Beginner 2 min read
What Is an API? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
An API is a menu a program can order from. Learn what that means, why it matters, and try one live in your browser.
Guides · Course · Practice API
Guides
Short and practical. Each guide pairs with a video and the free practice API, so you read a little and then try it for real.
Read now
Beginner 2 min read
Your First GET Request: Browser, curl and Python
Make the same API request three ways: in a browser, with curl, and with Python's requests library.
Beginner 2 min read
FastAPI Hello World: Build Your Own Tiny API
Build and run a three-line FastAPI app, then call it. The fastest way to learn how the practice API on this site works.
The course: Learn APIs by Calling One
Eight short lessons, each with a video, a try-it button and a small challenge. Lessons marked Guide ready are written already; the rest are on the way.
- What is an API? Guide ready
- Status codes and errors Coming soon
- Path vs query parameters Coming soon
- curl and headers Coming soon
- Python requests Guide ready
- Build your own FastAPI Guide ready
- Validation and the auto-docs Coming soon
- Rate limits and being a good API citizen Coming soon
Try it while you read
The practice API is free, read-only and always on. Press a button, see a real answer, then copy the same request into curl or Python.
Open the API Lab Interactive API docs Books to go with the lessons