If you work with APIs, sooner or later, you’re going to come across the term “API gateway.” But what is an API gateway? And do you need one for your API?
In this article, we’ll answer these questions and even more. So if you’ve been wondering, “What is an API gateway?” this article is for you.
What is an API gateway?
An API gateway is a type of proxy server that sits between your API and its consumers. It handles all of the incoming traffic from consumers and routes it to the appropriate backend services. Think of it as a traffic cop for your API.
API gateways often provide a single entry point for all incoming traffic, making your API more scalable and easier to manage. They can also provide other features such as load balancing, security, and rate limiting. Utilizing a well-built API gateway platform can save you a lot of time and effort in building and maintaining your API.
When using a microservices-based architecture, it’s crucial to have an API gateway in place. This is because each microservice will likely have its own endpoint, which can be difficult to keep track of. The API gateway can provide a single point of entry for all of your microservices, making it much easier for consumers to use your API.
Why you might need an API gateway
There are a few reasons why you might want to consider using an API gateway for your API.
1. To enhance authentication and security
API gateways can provide an extra layer of security for your APIs by handling authentication and authorization. This can free up your backend services to focus on more important tasks.
When you use an API gateway, it becomes easier to protect your APIs from overuse and abuse.
2. To facilitate API discovery and routing
During application development, it’s usually important to discover microservices so as to facilitate inter-communication. This task can be quite difficult and time-consuming.
An API gateway can make this process much easier by providing a central point of discovery for your microservices. It also makes it possible to ensure that the links are working correctly and independently in different environments.
3. To provide additional features such as caching, load balancing, and rate limiting
API gateways can also provide other features that can improve the performance of your API. For example, caching can help reduce the number of calls made to your backend services. Load balancing can distribute traffic evenly across your microservices. And rate limiting can prevent your API from being overwhelmed by too many requests.
4. To monitor your APIs and get insights into usage
API gateways can help you monitor your APIs and get insights into how they’re being used. It becomes easier to “see” the performance, functional correctness, and even availability of your API when you have an API gateway in place.
Such information can be invaluable when troubleshooting issues or planning for future scaling needs.
5. To make your API more developer-friendly
API gateways can make your API more developer-friendly by providing features such as documentation, playgrounds, and SDK generation. These features can make it easier for developers to use your API and improve their productivity.
Do you need an API gateway?
Now that we’ve answered the question “What is an API gateway?” it’s time to ask ourselves another question: Do we need an API gateway?
The answer to this question depends on a few factors, such as the complexity of your API, the number of microservices you have, and the features you need.
If you have a simple API with only a few microservices, then you might not need an API gateway. However, if you have a complex API with many microservices, then an API gateway can be very helpful in improving the performance and usability of your API.
The Bottom Line
An API gateway is a powerful tool that can make your API more scalable, manageable, and developer-friendly. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of using an API gateway before making a decision. In most cases, the benefits of using an API gateway outweigh the costs.
At Tyk, we offer API gateways that are scalable, secure, and easy to use. Our gateway is built on top of our open source project, which has been battle-tested by some of the world’s largest companies. Contact us to learn more about our API gateway and how it can help you build a better API.
