Why API Monitoring is Different
API monitoring goes beyond simple uptime checks. APIs can return HTTP 200 status codes while still failing functionally. Effective API monitoring validates responses, checks response times, and verifies that APIs return expected data structures.
Unlike websites where users can see if something is wrong, API failures are often invisible until they cause downstream problems. This makes comprehensive API monitoring essential for maintaining reliable services.
Endpoint Monitoring Strategies
Critical Endpoints First
Start by monitoring your most critical API endpoints. These typically include authentication endpoints, payment processing APIs, and core business logic endpoints. If these fail, your entire service may be unusable.
Response Validation
Don't just check if the API responds—validate the response content. Check for expected JSON structure, required fields, and correct data types. A 200 status code with an error message in the response body is still a failure.
Authentication Monitoring
If your API requires authentication, monitor both authenticated and unauthenticated endpoints. Test that authentication works correctly and that unauthorized requests are properly rejected.
Response Time Tracking
API response times directly impact user experience. Monitor response times and set thresholds for acceptable performance. Slow APIs can indicate problems before complete failures occur.
Track response time percentiles (p50, p95, p99) to understand typical performance and identify outliers. A few slow requests might be acceptable, but consistent slow responses indicate a problem.
API Reliability Best Practices
- Monitor from multiple locations to catch regional issues
- Use shorter check intervals for critical APIs (1-2 minutes)
- Validate response schemas, not just status codes
- Monitor dependent services and third-party APIs
- Set up alerts for both downtime and slow responses
Related Resources
API Access - Integrate monitoring with your tools
API Reliability Improvement - Strategies for improving API reliability