Data API (Application Programming Interface)

A Data API is a set of rules that governs how applications, including MCP servers, request and retrieve specific data from a dataset or service.

What is a data API?

A data API is a set of defined rules and protocols that govern how software applications can request, retrieve, and interact with specific datasets or data services. In the world of AI, a data API often serves as the backend data source that a service like an MCP server or a universal AI adapter will call to access, filter, or manipulate data before feeding it to an LLM for generation.

Simply put, an API is the interface that lets applications share their pre-built instructions and programming. While API is a broad term that includes any interface that allows software to communicate, a data API is a specific type of API focused almost exclusively on the retrieval, management, and exchange of structured data.

Learn more: For a comprehensive look at data APIs and how they're driving nearly every modern enterprise workflow, from powering sophisticated intelligence dashboards to automating routine tasks, check out our guide to data APIs.