From file transfers, let's master the second major ingestion method: API integration. While files are like scheduled deliveries, APIs are like having a conversation with live systems.
APIs let you request exactly the data you need, when you need it.
Engagement Message
What's one advantage of requesting specific data instead of receiving entire files?
REST APIs are the most common type you'll encounter. They use HTTP requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to retrieve or send data in JSON format.
Think of it like asking questions: "GET /customers" means "show me all customers," "GET /customers/123" means "show me customer 123."
Engagement Message
What would "GET /orders/yesterday" likely return?
Pagination handles large datasets by breaking them into smaller chunks. Instead of requesting 1 million records at once, you get 1000 records per page.
Common patterns: offset-based (page=1&limit=1000) or cursor-based (after=abc123&limit=1000).
Engagement Message
Why would an API provider limit how many records you can request at once?
Rate limiting prevents you from overwhelming API servers. Limits like "100 requests per minute" protect the service from being overloaded.
When you hit the limit, you get a 429 error and must wait before making more requests.
Engagement Message
What might happen to an API server if there were no rate limits?
Exponential backoff is a smart retry strategy. When requests fail, wait 1 second, then 2, then 4, then 8 before each retry.
