2022Stateof
theAPIReport
August2022TableofContents
KeyFindings3
GlobalGrowthofAPIs7
WhoWorkswithAPIs12
ADay,Week,orYearintheLife16
API-FirstandOtherStrategies20
APILeadershipandGovernance27
ExecutingonAPIs29
ToolingforAPIsandDevelopment38
APITechnologies43
APIsandtheFutureofWork47
Methodology53
Postman2022StateoftheAPIReportKeyFindingsKeyFindings
Introduction
Forthefourthyearinarow,theStateoftheAPIisthelargestandmost
comprehensivesurveyandreportonAPIs—andthisyear’swasthebiggest
ever.Morethan37,000developersandAPIprofessionalssharedtheirthoughts
ontopicsincludingtheirorganizations’developmentpriorities,thetoolsthey
use,andwheretheyseetheindustrygoing.
Thisyear,we’veagaincombinedthesurveyfindingswithdatawe’veobserved
onthePostmanAPIPlatformtobuildarobustpictureofthecurrentstate—and
thefuture—ofAPIs.
We’vealsoexpandedthescopeofoursurveytoincludedeveloperandAPI
professionals’thoughtsontheeconomy,employment,andremotework.Asa
post-pandemiceradawns,thesequestionshavetakenonnewurgencyinthe
techsectorandbeyond.
Postman2022StateoftheAPIReport4KeyFindings
Developersarespendingmost
oftheirtimeonAPIs
Some51%ofrespondentssaythatmorethanhalfoftheirorganization’s
developmenteffortisspentonAPIs.That’supfrom40%in2020
and49%lastyear,underscoringAPIs’roleasthebuildingblocks
ofmodernsoftware.
APIinvestmentstoremainstrong,
despiteeconomicheadwinds
InvestmentsinAPIswillincreaseorstaythesameoverthenext12
months,said89%ofglobalrespondents.Whenpollingjustexecutives,
asimilarlevelofconfidenceemergedamong1,400CEOs,CIOs,and
CTOs.Theseforecastscomeevenastwooutofthreerespondents
indicatedanegativeviewofthecurrenteconomy.
API-firstleadersoutperform
Whileonly8%ofrespondentsidentifiedasAPI-firstleaders,this
small,elitegroupexcelledonalmosteverymetric.Theyproduce
APIsfasterandhavefewerfailures.Andtheyhavebrighteroutlooks
onemploymentandspending.WhenaskedtoevaluateAPI-first
companies,morethanthree-quartersofallrespondentsagreedthat
developersatthesecompaniesaremoreproductive,integratewith
partnersfaster,andarehappier.
Remoteworkis“veryimportant”
Muchoftheworldviewsremoteworkascritical.InNorthAmerica,
78%ofdevelopersandAPIprofessionalscalledit“veryimportant,”
exceedingtheglobalfigureof72%.Thefindingscomeasmanyremote
employeesresistareturntotheoffice.
Postman2022StateoftheAPIReport5