Maskot/Getty Images APIs make it easy for apps to exchange information, data, pictures, and more. APIs also let apps have more features, since one program can just ask another program to perform a task. . An API, or application programming interface, is software that acts as an intermediary between two other programs — or two components within a program — to exchange information. APIs are common types of computer code and form the foundation of our modern information architecture. What to know about APIs APIs consist of two components, and both are routinely referred to as "the API," which can be confusing: