APIs are becoming relatively standard in web-based software systems. APIs enable companies to produce large and small systems faster plus much more efficiently.
Communication APIs are only APIs that are employed in web-based communication systems. However, that is still a very vague definition for Communication APIs. To really understand what communication APIs are, it’s imperative that you understand what an API is, in general.
## What is an API?
An API is often a standardized list of programming instructions. Each API contains prewritten code that developers can insert to their own products to provide capabilities without constructing a custom system from scratch.
For example, if your developer is building an e-mail client, they are able to use a Microsoft API to quickly connect with Microsoft 365 mail, and add email sending and receiving towards the software without building their very own email system.
As a result development much less resource intensive and enables companies to leverage technology from other companies to develop entirely new products.



## What are communication APIs?
Communication APIs are APIs developers are able to use to add communication capabilities to their products. SIP trunking APIs, SMS APIs, Two-way SMS APIs, and number discovery APIs are typical communication APIs. Companies can use these APIs to provide common communication functionalities for their products without building their particular comms network.
These communications APIs enable companies to get into external communication networks and define the guidelines for what companies are able to do on these communication networks. APIs also often serve as a communication connection between applications and databases.
Fundamentally that the user gets communication functionality through the software - the ability to send and receive texts, caller ID services, and other communications platform features - as well as the experience is seamless.
The final user can’t tell whether they're by using a feature that is outsourced to another provider’s system or if perhaps it’s part of a method operated by the developer. And, on the development end, the developer can add these communication features with their platform almost by cutting and pasting snippets of code.
## Types of communication APIs
You'll find four primary communication APIs, that have been mentioned above: SIP trunking APIs, SMS APIs, Two-way SMS APIs, and number discovery APIs. Each API serves a particular purpose. And having APIs separated by capability similar to this enables developers to choose and choose which communications features they want.
SIP trunking APIs
Sip trunking APIs enable developers to provide telecom connectivity to their software, having an external network. The network operator provides API to the software developer. Along with the software developer uses the API to gain access to the communication provider’s network if required.
SMS APIs
SMS APIs give web-based software systems a chance to send SMS messages having an external SMS provider’s network. SMS APIs are primarily used for broadcasting high volumes of SMS messages in contexts the place that the recipients don't need to reply to the messages.
Two-way SMS APIs
Two-way SMS APIs resemble SMS APIs for the reason that they enable developers to produce software that sends messages using an external SMS provider’s network. However, two-way SMS APIs also allow recipients to reply to messages, so people may have text conversations.
Number discovery APIs (number lookup)
The short answer is time discovery APIs are suitable for looking up the phone number of a phone call. Number lookup APIs are most common for caller identification services. However, these APIs could also be used for information delivery services that find numbers based on more information such as names and addresses.
## Do businesses need communication APIs?
To put it briefly, yes. Whether a business develops web-based applications that require communication functionality or otherwise, businesses depend on communication for up to everything.
Even firms that are not in any way involved in providing communication services often use communication APIs without the need of knowing it, because a lot of their communication software utilizes communication APIs to provide comms features.
But, if you do need communication APIs on your products, Telnyx is really a premier communications API provider on earth, with a purpose-built network according to a fiber optic backbones and tier-1 interconnects for top rated performance and reliability.