REST APIs enable standardized data exchange and system integration

REST (Representational State Transfer) APIs serve as a standardized method for data exchange between different software applications, such as CRM systems, online shops, and enterprise landscapes like SAP or Salesforce.

These protocols are characterized as stateless, lightweight, and robust. They utilize HTTP methods—specifically GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE—to allow systems to request, create, modify, or remove data. For example, a GET request can retrieve specific customer information via a unique URL endpoint, often returning data in structured formats like JSON.

In practical applications, such as the KNIME Business Hub, REST APIs enable external applications to trigger automated workflows, manage installations, and handle user permissions. Common use cases include performing ETL processes to move data into visualization tools like Tableau or returning model predictions based on input data. Tools such as Postman, curl, and SoapUI are frequently used to interact with these API endpoints.