You're facing API integration issues in your web application. How can you troubleshoot them effectively?
When APIs act up, knowing how to troubleshoot is key. Here's your strategy for smooth integration:
What strategies have you found useful in resolving API integration problems?
You're facing API integration issues in your web application. How can you troubleshoot them effectively?
When APIs act up, knowing how to troubleshoot is key. Here's your strategy for smooth integration:
What strategies have you found useful in resolving API integration problems?
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API integration issues can be categorised by 1. Authentication & Authorisation 2. CROS Preflight, Security 3. Invalid Request and Response Schema 4. Server Performance Issues & Down Time 5. 3rd party dependencies 6. Retries and Fallback We can address these issues by 1. Implementing a across app common middleware logic before invoking actual api call to handle the headers generation, token, cros, url creation, data schema and appending callback for the on Success and on Error and Fallback operations Note this should be generic works as a wrapper for all the api call including the 3rd party api 2. Fallback plays major role to keep the application smooth which helps to identify further step either Retry or Preserve the error state cause
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here are some steps you can follow: Check API Request & Response: Use a tool like Postman or cURL to directly call the API outside your application. This helps to confirm if the issue is with the API or your application code. Check response codes, headers, and payloads. Review Authentication: API calls often require specific authentication or authorization headers (like API keys or tokens). Use Debugging Tools and Logs: Enable and inspect server or browser logs, and add logging in your code where the API call occurs. Check Network Conditions: Use browser dev tools or network monitors to check for issues like CORS, timeouts, or connectivity problems. CORS issues often arise in web applications when API calls cross domain boundaries.
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We had a payment API failing in production, costing us real money and angry customers. Here's our fix: First, finally read the API docs properly. Found the issue - production had different timeout settings than dev. Basic stuff we'd missed. Used Postman to compare requests. Turned out production network was just slower, causing timeouts. Classic environment mismatch. The fix was straightforward: Updated timeout settings Added retry logic Set up request queueing Key lesson: Production isn't dev. Test with real conditions and log properly. Always start by checking environment differences - usually the issue is simpler than you think. Saved us hours of debugging and customer complaints. Sometimes the obvious solution is the right one.
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We should log the requests and responses to & from API. A custom log file with request data & headers should be logged. It will be helpful if we log critical business logic areas without too much exposure of business logic data. Check if any third party integrations are causing issues like once we faced public key issues in production.Also data from these third party integrations should be logged. Sometimes the credentials that we use in API may be the issue. Recheck that. Security headers & CORS can also make issues.
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It depends a lot on what the API is there to achieve and who the audience is. Many of the key challenges are similar to more consumer oriented APIs (security, monitoring, quality assurance, rate limits, smooth on-boarding and documentation for users) but more demanding. Security is critical since often these APIs are not just external facing but also provide data to others in the organization which is often more sensitive A mixed user base of internal, close partner and external entities that will use the APIs: in other words often you need to think about multiple audiences with differing levels of access, not just in terms of rate limits but even in terms of visibility of documentation, what APIs there are etc.
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Here is an effective approaches that I while for troubleshooting API integration issues : 1. Inspect Response Codes and Messages 2. Check API Key and Authentication 3. Monitor and Review Logs 4. Review Network Traffic 5. Check API Rate Limits 6. Contact API Support
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First, you have to ensure you are using the API in the right way: read the documentation if needed. Second, you can log requests and responses for each API request that you make. These two things are going to help you fix almost all the issues.
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Use the swagger to debug it and check for authentication and req / resp. Check the api endpoints Data schema And append call back for success.
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Absolutely, here’s a simplified approach: 1. Check Documentation: Make sure you’re using the API correctly, as per its documentation. 2. Test the Endpoints: Use a tool like Postman to send test requests and confirm the API’s responses are as expected. 3. Monitor Logs: Look at your application’s logs for any error messages or patterns that could indicate what’s going wrong. 4. Verify Authentication: Ensure your credentials and tokens are correct and not expired. 5. Watch for Rate Limits: Check if you’re hitting any usage limits, which could cause requests to fail. These steps should help you quickly identify and resolve common issues.
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