Jamstack is a modern way of building high-performance and scalable web applications. This web development architecture helps developers and businesses build applications with a better user experience. Over the years, Jamstack has become more popular within the developer ecosystem due to its functionalities like headless CMS (content management system) and static-site generators.
APIs are essential when building with the Jamstack architecture. This architecture allows you to build web applications using different third-party APIs. The Jamstack API approach helps you build applications faster and leverage unique products for different elements of your application.
For instance, when building a blogging application, you may use Gatsby for the front end, a search and discovery API instead of writing a custom search module to enable users to filter posts, and a headless content management system API instead of setting up a CMS.
This post will share what to look for in your provider before choosing an API for your next Jamstack Project.
What to look for in your API solution provider
Different factors will influence your API solution selection, some relating more specifically to your application or business goals. You can score providers based on the following factors.
Feature-compliant
One vital part of your selection process should include an evaluation of the API solution to ensure it meets your application's requirements.
Does the solution meet your application's functional and non-functional requirements such as performance, usability, and accessibility?
Documentation
You need to access the documentation in detail. Ensure that the documentation has clear and useful guides; this helps you avoid wasting time and effort, making it possible to integrate your application quickly.
Accessing the documentation also helps you understand if an API solution has some limitations, such as having a limited number of requests per hour.
Upgrade Process
Regardless of your chosen solution, you must update it regularly to ensure you get the most recent improvements and features. Ensure the solution has a release note, as this will provide details about the process.
Community and Support
Developers encounter problems or have specific questions during the implementation phase so it is vital to ensure that an active and helpful developer community is available for the provider you are considering.
Communities also serve as a knowledge bank for your team.
Veritable API solution
It is certainly possible to feel overwhelmed by too many choices. To help you decide, based on my assessment of multiple API solution providers, Appwrite meets all the above requirements.
About Appwrite
Appwrite is a self-hosted open-source BaaS (backend-as-a-service) tool with which developers can build complete web and mobile applications without a custom backend server via a set of APIs and a management console UI.
It is cross-platform (runs on any operating system) and supports web and mobile technologies and Jamstack frameworks such as Next.js, Gatsby, and Nuxt.js. You can integrate Appwrite directly with your client app and use it behind your custom backend or alongside your custom backend server.
Appwrite also offers flexible API features like:
Databases
The databases service accepts an unlimited number of databases, each of which can include an unlimited number of collections. It also allows you to create a structured collection of documents with access controls for users, teams, and public access.
Authentication
You can easily manage user login and registration for your app using the Appwrite authentication service. Additionally, the Auth service provides built-in interaction with numerous OAuth service providers, including Google, Github, Okta, and more.
Webhooks
The Appwrite Webhooks can be used to communicate in real-time when specific events take place and this sends an HTTP POST payload to the webhook's configured URL.
Security
Security is an integral part of any application. Appwrite aims to help you develop your applications more securely by providing end-to-end protection for your backend and implementing robust encryption methods to safeguard your data from attackers.
You can find the complete list of services offered by Appwrite here.
Conclusion
API solution selection is essential. However, your decision should strongly be influenced by the requirements of your application. This post discussed the criteria for choosing an API for your Jamstack application.
Resources
For further exploration of Appwrite, you may find the following resources helpful.
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