---
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title: Work With APIs
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/work_with_apis.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.work_with_apis.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
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content_type: documentation
content_hash: 4b28aee806ae6db6594d34ce5d6ec1503afce8b20122e8637f348d2eeaa45d17
description: Salesforce provides programmatic access to your org’s information using simple, powerful, and secure application programming interfaces.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Work With APIs

Salesforce provides programmatic access to your org’s information using simple, powerful, and secure application programming interfaces.

- **[Which API Do I Use?](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.integrate_what_is_api.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Choose the right Salesforce API for your integration needs. Review the selection of APIs Salesforce offers, including the supported protocols, data formats, and use cases.
- **[Give Integration Users API Only Access](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.integration_user.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    Following the principle of least privilege, we recommend creating and configuring one Salesforce user for every integration. By assigning a different user to each calling system, domain, use case, or API resource, you restrict each of those users to a unique subset of data and functionality. Setting up dedicated integration users gives you more control over operations and traceability of transactions. And it minimizes the impact if a user or integration is compromised. The Salesforce Integration user license supports this best practice by offering a profile that restricts assigned users to API-only access, ideal for system-to-system integration users.
- **[Download API WSDL and Client Certificates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.dev_wsdl.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    To integrate your applications with Salesforce using the API, download a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) document.
- **[Manage API Usage Notifications](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.monitor_rate_limit.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    When you create a request usage notification, you specify an administrator to receive an email notification whenever your organization exceeds a specified limit for the number of API requests made in a specified span of hours.

#### See Also

- [Write Code](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.writing_code.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Write code using the Apex programming language to add business logic or use the Visualforce markup language to create the user interface. Integrate your application using APIs and authenticate your external applications.")
- [Debug Your Code](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.debugging_your_code.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Use checkpoints, logs, and the View State tab to help debug the code you’ve written.")
- [Test Your Changes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.testing_your_code.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Testing is key to the success of your application, particularly if you deploy your application to customers. If you validate that your application works as expected with no unexpected behavior, your customers are going to trust you more.")
- [Secure Your Code](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.securing_your_code.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "This section contains information about implementing security in your code.")