"A handful of root causes are likely behind API drift. One standout point is the simple fact that API documentation is typically incomplete. Only 10% of organizations fully document their APIs, found a 2023 EMA report. Without a strong documentation culture or comprehensive API inventory management, it’s more common to see a disorganized use of service descriptions.

Furthermore, many groups are still early on in their API governance strategies. As the number of APIs increases within a company, those without established standards for maintaining the API lifecycle are more likely to experience incompatibilities or even see services turn into shadow or zombie APIs.

According to Lorna Mitchell, VP of Developer Experience at Redocly, API drift is intrinsically tied to a lack of comprehensive testing. Drift can occur for design-first APIs if there aren’t clear tests of whether what is built actually matches what’s described. This is a problem that can easily become endemic, she says. “Code gets duplicated, and the chasm widens.”"

https://nordicapis.com/understanding-the-root-causes-of-api-drift/

#APIs #APIDesign #APIDocumentation #APIDrift #SoftwareDevelopment #Programming #TechnicalWriting #OpenAPI #Swagger