Someone just told you that you need "API integration" for your business. You nodded politely, but honestly? You have no idea what they're talking about.

Don't worry. Let's fix that right now.

API is just a messenger

Think about ordering food on GrabFood. You open the app, pick your chicken rice, and tap "order." Magic happens, and 30 minutes later, food shows up at your door.

But what actually happened? The app didn't make the food. The restaurant did. The app just told the restaurant what you wanted. That's basically what an API does.

API = Application Programming Interface

Still sounds complicated, right? Forget the fancy name. An API is just a way for two different apps to talk to each other and share information.

A real example you'll actually understand

Let's say you run an online store. When someone buys something:

Without API integration, you have to:

Check your email for the order
Open Excel and type in the customer's name
Log into your accounting software and enter the sale
Open your email marketing tool and add them to your customer list
Update your inventory spreadsheet

That's 10-15 minutes of boring copy-paste work for every single order.

With API integration, here's what happens:

Customer clicks "buy"
Your systems automatically talk to each other
Everything updates by itself
You get a notification that says "new order!"

Done. You just saved 10 minutes and didn't make any typos.

Where APIs make your life easier

Sending data between tools

Your accounting software needs to know about sales from your website. API integration makes them talk to each other. No more copying numbers from one system to another.

Getting information automatically

Want to show shipping prices on your website? An API can check with SingPost or DHL in real-time and show the exact cost. You don't have to manually update a price list every time shipping rates change.

Connecting your custom software

Built something custom for your business? APIs let it work with all the normal tools you already use. Your custom inventory system can send data to QuickBooks, Xero, or whatever else you need.

Real story from a Singapore business

We worked with an events company here. They were managing everything in three different places:

Google Forms for registration → Excel for tracking → MailChimp for sending confirmations

Every time someone registered for an event, they'd copy the details from the form to Excel, then copy the email address to MailChimp. It took about 5 minutes per person.

They ran 20 events per year with about 50 people each. That's 1,000 registrations. At 5 minutes each, they were wasting 83 hours per year just copying and pasting.

We set up API integration so when someone fills out the Google Form:

Their details automatically go to a proper database
They get added to the right MailChimp list
A confirmation email sends
The team gets notified

Now it happens in seconds. No human needed. Those 83 hours? They're using them to actually run better events instead of pushing data around.

"But my software doesn't have an API"

Some older software doesn't have APIs. It's annoying, but there are ways around it:

Option 1: Use tools like Zapier or Make. They can connect apps even if they're not made to work together.

Option 2: Some software has export features. You can automatically export data and then import it somewhere else. Not as smooth, but it beats doing it manually.

Option 3: If you're stuck with software that truly can't connect to anything, it might be time to upgrade. The money you save in staff time usually pays for better software pretty quickly.

How much does API integration cost?

DIY with no-code tools: $20-100 per month for Zapier or Make. You can set up simple integrations yourself.

Custom API development: $5,000-20,000 depending on complexity. This is when you need custom integration work because your systems are unique or complicated.

Worth it when: You're spending more than 5 hours per week on tasks that could be automated. At that point, even a $10,000 integration pays for itself in less than a year.

Is it hard to set up?

For simple stuff? No. If you're connecting popular tools like Gmail, Google Sheets, and Slack, you can probably do it yourself with Zapier. It's like playing with LEGO blocks.

For complicated stuff? Yeah, you'll want help. If you need to sync data between a custom system and your accounting software, that's when you call developers like us.

APIs are just one part of workflow automation. See how to get started with business automation to understand the full picture.

What can you actually automate?

Pretty much anything where you're copying information from one place to another:

New customer signs up → Add to email list + CRM + Accounting software

Invoice gets paid → Update accounting + Send receipt + Notify your team

Form submission → Create task + Send notification + Update spreadsheet

Inventory runs low → Order more stock + Notify manager + Update website

If you're doing it manually more than twice a week, there's probably an API integration that can handle it.

Common mistakes people make

Trying to automate everything at once. Start with one annoying task. Get that working smoothly. Then move to the next one.

Not thinking about what happens when it breaks. Technology isn't perfect. Have a backup plan for when (not if) something goes wrong.

Forgetting about the humans. Some things should stay manual because they need a human touch. Automating customer support emails sounds great until your customers start complaining that your messages sound like robots.

Should you care about APIs?

If you're running a business and you're:

Using more than 2 different software tools
Spending time copying information between them
Making mistakes because manual data entry is boring and error-prone

Then yes, APIs should be on your radar. They're not scary. They're just a way to make computers do the boring stuff so you can focus on actually running your business.

Want to know if API integration could help your business? We'll take a look and tell you honestly if it's worth it or if you're fine as is.

Frequently asked questions

What is an API in simple terms?

API (Application Programming Interface) is a way for two different apps to talk to each other and share information. Think of it like a messenger that takes requests from one app and tells another app what to do. When you order on GrabFood, the API tells the restaurant what you want.

It's just software talking to software automatically.

How much does API integration cost?

DIY with no-code tools like Zapier or Make costs $20-100/month for simple integrations you can set up yourself. Custom API development costs $5,000-20,000 depending on complexity. It's worth it when you're spending more than 5 hours per week on tasks that could be automated.

Even $10,000 integration pays for itself in under a year.

What tasks can be automated with API integration?

Pretty much anything where you're copying information between systems. Examples: new customer signup adds them to email list + CRM + accounting automatically, paid invoice updates accounting + sends receipt + notifies team, form submission creates task + sends notification + updates spreadsheet. If you do it manually more than twice a week, there's probably an API for it.

Look for repetitive copy-paste work between tools.

What if my software doesn't have an API?

Use tools like Zapier or Make that can connect apps even without native APIs, use export/import features to automatically transfer data between systems, or upgrade to modern software that supports integrations. If software truly can't connect to anything, it's time to upgrade because the time savings usually pay for better software quickly.

Most modern tools have APIs or workarounds.

Is API integration hard to set up?

For simple stuff (connecting popular tools like Gmail, Google Sheets, Slack), you can probably do it yourself with Zapier. It's like LEGO blocks. For complicated stuff (syncing custom systems with accounting software, unique business processes), you'll want developer help. Start simple, add complexity as needed.

Simple integrations are easy, complex ones need experts.

When is API integration worth the investment?

API integration is worth it when you're using more than 2 different software tools, spending time copying information between them, making mistakes because manual data entry is boring and error-prone, or wasting more than 5 hours per week on repetitive tasks. Calculate time saved × hourly rate to determine ROI.

If it saves 5+ hours weekly, it probably pays for itself.

About &7: We help Singapore businesses connect their software together with API integration and automation. Whether you need something simple or complex, we'll figure out what actually makes sense for your situation.