Pattern 8: API Exploration

Learning and Integrating New APIs Quickly

Overview

API exploration uses AI to understand, test, and integrate unfamiliar APIs without drowning in documentation.

Why do this?

  • Integrate services without reading hundreds of pages
  • Get working examples for your exact use case
  • Discover gotchas and best practices immediately
  • AI synthesizes docs, examples, and community knowledge

This pattern helps with complex enterprise APIs, poor documentation, or evaluating multiple options quickly.

Key Principles

  1. Start with examples - Working code beats documentation
  2. Test incrementally - Verify each endpoint first
  3. Handle errors early - Understand failure modes
  4. Document as you go - Create your own reference

Exercise: Daily Space Pic Bot

Use NASA’s API to fetch the Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Steps:

  1. Quick orientation: Copy relevant API docs into local markdown files. Have AI explain core concepts: main resources, authentication, typical flow.

  2. Build minimal integration: Start simple. Have AI create code to authenticate and make one API call. Test immediately.

  3. Expand systematically: Add error handling, retries. Have AI explain security considerations and best practices.

Your Turn

Pick your own API!

Examples:

  • Integrate Stripe API for a basic checkout page
  • Use Spotify API to create a playlist from your top 10 artists
  • Build OpenWeatherMap CLI for city weather