5 essential steps to streamline your digital onboarding with APIs

APIs are ideal to use when looking to create a robust, modern and digital onboarding process. Enabling businesses to leverage the capabilities of external APIs and automate their onboarding process.

To help you create an ideal API onboarding process, we've gathered a few key steps below:

1. Define goals

Setting goals with API integration involves defining the desired outcomes or objectives that the integration is meant to achieve. For example, a goal with the API integration can be to build an onboarding flow that allows the customer to onboard completely digitally, instead of the current onboarding where the customer has to send in an application by physical mail. By setting clear goals before starting the integration process, you ensure that the chosen API is aligned with the business's needs and will deliver value.

2. Do your research

Before committing to a specific API, make sure that you do your research, so that you know that the API offers everything you're looking for. In this step, it's key to lift your head and look at more than just the functionality of the API. Although the functionality of the API might seem central, things like security and reliability can be true deal breakers, if they don't meet your standards or requirements.

3. Test the solution before launch

Once you've settled for an API, it is important to test it thoroughly before going into production mode. This can be done by setting up and building in a sandbox environment, making sure that everything is working like you want it to. This will help identify any issues or limitations and allow for necessary adjustments to be made, before switching it over to a production mode and going live.

4. Set up a security system

Since APIs often transmit sensitive data such as personal information, financial data, and healthcare records. Any unauthorized access or data breach can result in severe consequences for individuals and companies. Therefore, it's crucial to set up a good security system to help protect sensitive data, mitigate risks, comply with regulations, and maintain trust.

5. Implement a monitoring solution

Once the API is set up and running, it's important to implement a good monitoring solution so that the information you receive is correct. An example of a monitoring solution is to set up a Webhook that acts on its own and sends you notifications, once changes occurs in the information you’ve chosen to monitor. By doing this you make sure that you only receive the information that you want or need.

Conclusion

By following these best practices, businesses can effectively onboard APIs and leverage their capabilities to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and drive business value.