Adobe Commerce API

Adobe Commerce API enables different software systems regardless of the underlying technologies to communicate and work together seamlessly. Google Maps API, for example, allows developers to embed Google Maps functionality into their applications. For instance, in adobe commerce developers can utilize the API to display interactive maps, calculate delivery routes, and search for specific locations.

Magento 2 provides several APIs to interact with its platform, each serving different purposes and offering various capabilities. Additionally, Adobe Commerce not only has built-in APIs but also allows for the creation of custom ones, making Adobe Commerce more flexible and open to integrations.

Boost Your Store's Potential with Diverse APIs

Adobe Commerce offers a rich set of APIs, each catering to specific needs. Here's a breakdown of the prominent ones:

REST API

The REST API stands for Representational State Transfer, which in Magento allows developers to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations on Magento resources such as products, customers, orders, and categories. It follows RESTful principles and uses standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE for communication.

Authentication can be performed using Oauth or Token based authentication.?

SOAP API

The SOAP API stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. In Adobe commerce it provides standardized communication between systems, encoding data in XML format. It offers a secure way to exchange data and is extensible with other technologies and systems, capable of handling large amounts of data effectively.

It is widely used in enterprise-level applications for its robustness and security features. Additionally, SOAP APIs are platform-independent, making them suitable for heterogeneous environments.

SOAP API uses the Web Service Description Language(WSDL) file format, a standard format for describing web services and their communication protocols. Through WSDL, clients can understand the functionality offered by the SOAP API, enabling them to interact with the service seamlessly.

GraphQL

GraphQL in Adobe commerce is a powerful query language for API's that allow clients to request specific data from a server. Unlike traditional REST API, where endpoints return fixed data structures defined by the server and client have limited control over the data they received. GraphQL enables clients to define the shape and depth of data they need using queries. However with GraphQL, clients have the flexibility to define the shape and depth of the data they need using queries. Send a GraphQL query to your API and get exactly what you need, nothing more or nothing less. GraphQL queries always return a predictable results

?Advantages of REST API Over SOAP API

REST (Representational State Transfer) APIs are often preferred over SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) APIs due to their simplicity, flexibility, and efficiency. REST APIs leverage standard HTTP methods, making them easier to use and integrate with a wide range of web services and applications. Unlike SOAP, which relies on complex XML-based messaging and strict standards, RESTful APIs support multiple data formats (such as JSON, XML, and HTML), allowing for more straightforward and faster data parsing. This versatility enhances performance and reduces bandwidth usage. Additionally, REST APIs are stateless, promoting scalability and improving server performance by handling requests independently. The learning curve for REST is also gentler compared to SOAP, which requires a deeper understanding of protocols and frameworks. These advantages make REST APIs a more practical choice for modern web development and integration projects.

Adobe Commerce Magento 2 API Token-Based Authentication

Magento 2 supports token-based authentication for its API, which ensures secure access to resources. This method is commonly used for integrating external systems with Magento or for building custom applications that interact with the Magento store. The token acts like an electronic key that lets you access the API.

Types of Tokens:

Magento 2 provides issues the following types of tokens for API authentication:

1.Integration: The merchant determines which Commerce resources the integration can access.

2. Admin Tokens: Used for accessing admin-level endpoints.

3. Customer Tokens: Used for accessing customer-level endpoints.

Integration token

When a merchant creates and activates an integration, Commerce generates a consumer key, consumer secret, access token, and access token secret, which are all necessary for OAuth-based authentication.

In prior Magento versions, using only the access token for authentication was possible, but now it's disabled by default due to security risks. If compromised, a perpetual access token grants undetected and persistent store access. However, you can enable this feature in the Admin by setting the option: Stores > Configuration > Services > OAuth > Consumer Settings > Allow OAuth Access Tokens to be used as standalone Bearer tokens to ‘Yes’.

OAuth-based authentication ?

Creating an OAuth integration in Magento 2 for communication with a third-party system involves several steps. The process typically includes registering an OAuth consumer in Magento, obtaining OAuth tokens, and using those tokens to make authenticated requests. Here's a step-by-step guide?

Step 1: Register an OAuth Consumer in Magento

1. Navigate to Magento Admin Panel:
2. Create a New Integration:
3. Specify API Resources:
4. Save and Activate the Integration:

Step 2: Configure OAuth in Your Third-Party System

1. Set Up OAuth Client:
2. Implement Callback URL:

Step 3: Obtain OAuth Tokens

1. Request Token:
2. Authorize Request Token:
3. Exchange Request Token for Access Token:

Step 4: Make Authenticated Requests

• Once you have the access token, you can make authenticated requests to Magento’s API endpoints.
• Include the OAuth headers in your API requests to authenticate.

Admin and customer access tokens

Commerce provides a separate token service for administrators and customers. When you request a token from one of these services, the service returns a unique access token in exchange for an account's username and password.

To ensure secure access to your store's resources, Adobe Commerce utilizes token-based authentication. Here's a simplified breakdown of how it works:

1. Generate Tokens: You can create separate tokens for admin and customer access. Admin tokens grant access to administrative tasks, while customer tokens are meant for customer-specific actions.
2. Include in Requests: Once you have a token, you'll include it in the authorization header of your API requests. This verifies your access and safeguards your store.

By default, an admin token is valid for 4 hours, while a customer token is valid for 1 hour. You can change these values from Admin by selecting Stores > Settings > Configuration > Services > OAuth > Access Token Expiration.

Token-based authentication in Magento 2 offers a secure and efficient way to interact with the API, whether for admin tasks or customer-specific operations. By understanding how to generate and use these tokens, you can seamlessly integrate your applications with the Magento 2 ecosystem.

In Conclusion

Adobe Commerce offers a robust and versatile API framework that empowers developers to extend and integrate their eCommerce applications with external systems efficiently. Adobe Commerce API enables seamless interaction with various resources such as products, customers, orders, and more. The REST API, based on standard HTTP methods and JSON format, provides easy access to resources and supports CRUD operations. Meanwhile, the SOAP API utilizes WSDL for describing services and facilitates secure communication using XML-based messages. Additionally, Adobe commerce API supports GraphQL, offering clients the flexibility to tailor their data requests precisely. Overall, Adobe commerce API serves as a powerful tool for building scalable and interoperable eCommerce solutions, enhancing the platform's capabilities and facilitating seamless integration with third-party applications and services.

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