What is an API? A Simple Explanation with Real Examples

You've heard the word API everywhere. In job descriptions, in tutorials, in tech Twitter. But what actually is it?

The waiter analogy

Think of an API like a waiter at a restaurant.

You (the app) don't walk into the kitchen (the server) yourself. You tell the waiter what you want. The waiter goes to the kitchen, gets your food, and brings it back.

That waiter is the API.