Nearly three quarters of API professionals now embrace API-first software development for faster production

Postman, the world’s leading API collaboration platform, today released the findings of its sixth annual 2024 State of the API Report, the industry’s most comprehensive look at APIs surveying over 5,600 developers and API professionals. Combined with data observed on the Postman API Platform serving more than 35 million users and 500,000 organizations, this year’s report explores themes related to API development trends, collaboration challenges, and the rise of AI.

“With our annual State of the API report, we aim to shed light on realities of API development today and where they are headed in the future. This year, the findings are illuminating that the API-first world is coming to life — and this approach is more important than ever as organizations grapple with AI adoption,” said Ankit Sobti, co-founder and CTO of Postman. “From faster production times and better collaboration to the use of multiple gateways, organizations that embrace this model are setting themselves up for long-term success.”

Key findings include:

• The rising shift from code-first to API-first. Software development is experiencing a major shift, with more organizations moving from a code-first to an API-first approach. Seventy-four percent of responders are API first in 2024, up from 66% in 2023.
• Faster API production. When APIs are the core of development, the advantages are clear with 63% of developers able to produce an API within a week — up from 47% last year. Additionally, 67% of teams using Postman team workspaces can produce an API in less than a week, compared to 58% of those who don’t use workspaces.
• Collaboration challenges as the hidden bottleneck. Despite faster production, developers still face hurdles when collaborating on APIs. Fifty-eight percent of developers rely on internal documentation tools, but 39% say inconsistent docs are the biggest roadblock. Furthermore, 44% of developers dig through source code to understand APIs, but over half collaborate with product managers, quality assurance, and designers who can’t always interpret the code.
• Multiple gateways reflect a new era of API management. The traditional single-gateway model is becoming obsolete, with the market demanding support for all types of APIs whether private, partner, or public. Now, nearly one-third of API publishers use multiple gateways, reflecting the complexity of managing APIs in diverse environments
• AI-driven traffic surges while the broader landscape diversifies. Postman has seen a 73% increase in AI-driven API traffic on its platform over the past year. And while ChatGPT will remain at the top next year with 43% of survey respondents planning to use it next year, developers will also be looking to diversify AI tooling, models, and deployments like GitHub Copilot and Google Gemini.

Learn more about the findings in the interactive 2024 State of the API Report here. Postman will also deep dive into the findings in a webinar taking place Thursday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. PST / 12 p.m. EST, and registration is now open.

About Postman

Postman is the world’s leading API collaboration platform, used by more than 35 million developers and 500,000 organizations, including 98% of the Fortune 500. In a world that is increasingly embracing an API-first mindset, Postman is uniquely positioned to streamline API development and drive innovation through teamwork by transcending traditional testing and fostering team collaboration across the entire API development lifecycle — from creation to deployment.. The company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Bangalore and Tokyo. Postman is privately held, with funding from Battery Ventures, BOND, Coatue, CRV, Insight Partners, and Nexus Venture Partners. Learn more at https://postman.com or connect with Postman on X via @getpostman.

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