Skip to main content

API Catalog

The API Catalog is the section of the Software Catalog that surfaces API entities — registered API definitions that teams can discover, browse, and document centrally. It enhances resource sharing and simplifies API governance across teams.

Key Features​

  1. API Discovery

    • The API Catalog offers centralized access to organizational APIs, with search and filter tools to quickly locate specific APIs.
    • APIs are categorized by kind, owner, system, and tags for easy navigation.

  2. Comprehensive Documentation

    • Detailed documentation is rendered from the API spec file for each API entity, including endpoints, parameters, response formats, and authentication requirements.
    • Additionally, code samples and tutorials may be available if included in linked TechDocs.

  3. Multiple Spec Formats

    • The catalog supports OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, GraphQL, and gRPC spec formats.
    • You can register multiple API entities (one per version) if you need to maintain multiple versions in the catalog simultaneously. The platform does not manage versioning automatically.

  4. Documentation-Only Viewing

    • The API catalog is a documentation and discovery layer. It renders spec content for reference — it does not provide a built-in sandbox or live "try it out" execution environment.
    • To test API endpoints, use your external tooling (Postman, curl, etc.) against the actual service.

  5. Access Control via RBAC

    • Catalog RBAC controls who can view API entities in the portal. Assign the catalog.entity.read permission to the appropriate roles.
    • The portal does not act as an API gateway and does not enforce authentication on the APIs themselves.

Why Use the API Catalog?​

  • Promotes Reuse: Developers can discover existing APIs, reducing duplication and ensuring consistency across applications.
  • Facilitates Collaboration: Shared documentation lets teams access and understand APIs without contacting the owning team directly.
  • Increases Productivity: Spec rendering and search capabilities enable faster onboarding and integration.
  • Improves Governance: Centralized registration makes it easy to audit which APIs exist, who owns them, and what state they are in.