—Service
API Development
Secure APIs, third-party integrations, data synchronisation, and custom service connections.
01Overview
We design APIs and integrations that are predictable, validated, and documented. Whether exposing data to partners or synchronising systems internally, the contract is typed and the failure modes are handled.
02How we approach it
Integration work starts with the systems, not the code. In Discover we map every system involved: what data it holds, how that data is shaped, who owns it, how it authenticates, and where it is likely to fail. Rate limits, quotas, and sandbox access are confirmed early, because they shape the architecture. The output is a clear picture of what has to talk to what, and under which constraints.
Define is where the contract takes shape. Endpoints, payloads, authentication, versioning, and error semantics are specified in writing before implementation begins, so both sides of an integration — your team, a partner, or a third-party service — know exactly what to expect. We treat the contract as the product: typed, versioned, and validated with schemas at every boundary, because an API is only useful if its behaviour is predictable.
Engineering follows the contract. Inputs are validated at every boundary, operations that can be retried are made idempotent, and failures are handled deliberately rather than left to surface as timeouts. Validate then concentrates on the conditions that break integrations in production: malformed payloads, expired tokens, third-party outages, duplicate deliveries, and rate-limit responses. We test the unhappy paths as thoroughly as the happy ones, because that is where an integration proves itself.
Release is controlled and observable. APIs go out through staged deployment with structured logging and monitoring in place from the first request, so problems are visible before consumers report them. Documentation ships with the endpoints, not after them. Once live, Evolve covers the ongoing reality of integration work: upstream services change, contracts need new versions, and volumes grow. We version changes deliberately, so existing consumers keep working while the API moves forward.
03Suitable for
- Products exposing data to partners
- Internal system integrations
- Automation and synchronisation work
04Problems solved
- Undocumented, unstable APIs
- Manual data synchronisation
- Fragile third-party integrations
05Deliverables
- Typed, documented API
- Integration and synchronisation logic
- Authentication and rate limiting
- Error handling and monitoring
06Technical considerations
- Versioned, validated contracts
- Idempotent operations where needed
- Structured logging
07Common questions
What determines the cost of an API or integration project?
We don't publish prices, because integration work varies too much for a rate card to be honest. Cost is driven by the number of systems involved, the quality of their documentation, the complexity of the data being moved, and the security and compliance requirements around it. Tell us what needs to connect through the contact or project brief form, and we'll set out scope and cost in a written proposal.
Can you integrate with the systems we already use?
Yes — that is most of the work under this service. We integrate with existing products, legacy systems, CRMs, payment providers, and third-party APIs, whether or not they are well documented. Where documentation is thin, we verify behaviour against a sandbox before relying on it. If your own team maintains the codebase, we work within their conventions and review process rather than around them.
We already have an API. Can you extend it rather than rebuild it?
Usually, yes. We start by documenting what the current API actually does — the real contract, not the intended one — then add schema validation and tests around existing behaviour before changing anything. New capability is introduced through versioned endpoints, so existing consumers keep working untouched. A full rebuild is only recommended when the existing service genuinely cannot be stabilised, and we will say so plainly if that is the case.
What happens when a third-party service we depend on fails or changes?
We design for it rather than hope it won't happen. Retries handle transient errors, idempotent operations make replays safe, and structured logging shows exactly what failed and why. Monitoring raises problems before your users do. When an upstream provider changes its API, the typed contract makes the break visible immediately rather than letting bad data flow through silently, and ongoing cover can be arranged through our technical maintenance service.
What do we receive at handover?
You receive the source code in version control, the API documentation, and the operational material needed to run it: environment configuration, deployment notes, and monitoring setup. If your team will operate the API, we walk them through the contract, the error handling, and the logging so they can support it confidently. Deliverables, ownership, and service commitments are defined in the written engagement agreement each project signs.
08Related
- Backend Development
Secure server-side systems, business logic, authentication, APIs, and database architecture.
- Internal Tools
Dashboards, reporting, workflow platforms, staff portals, and operational software.
- Technical Maintenance
Monitoring, updates, issue resolution, security maintenance, and controlled improvement.
- See it in practice: Forge
A developer platform concept study from our work gallery.
Discuss a api development project.
Tell us what you need. We'll tell you how we'd build it.