> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://openmetadata-add-ontology-explorer-docs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API Services | OpenMetadata Connector Integration Guide

> Discover OpenMetadata API connectors to seamlessly integrate your data sources. Complete documentation, setup guides, and examples for all supported APIs.

# API Services

## Overview

The OpenMetadata API service facilitates metadata ingestion from RESTful APIs that expose OpenAPI (Swagger) specifications. This connector is particularly useful for integrating custom services or third-party tools that are not natively supported by OpenMetadata.

This is the supported list of connectors for API Services:

<CardGroup cols="2">
  <Card title="REST" icon="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata-add-ontology-explorer-docs/PMQb9Ban204lQM0o/public/images/connectors/rest.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=PMQb9Ban204lQM0o&q=85&s=bda639bba0bf1633941f39558f2cf35a" href="/v2.0.x-SNAPSHOT/connectors/api/rest" horizontal width="188" height="188" data-path="public/images/connectors/rest.webp">
    <div className="prod-beta-chip prod"><img src="https://mintcdn.com/openmetadata-add-ontology-explorer-docs/Z1hzWmxPzcrw1a8y/public/images/icons/prod-icon.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=Z1hzWmxPzcrw1a8y&q=85&s=4b281bcd045f578ca92091fea528638d" alt="prod" noZoom width="12" height="12" data-path="public/images/icons/prod-icon.svg" /> <div>PROD</div></div>
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Supported Features

* Metadata Ingestion: Extracts metadata from services exposing OpenAPI JSON schemas.
* Custom Integration: Allows integration with bespoke systems through standardized API definitions.
* Flexible Deployment: Supports both UI-based and CLI-based ingestion workflows.

## Use Cases

* Custom Application Integration: Ingest metadata from proprietary applications exposing OpenAPI specifications.
* Third-Party Tools: Integrate with external tools and platforms that provide RESTful APIs.
* Extended Metadata Management: Enhance metadata coverage by incorporating services beyond the default connectors.

## Best Practices

* Schema Validation: Ensure the OpenAPI JSON schema is valid and accessible.
* Authentication Management: Securely store and manage authentication tokens required for API access.
* Regular Updates: Periodically update the OpenAPI JSON schema URL if the API definitions change.

If you have a request for a new connector, don't hesitate to reach out in [Slack](https://slack.open-metadata.org/) or
open a [feature request](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/issues/new/choose) in our GitHub repo.