Services
API Development Services
RESTful APIs, GraphQL APIs, webhooks, and integration layers — versioned, documented, and secured from day one. Fixed-price. US-based. Full source code ownership on delivery.
What are API development services?
API development services design, build, and maintain the interfaces that allow software systems to communicate — RESTful APIs, GraphQL APIs, webhooks, and integration layers. Code and Trust delivers production-grade APIs with authentication, rate limiting, versioning, and full OpenAPI documentation. Fixed-price engagements with full IP ownership transferred on delivery.
An API is the contract between systems: it defines what data can be requested, what format it comes back in, how errors are communicated, and how authentication works. APIs built without this contract discipline — no versioning, no documentation, no consistent error handling — become the source of the fragile integrations that take down production deployments.
If you need a complete application on top of the API, see our custom software development page. If you are building a SaaS product that will expose an API to your customers, see SaaS development. This page covers API-layer work: designing and building the interface between your systems or between your platform and third-party services.
Types of APIs we build
Code and Trust builds RESTful APIs, GraphQL APIs, webhook systems for event-driven integrations, third-party integration layers (Stripe, HubSpot, Salesforce, QuickBooks), internal microservice APIs, and mobile backend APIs. Every API is versioned, documented with OpenAPI 3.0, and includes authentication and rate limiting as standard deliverables.
RESTful APIs
Resource-oriented REST APIs with consistent endpoint structure, HTTP verb semantics, pagination, filtering, and structured JSON error responses. Versioned from day one — v1 consumers are never broken by v2 changes.
GraphQL APIs
Schema-first GraphQL APIs with type-safe resolvers, query depth limiting, DataLoader for N+1 elimination, and subscription support for real-time updates. Best suited for client-driven data needs where multiple consumers need different data shapes.
Webhook Systems
Event-driven webhook infrastructure: retry logic with exponential backoff, signature verification (HMAC), delivery logs, and a developer console for testing webhook payloads. Designed for reliability-critical integrations.
Third-Party Integration APIs
Integration layers for Stripe, HubSpot, Salesforce, QuickBooks, Twilio, SendGrid, and other common SaaS platforms — normalized into your data model so your application code never speaks a third-party vendor's API directly.
Microservice APIs
Internal service APIs that decompose a monolith or connect independent services — with service authentication (API keys or mTLS), contract testing, and documentation that internal teams can use without asking the author.
Mobile Backend APIs
Backend APIs purpose-built for iOS and Android consumption: efficient payload design for mobile bandwidth, push notification routing, offline sync patterns, and deep link resolution.
What every API engagement delivers
Every Code and Trust API engagement ships with an OpenAPI 3.0 specification, interactive documentation, authentication setup guide, code examples in at least two languages, rate limiting and error code reference, a test collection (Postman or Bruno), and a runbook covering deployment and monitoring. Documentation is a first-class deliverable — not an afterthought.
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OpenAPI 3.0 specification (machine-readable contract)
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Interactive documentation via Swagger UI or Redoc
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Authentication setup guide (API keys, OAuth 2.0, or JWT)
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Code examples in at least two languages
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Rate limiting and error code reference
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Postman or Bruno collection for manual testing
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Runbook covering deployment, rollback, and monitoring
API technology stack
Code and Trust API development uses Node.js (Express, Fastify) and Python (FastAPI) for server-side logic, PostgreSQL for data persistence, Redis for caching and rate limiting, and GraphQL Apollo for schema-first APIs. OpenAPI 3.0 is the documentation standard across all REST API engagements.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about API development services: what APIs Code and Trust builds, how REST differs from GraphQL, how authentication and security are handled, what documentation is included, how long API development takes, and how API work differs from custom software development — all answered below.
What are API development services?
API development services design, build, and maintain the interfaces that allow software systems to communicate — RESTful APIs, GraphQL APIs, webhooks, and integration layers. Code and Trust delivers production-grade APIs with authentication, rate limiting, documentation, and versioning strategies. Fixed-price. US-based. Full IP transfer on delivery.
What types of APIs does Code and Trust build?
Code and Trust builds RESTful APIs for web and mobile applications, GraphQL APIs for flexible data querying, webhook systems for event-driven integrations, third-party integration APIs (Stripe, HubSpot, Salesforce, QuickBooks), and internal microservice APIs. Each API is versioned, documented, and built with authentication and rate limiting from day one.
How long does API development take?
A focused API for a single domain (e.g., a billing API or a data API for a mobile app) typically takes 4–8 weeks. Larger API platforms with multiple resource types, third-party integrations, and developer-facing documentation run 8–16 weeks. Timeline depends on integration complexity and the number of authentication patterns required.
What is the difference between a REST API and a GraphQL API?
A REST API exposes fixed endpoints that return defined data shapes — simple, widely supported, and easy to cache. GraphQL exposes a single endpoint where clients specify exactly the data they need — more flexible for complex UIs but higher implementation overhead. Code and Trust recommends REST for most server-to-server integrations and GraphQL for client-driven data needs.
How do you handle API authentication and security?
Code and Trust APIs implement authentication via API keys (for service-to-service), OAuth 2.0 (for user-delegated access), or JWT tokens depending on the use case. All APIs include rate limiting, input validation, and structured error responses. Security review is included in every API engagement — not a post-delivery add-on.
Do you provide API documentation?
Yes. Every Code and Trust API ships with OpenAPI 3.0 specification documentation, interactive documentation via Swagger UI or Redoc, and code examples in at least two languages. Internal APIs include a runbook covering authentication setup, common error codes, and integration patterns for the teams that will consume the API.
How is API development different from custom software development?
Custom software development produces a complete application — UI, business logic, and data storage. API development focuses on the interface layer: the contract between systems, the data models those systems exchange, and the authentication and performance patterns that govern the integration. Code and Trust handles both; this page covers API-first builds specifically.
Need a stable API your team can build on?
Start with an AI audit to map your integration needs — or go straight to a project conversation.