Developer Portal Overview
The API7 Developer Portal is a platform that bridges API providers and API consumers. It allows providers to publish API products and manage developer access, while giving developers a self-service experience to discover, subscribe to, and consume APIs.
Architecture
The Developer Portal consists of two components:
- Provider Portal: Built into the API7 Dashboard, where administrators manage API products, portal settings, developer accounts, and subscription approvals.
- Developer Portal: A standalone web application where developers browse APIs, create applications, manage credentials, and subscribe to API products.
The two interfaces use separate APIs. Provider Portal administration uses the Dashboard Admin API on HTTPS port 7443. The standalone Developer Portal uses its backend API on HTTPS port 4321, authenticated with a portal token and, for developer-scoped operations, the developer identity. The APIs are not interchangeable.
The control plane distributes the API product's authentication configuration to the gateway data plane. Developers then use their credentials to access APIs through the gateway.
Key Concepts
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| API Products | Curated bundles of API services published for developer consumption, with associated documentation, authentication requirements, and subscription policies. |
| Developers | Users of the Developer Portal who discover, subscribe to, and consume APIs. |
| Applications | Containers that developers create to group subscriptions and credentials for a specific project or use case. |
| Subscriptions | Relationships between developer applications and API products that grant access to consume APIs. |
| Credentials | Authentication tokens (API keys, basic auth, or OAuth clients) that developers use to authenticate API requests. |
Use Cases
The Developer Portal supports three primary deployment models:
- Internal API Portal: Share APIs within your organization. Developers authenticate using corporate SSO, and API products are scoped to internal services.
- Partner API Portal: Expose APIs to trusted partners with controlled access. Use SSO or email-based registration with administrative approval.
- Public API Portal: Offer APIs to external developers through a public-facing portal with self-registration and subscription management.
You can run multiple portal instances simultaneously, each serving a different audience with distinct API product catalogs and access policies.
Provider vs. Developer Workflows
| Aspect | Provider (Admin) | Developer |
|---|---|---|
| Access point | API7 Dashboard | Standalone Developer Portal |
| Key actions | Create API products, manage developers, approve subscriptions, configure SSO | Browse APIs, create applications, subscribe to products, manage credentials |
| Authentication | API7 Gateway user account | Portal-specific account (email, SSO, or SCIM-provisioned) |
| Customization | Not customizable | Fully customizable (branding, theme, domain) |
Next Steps
- Start a Local Developer Portal for a packaged Docker Compose evaluation.
- Deploy the Developer Portal for Kubernetes, external databases, or a customized deployment.
- Learn about API Products to understand what you can publish.
- Follow the Manage API Products guide to create your first API product.