Onboard APIs

API management helps organizations secure, govern, scale, and monetize their APIs. By onboarding APIs to the Yappes platform, one can easily facilitate all of these factors. You can ensure that:

• The APIs are secure and protected from unauthorized access
• It’s easier for developers to discover, understand, and consume the APIs within their organization
• Analytics and reporting capabilities explicitly help you gather insights into API usage, performance, and trends

Through the My APIs functionality of API Manager, the user with the role of platform-admin, api-developer or api-product-manager can onboard an API within the organization they are part of by following a user-friendly three-step process. Once the API has been onboarded, they can:

• Define a standardized set of policies to protect it
• Configure TLS to enforce an added layer of security through HTTPS
• Set a tryout quota to limit and monitor API usage
• Add rate plans to monetize it
• Define licenses for public or private use

Overall, onboarding APIs to the Yappes platform streamlines the API lifecycle, enhances security, improves developer experience, provides analytics, and enables scalability and performance optimization.

Prerequisites:

S.No.	Requirement
1.	platform-admin/api-developer/api-product-manager role.
2.	Internal organization access.
3.	API Host Name.
4.	Publishing Path (unique gateway path prefix, e.g. /public).
5.	API Logo (jpeg or png only)
6.	Marketplace Tags. (Create one if not already.)
7.	TLS Certificates. (Create one if not already.) Optional.
8.	Open API file for Endpoints. Optional
9.	Base Path (optional).
10.	OAuth1, OAuth2, Yappes OAuth, and JWT Values, if Using for Authentication. For Yappes OAuth, ensure OAuth 2.0 Configuration is completed in the Admin Console first.
11.	Application for API Tryout. (Create one if not already.)
12.	Read Me and License Details.

Onboarding methods

Clicking Onboard API opens a method chooser. This page documents the Manually Configure API path (three-step process). For the other options:

Method	Description
Manually Configure API	Full three-step process — basic info, endpoints, subscriptions, and monitoring (this page).
Onboard Via Curl Command	Paste one curl; the platform extracts host, path, method, headers, and body. See Onboard via CURL Command.

Steps for onboarding an API

Before proceeding with the steps, ensure you meet all the above requirements. If you do, then move on to the following steps.

Step 1 - Add basic information; configure upstream servers; choose tags, and add logo

The first step of onboarding an API at Yappes requires adding basic details: API name, API Host Name, Publishing Path, API Description, and upstream server URLs while optionally configuring TLS. You can also utilize the Marketplace Tags that help you categorise the API for easy discoverability, and upload a logo that would be visible to the consumer when they subscribe to it.

To onboard the API and perform all the necessary actions, do the following:

• From your home screen, go to Manage APIs → My APIs.

• Click Onboard API.

• In the Onboard API modal, select Manually Configure API.
• The API onboarding interface opens with fields to add Basic Information. Select REST as the API type, then define the values in fields as appropriate:
  • API Type: REST (A stateless architectural style that uses standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE for communication.)
  • API Name (required)
  • API Host Name (required — URL where the upstream API is located)
  • Base Path (optional — upstream path segment on the backend)
  • Publishing Path (required — gateway-facing path prefix, e.g. /public or /api; must be unique across all platform APIs;)
  • Description (optional)

• Once done, click Save.

Info

Fields with asterisk (*) are mandatory.

Your changes will be saved, and new sections will open where you can configure upstream servers, add an API logo, and assign marketplace tags. In order to change the URL of the Development, Testing or Production upstream server, do the following:

• Go to Configure Upstream Servers define URLs for the Development, Testing, or Production upstream environment using Development API Host Name, Testing API Host Name, and Production API Host Name.
  • The Testing environment shows a Default Publishing Environment sub-label.
• Once done, click Update.

If you need to enforce any shared resources, such as TLS certificates, to any of the environments, then:

• Click on the Configure TLS button for the respected environment. s

• In the SSL/TLS Certificates popup shown, first, select the Cert Type:
  • PFX P12
  • Or, Cert Key CA

• If you select PFX P12 → then select the created shared resource in the Selected PFX field.
• If you select Cert Key CA, then:
  • First, select the shared resource for the Selected Certificate
  • Then, for Selected Key
  • Finally, for the Selected CA

• Once done, click Save.

Info

Configuring TLS requires authorized certificates. If you haven’t created one, then learn how to do it in the Shared Resources article.

