Pairing your website with a content API provider has many benefits. Besides filling your page with relevant content, it ranks your website higher, thus improving online discoverability. This leads to more traffic, increasing your brand’s value, reputation, and impact. However, not every API is made equal; some APIs might stand out in stock media library size, while others could lack that but have a user-friendly interface and overall integration. How can you tell which API is best for you?
By the end of this article, you’ll know where and what to look for in an API to make sure it is your perfect content provider.
#1 – Understand how API technology delivers pictures to a website
Image APIs bridge the gap between a stock media provider’s library and a website or app, allowing users to access and display images directly on the page. Instead of manually downloading and uploading images, stock media APIs deliver content via automated requests. However, the details matter. API technologies are different, and they have various features, pros, and cons, which is why you need to understand what’s behind a certain API in terms of a framework. REST, SOAP, and GraphQL are the most prominent technologies. The first is the most common, offering simplicity, scalability, and easy integration with web applications.
SOAP APIs provide more rigid security and error handling but are more complex to implement and require the knowledge of programming languages to ensure the successful turning of API requests. In turn, GraphQL allows for more flexible queries, fetching only the necessary data and reducing response time. Choosing the right technology depends on your project’s complexity, data needs, and technical resources. In any case, the best image APIs should handle large volumes of requests and provide relevant results in a structured format for easy parsing. It’s equally important that the platform can be seamlessly integrated with your website or app.
There might be many other aspects to look for. If technicalities are not your cup of tea, Creative Suite API by Depositphotos and VistaCreate can give you the upper hand. You don’t need to bother with integration details—just pick a range of features you’re positive about utilizing and contact the team. Need access to millions of high-definition stock images perfectly adjusted to your website? Considering embedding a graphic design editor for added creativity and freedom? Would you also like to benefit from precise and professional-grade AI-enhanced features? Creative Suite API is your oyster for improving efficiency and aesthetics.
#2 – Evaluate a stock media library for maximum visual impact
A stock media API should, obviously, provide a vast collection of images. This ensures an unbroken flow of delivering unique visuals that align with your brand identity and website content. A well-fit image enhances user experience, keeps them on your page longer, improves your content quality, and builds trust.
There are some key factors to pay attention to when assessing a stock image API library, like the following:
- Category diversity. Check if the library covers different industries, themes, and visual styles, which you could request for your website. Break categories down into primary, secondary, and tertiary.
- Content update frequency. In addition to providing a fresh visual cue, frequently updated libraries of stock, images, photos, and videos ensure access to trending content that can keep your brand original and visually relevant.
- Library curation and quality assurance. Pay attention to whether an API filters out low-quality, irrelevant, and redundant visuals. This will show whether the API maintains high visual standards or lacks them.
Plus, remember to check if the API ensures the commercial use of its content libraries. Ticking all these boxes will get you closer to landing on your best image and video API.
FAQ: Why are stock libraries labeled “for commercial use” important in API integration?
Stock libraries marked as allowed for commercial use ensure you can legally integrate, display, and even monetize them without copyright risks. Using non-commercial images in a business context can lead to legal complications, where your brand could get a financial penalty of up to $30,000!It could also affect a website’s performance, dropping it down the search page. Best image and video APIs usually feature such libraries that provide clear licensing terms, allowing you to build an efficient, streamlined content strategy.
#3 – Assess API documentation and support
In your efforts to find the best API for your needs, remember to check the provider’s documentation and developer support. Popular APIs provide clear documentation with guidelines, code examples, and tips that reduce integration time and prevent roadblocks. If you’re keen on writing and pasting the code into your website, make sure to learn about the API’s code snippets and SDKs (software development kits), as they can be invaluable when integrating them manually.
Error handling guides are also critical for learning how to quickly identify and fix issues when an API fails to deliver the right image type or quotas have been misused. In addition, ensure an API has a dedicated technical assistance team where you can reach out to set up the API and/or troubleshoot efficiently.
#4 – Test a stock content API before full integration
Testing an API platform in a sandbox environment might be time-consuming and quite demanding, but it’s best not to skip it to ensure stock photos, images, illustrations, and other audiovisual files are delivered perfectly to your website. Stress-testing the image API provider allows you to explore its functionality without affecting the website in real life, thus minimizing the risks of downtime or broken integrations.
Here are just a few basic steps to test an API:
- Set up a test API key. Ask providers if it’s possible to get trial access to test functionality in isolation.
- Run sample queries. Test different search parameters and filters to see how accurate returned results are. It will also give you a ballpark figure for the monthly cost of an image API use.
- Check image response accuracy and quality. Verify that the API delivers relevant, high-resolution images matching the search intent.
- Monitor key API metrics and error rates. This one might be more challenging because you need to account for multiple aspects, such as success and error rate, server utilization, dependencies, concurrent users, and more. But it pays to track these to see if the API meets your needs.
Conclusion
APIs that deliver stock content are part of business technologies that help achieve digital brand success. If you’re looking for an API with a massive stock media library for your website, smartphone app, or e-commerce store, completing the provided steps will help you choose the content provider that gives you a leg up on your competition and delivers long-term value. With visuals playing such an important role in any customer journey and research, investing in an API is worth the effort.
