For example, modern scales, televisions, cars, refrigerators and microwave ovens can use APIs to retrieve and send data. This has increased the importance and number of APIs that use the Internet as a data communication channel.

Updated: 6/5/2026

Different API styles

APIs can be implemented in different ways, and various implementation methods can also be combined. For example, a GraphQL can be built on top of RESTful APIs, making their use easier and more efficient in certain situations.

Six of the most common API implementation styles

REST

A software architecture style presented by Roy Fielding in 2000. The most common data transfer method between back-end and front-end systems. REST is based on five mandatory and one optional principle.

GraphQL

An open standard developed by Facebook (today Meta) in 2012 and published as open source code in 2015. Uses query language to retrieve data.

Websocket

A protocol that enables bidirectional TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) communication between a client and server. Used especially in situations where the server can send real-time updates to the client.

Webhook

The customer assigns a unique URL to the server and specifies the events they want to receive. The server automatically sends out information on the occurrence of a predefined event.

gRPC

Google released gRPC (Remote Procedure Call) as open source code in 2016. It was designed for server-to-server communication in distributed information systems and, similarly to RPC developed in the 1980s, it is based on HTTP/2 protocol.

SOAP

A communication protocol introduced in 1999. SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) often uses XML for communication between organisations’ internal information systems. It is considered complicated to use and has been largely replaced by REST due to its limitations.

Updated: 6/5/2026

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Glossary