# API
> An API is a structured way for software systems to talk to each other.
Topics: Apps, Computing
Difficulty: Getting technical
Aliases: application programming interface
Updated: 2026-06-26T08:00:00.000Z
## In one analogy

It is like a menu that tells another app what it can ask for.

## Go deeper
An API is a structured way for software systems to talk to each other. In everyday buying decisions, the useful question is not just what the spec says, but what it changes for comfort, cost, speed, safety, or battery life.