APIs have become relatively standard in web-based software systems. APIs enable companies to create large and small systems faster and more efficiently.
Communication APIs are simply just APIs that are utilized in web-based communication systems. However, this can be still a rather vague definition for Communication APIs. To completely understand what communication APIs are, it’s imperative that you understand what an API is, generally speaking.
## What is an API?
An API can be a standardized set of programming instructions. Each API contains prewritten code that developers can insert inside their own products to include capabilities without constructing a custom system over completely from scratch.
For example, if a developer is building an e-mail client, they're able to use a Microsoft API to quickly connect to Microsoft 365 mail, and add email sending and receiving to the software without building their very own email system.
This makes development a smaller amount resource intensive and enables companies to leverage technology from other companies to develop entirely services.



## What are communication APIs?
Communication APIs are APIs developers may use to add communication capabilities for their products. SIP trunking APIs, SMS APIs, Two-way SMS APIs, and number discovery APIs are routine communication APIs. Companies will use these APIs to include common communication functionalities to their products without building their own comms network.
These communications APIs enable companies to gain access to external communication networks and define the rules for what companies are capable of doing on these communication networks. APIs regularly serve as a communication link between applications and databases.
The end result is that the user gets communication functionality from the software - to be able to send and receive texts, caller ID services, and also other communications platform features - and also the experience is seamless.
The finish user can’t tell whether they're employing a feature that's been outsourced to a new provider’s system or if perhaps it’s part of something operated by the developer. And, for the development end, the developer can add these communication features on their platform almost by cutting and pasting snippets of code.
## Forms of communication APIs
You will find four primary communication APIs, which were mentioned above: SIP trunking APIs, SMS APIs, Two-way SMS APIs, and number discovery APIs. Each API serves a certain purpose. All night . APIs separated by capability similar to this enables developers to pick out and choose which communications features they want.
SIP trunking APIs
Sip trunking APIs enable developers to add telecom connectivity for their software, having an external network. The network operator supplies the API to the software developer. As well as the software developer uses the API gain access to the communication provider’s network as needed.
SMS APIs
SMS APIs give web-based software systems the ability to send SMS messages using an external SMS provider’s network. SMS APIs are primarily used for broadcasting high volumes of SMS messages in contexts in which the recipients need not reply to the messages.
Two-way SMS APIs
Two-way SMS APIs resemble SMS APIs because they enable developers to create software that sends messages utilizing an external SMS provider’s network. However, two-way SMS APIs also allow recipients to respond to messages, so people might have text conversations.
Number discovery APIs (number lookup)
The fast answer is that number discovery APIs are suitable for looking up the device number associated with a phone call. Number lookup APIs are most common for caller ID services. However, these APIs could also be used for information delivery services that find numbers based on additional information such as names and addresses.
## Do businesses need communication APIs?
To put it briefly, yes. Whether a small business develops web-based applications that want communication functionality you aren't, businesses rely on communication for up to everything.
Even businesses that are not in any respect involved in providing communication services often use communication APIs without even knowing it, because most of their communication software relies upon communication APIs to supply comms features.
But, should you need communication APIs for the products, Telnyx is really a premier communications API provider on the planet, with a purpose-built network based on a fiber optic backbones and tier-1 interconnects for industry leading performance and reliability.