Beginner · Systems

API

Visual diagram · (in preparation) · Math · (in preparation) · Worked example · 3 difficulty levels.

TL;DR. An application programming interface — the contract by which software components communicate.

Technical Definition

An application programming interface — the contract by which software components communicate.

How it works

In ML, an API is usually a REST or gRPC endpoint that wraps a model. Good APIs are versioned, well-documented, idempotent where possible, and return structured errors. They are how models become products.

Related Concepts

• Model Serving — Hosting a trained model behind an interface so applications can request predictions in real time.
• Deployment — The process of moving a trained model into a production environment where it serves real users.
• Inference Endpoint — A network address that accepts inputs and returns model predictions.