API stands for Application Programming Interface.
On conceptual level you can imagine an API as a canal lock connecting two bodies of water. An API allows two pieces of software to communicate with each other. As one would want to control the level of water in the channel, one would want to control the interaction between different parts of the software.
Image source: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-an-api/
An API is usually made as a set of “methods” that are exposed as Endpoints. A user (or a piece of software) can evoke these Endpoints by sending a 🫴Request to them (also known as calling an endpoint).
⚙️ Resources:
- brief explanation ~3min
- longer explanation ~10min
- medium explanation ~10min
- conceptual video explanation, ~5min