API Software Business Requirements

API management software puts a gateway in front of an organization's APIs to secure and control traffic, and gives developers a portal to find, test and subscribe to them. Platform, integration and security teams buy it, as do product teams that offer APIs to partners or customers.

108 requirements for choosing API management software, each written so a vendor can answer it and you can check the answer. Delivered as an Excel workbook.

Inside the Workbook

• 80 functional requirements in 10 areas, each with how to verify it
• 28 non-functional requirements written for this category
• Suggested priorities (47 Must) that you change, with weights that follow
• A vendor response form with six response types, from Standard to Not supported
• 7 scripted demo scenarios, each mapped to the requirements it tests
• A weighted scorecard for up to five vendors, by area, with Must gaps counted

Functional Areas

• Gateway and traffic (11)
• Authentication and threat protection (12)
• Policies and transformation (8)
• Protocols and API styles (7)
• Design and lifecycle (7)
• Developer portal and onboarding (10)
• Analytics and monitoring (5)
• Products, plans and monetization (4)
• Governance and inventory (5)
• Deployment, automation and administration (11)

Deeper Vendor Due Diligence

Security, privacy, contract and exit questions are in the RFP question bank: Security, Integration & interoperability, Deployment & hosting, Business continuity & disaster recovery, Data protection & privacy, Migration & exit.

How It Was Written

First published in October 2026. A language model drafted the requirements against written rules and a second model reviewed every row. No named subject-matter expert reviewed them. The workbook lists what changed.

Built For

IT, business and procurement teams writing requirements before a software selection, and consultancies running one for a client. The Consultancy License covers use with any number of clients.