After configuring the TLS for the API Host Names, you need to add a logo and then choose a marketplace tag(s) for easy recognition and discoverability in the listing. In order to do that:

• Go to API Logo and click Upload.
• Choose the logo file and upload it.
• Then, go to the Marketplace Tags and click on the Search Tags field.
• Select the available tags from the menu.

Info

If there are no marketplace tags available. You need to create one using the Marketplace Tags functionality in the Admin Console.

When you have added the logo and tags, click Next to move on to the next step.

If you don’t want to continue the step but want to proceed later, you can also click Save and Exit, and it will save all the details and add the API to the list as unpublished, like the following:

In the next step, you can manage Endpoints as well as add authentication for the Tryout.

Step 2 - Manage endpoints; add authentication, and tryout response

In this step, you will add and configure the endpoints for your API, which could be done manually or using an OpenAPI file (Swagger Spec). Endpoints represent the different functionalities or operations that your API provides. They help you define the specific operations that developers can access and utilize when interacting with your API.

Apart from adding the Endpoints for the API, you can also add authentication such as HTTP Basic, Header, OAuth1, OAuth 2, Yappes OAuth, and Query Parameter. By setting up an authentication method, you ensure that only users with the correct authentication can Tryout the API. Yappes OAuth additionally enforces gateway protection for subscribed consumers.

To manage the endpoints and set up authentication, follow the below sections:

Manage endpoints

Registering endpoints for the API can be done by uploading an OpenAPI file. To do so:

• Go to the Open API File section and click :octicons-upload-16: Upload.

• In the popup shown, enter the file Version number.
• Then, click Select File. Browse the file on your device and select it.

• After selecting the file, click Upload.

If you need to register the endpoints manually, then in that case, you can follow the below steps:

• Go to the Endpoint section and click :octicons-plus-16: Add.

• In the popup shown, enter the Endpoint details in the fields as appropriate:

  • Enter the Endpoint Name
  • Then, Endpoint Path
  • Select the Method - GET | PUT | POST | DELETE | PATCH
  • Then, select the Content Type - application/json | application/x-www-form-encoded | multipart/form-data | application/xml
  • Add the Description

• Click Add Endpoint.

This will add the endpoint for the API. If you need to add multiple endpoints, you can simply repeat this step and choose a different Method and Content Type according to the requirements.

Add authentication

Once you add the Endpoints, the Tryout functionality will be active, and you can try out the response of the API you’ve onboarded. However, when developers or consumers try to consume the API, you might want to add authentication so that only users with access (authentication details) can do API calls and test the responses. Therefore, to add an authentication rule to the API, you need to do the following:

• Go to the Authentication section → click Add.

• In the popup shown:
  • Choose the Authentication Type - HTTP Basic | Header | OAuth1 | Query Parameter | OAuth 2 | Yappes OAuth
  • Add required details based on the selected Authentication

• Once done adding the details, click Add Authentication.

Tip

For a detailed explanation of adding different authentication types, follow the instructions mentioned on this page. For Yappes OAuth, including endpoint scope configuration, see Yappes OAuth.

When Yappes OAuth is selected, an OAuth tab appears under Endpoint Details where you can add scopes per endpoint.

This will add the authentication for the API.

If you need to make changes to it or delete it:

• Simply click Edit or Delete and confirm your choice in the popup, followed by the action.

Tryout

Once you’ve added the Endpoints, the onboarded API is ready to test. You can utilize the Tryout functionality that becomes available in the same, Manage Endpoints section, soon after that. To test the API:

• Simply click the Tryout button.

• The Endpoint Tryout window will open with details of:
  • Endpoints Used
  • Endpoint Details
  • X-yappes key
  • X-Yappes-Subkey
  • X-accept-version
  • API Request examples using Curl, JavaScript, Python, and Php
  • Remaining Tryouts

By default, the X-yappes key is set to Default Application. Therefore, if you’ve created the Application, switch to it before running the tryout operation.

• Go to the X-yappes key.
• Click the drop-down and select your Application.

• Then, click Tryout operation.

Check the Response URL and Response; if correct, you can move to the next step. Click Back and then click Next to move on to the next step.

You can also click Save and Exit to continue later.

Step 3 - Set tryout quota; attach rate plans; add API monitor policies and define read me and license text

In this step, you can set the transaction threshold to tryout the API without a subscription.

