What is an API endpoint?

An endpoint is a data exchange point provided by a system, such as an ERP or an online store. Each endpoint is responsible for one type of information: one returns prices, another returns inventory, and yet another accepts orders. In practice, integrating an online store with an ERP system involves a set of such queries sent at regular intervals.

Endpoints belong to the system that provides them, so it is the system’s provider who decides how long they remain active. When the provider withdraws old endpoints and introduces new ones, the integration on the other side must be reconfigured; otherwise, the store will stop receiving up-to-date data. That’s why it’s important for the store owner to have control over the integration code so it can be modified quickly.