Setting up a tryout quota is essential as it allows consumers to test and understand different aspects of an API, such as functionality, performance and suitability before they subscribe to it. Furthermore, the API tryout quota helps you manage its usage by ensuring that the resources are allocated properly without overuse.

The quota you’d set here will be on a per-user basis.

With rate plans, you can monetize your APIs by defining transaction limits and optional pricing (initialization fee, recurring charges, and pay-as-you-go fees). Together with tryout quotas, rate plans help balance resource allocation, provide value-based access, generate revenue, and give API providers and consumers a clear view of usage and cost.

To set the tryout quota for the API, you need to:

• Go to the Tryout quota section and define values for:
  • Number of transactions
  • Quota Period - Daily | Monthly

Then, to attach rate plans for the API:

1. In Step 3, open the Rate Plans section.
2. Click Attach Rate Plan.
3. In the modal, choose one of the following:
   • Create New — define a new plan for this API. See How to Create a Rate Plan.
   • Choose from existing — search and select plan(s) from the catalog, then click Attach Plan.
4. Attached plans appear as cards (up to three on the onboarding page).
5. When more than three plans are attached, click Edit or view all Plans to open the full API rate plans page (Create Rate Plan, per-card Edit / Detach).

For attach and detach field details, see Attaching a Rate Plan and Detaching a Rate Plan.

After the rate plans, you can add API monitors:

• Go to the API Monitor section and click Add API Monitors.

Attach Policies

• You can attach gateway policies to your APIs using the Attach Policy dialog.

• Policies can be configured at both the API level (applies to all endpoints) and Endpoint level (applies only to selected endpoints).

Choose from Existing

• In the Policy section, select Choose from Existing.
• Use the Search Policy field to find existing policies by name.
• The table lists all available policies along with their Policy Type (e.g., Request Limit (IP Block), Error Code, etc.).
• Select one or more policies that you want to attach.
• Click Attach Policy to confirm your selection and attach the policies.

Create a New Policy

• In the Policy section, select Create New.
• This allows you to create a new gateway policy directly from the Attach Policy window.
• You can choose to link the new policy at either the API Level or Endpoint Level, based on your requirement.
• Configure the necessary policy details (such as control level, policy type, and configuration parameters).
• Once saved, the newly created policy is automatically attached to the API or endpoint.

- Once you have added all of these, click Create and Attach. The added policy will appear in the policy list.

Info

For a detailed explanation of creating different monitor policies, visit Monitor & Analytics

Once you’ve attached the policy, you need to add a read me text and license. So for that:

• Go to the Read Me section and add your read me file text.
• Then, go to the License section and add your license details.

Once you’ve added the information regarding Read Me and License, you need to review the details you’ve added. To do that:

• Click Preview.

This will save all the details, and you can preview the API before publishing it.

Now, based on your user role and whether an approval workflow is attached to the API, you can save, publish, or submit for approval.

Direct publish

If no approval workflow is required, platform-admin or api-product-manager users can publish directly:

• Click Finish and Publish on onboarding step three, or Publish from the My APIs list after onboarding.

The published API appears in the My APIs list and in the marketplace API listing.

Submit for approval

If an approval Workflow is attached to the API, use Submit for approval instead of publishing directly. This is available when:

• A workflow is attached to the API.
• At least one endpoint change exists.
• A marketplace tag is present.
• The API is not already in a pending or scheduled approval state.

To submit from My APIs after onboarding:

• Return to Manage APIs → My APIs and open the API.
• Click Submit for approval.
• In the modal, select the change type: Major, Minor, or Patch.
• Click Submit for approval.

After submission:

• The button changes to Submitted & approval pending (disabled).
• The My APIs grid status shows Approval pending.
• Approvers process the request in Pending Approvals.
• The API remains unpublished until approved; the requester can then publish from My APIs.

Save without publishing

• Click Finish and Exit or Save and Exit to save progress without publishing.

If you’re onboarding as an api-developer, you typically get Finish and Exit only; a product manager can publish or submit for approval later.

Simply click the available option, and you can see the API in the My APIs list as unpublished, like the following.

In order to publish this unpublished API, the product manager needs to edit the API and then publish it. By following the steps mentioned in the following article, the product manager can learn how to publish an API.

Publish an API

That’s it; you’ve successfully onboarded the API. To perform other tasks on your API, follow the instructions mentioned in the following article.

Change Ownership, Unpublish, Decommission and Delete an API