/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/authors/gray-brooks/ Recent content on Digital.gov Hugo en-us /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/services/service_api-data-gov/ Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/services/service_api-data-gov/ A free API management service for federal agencies. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/06/30/10x-project-lightning-talks-2020/ Tue, 30 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/06/30/10x-project-lightning-talks-2020/ 10x project teams will demonstrate their work to date and provide brief overviews of each project. We hope that these talks will highlight some of the most interesting work happening in government today and inspire others to submit ideas to 10x. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/03/27/qa-with-ryan-day-about-gsas-api-strategy/ Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/03/27/qa-with-ryan-day-about-gsas-api-strategy/ These new API standards will make it easier for GSA staff to launch and maintain good APIs. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/apis/ Thu, 29 Mar 2018 03:30:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/apis/ Working to advance the cause of APIs in the federal government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/17/exciting-additions-to-analytics-usa-gov/ Fri, 17 Jun 2016 12:30:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/17/exciting-additions-to-analytics-usa-gov/ We’ve expanded analytics.usa.gov to include 15(!) more agency-specific dashboard pages. We now offer agency-specific analytics data pages for a total of 25 major federal agencies, and each one is accessible from the dropdown menu at the top of the site. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/18/analytics-usa-gov-now-with-agency-specific-dashboards/ Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:10:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/18/analytics-usa-gov-now-with-agency-specific-dashboards/ We’ve added agency-specific dashboards to analytics.usa.gov! /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/01/analytics-usa-gov-new-features-and-more-data/ Tue, 01 Dec 2015 13:00:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/01/analytics-usa-gov-new-features-and-more-data/ As of writing this post, 25,225 of the 124,878 total visitors on federal government websites participating in the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) are NOT located in the United States. And as a result of /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/21/an-introduction-to-https-by-18f-and-digitalgov-university/ Tue, 21 Jul 2015 11:10:31 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/21/an-introduction-to-https-by-18f-and-digitalgov-university/ 18F uses HTTPS for everything we make, and the U.S. government is in the process of transitioning to HTTPS everywhere. As part of this effort, we’ve recently partnered with DigitalGov University to produce a two-video series introducing the why’s and how’s of HTTPS. In an Introduction to HTTPS for beginners, we cover what happens when /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/03/taking-the-pulse-of-the-federal-governments-web-presence/ Wed, 03 Jun 2015 13:10:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/03/taking-the-pulse-of-the-federal-governments-web-presence/ The U.S. federal government is launching a new project to monitor how it’s doing at best practices on the Web. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/28/take-a-gander-at-our-developer-page/ Mon, 28 Jul 2014 10:00:05 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/28/take-a-gander-at-our-developer-page/ A growing trend both inside government and outside is to have a simple welcoming page for outside developers who may be interested in your team’s efforts. This material is often located at website.gov/developer 1 and points visitors to technical material that developers may be interested in, especially APIs. Collecting technical documentation in one place facilitates /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/20/packaging-up-api-usability-testing-for-agency-reuse/ Tue, 20 May 2014 01:00:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/20/packaging-up-api-usability-testing-for-agency-reuse/ Over the past year, a GSA collaboration has seen a project that offers API Usability Testing to federal agencies go from the pilot stage to a regular, robust series. Already, 13 agencies and programs have participated, and several more participate with every monthly session /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/29/api-security/ Mon, 29 Jul 2013 01:12:58 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/29/api-security/ Like website development, API security revolves around three stages—planning the API, testing the API, and monitoring the API after it has launched. The planning stage requires those involved to conceptually map several design decisions and the impact that they will have on security. The second stage applies your agency’s security program to the API release /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/06/30/develop-with-web-standards/ Sun, 30 Jun 2013 01:23:02 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/06/30/develop-with-web-standards/ What It Is Do you remember the days when web pages had banners announcing that they were “best viewed with browser X”? Veteran web developers and designers certainly do, because they had to consider numerous exceptions for certain browsers and their versions. Today, building websites isn’t as challenging and that’s because developers are moving toward /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/05/21/developer-kit/ Tue, 21 May 2013 13:05:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/05/21/developer-kit/ These are the elements that make up a well-rounded developer hub. Homepage The API efforts of any agency should all be accessible via one easy to reach developers hub. This Web page should provide a path to all public APIs and any associated resources. Once an agency has begun to publish multiple APIs, certain resources /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/05/16/api-release-kit/ Thu, 16 May 2013 13:04:03 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/05/16/api-release-kit/ These are the elements you should include in your federal API release. Homepage Each of your public APIs needs a page to serve as a hub to provide access to all information and tools associated with it. By using the page’s sidebar, footer, and sub pages, you can directly include or link to each of /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/05/09/we-the-people-api/ Thu, 09 May 2013 09:09:16 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/05/09/we-the-people-api/ “APIs for WhiteHouse.gov? What in the heck does that mean?” Like President Obama, you may be asking the same question. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/30/apis-in-government/ Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:12:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/30/apis-in-government/ This page is about what an Application Programming Interface or API is and what it does and how government agencies are using them to operate more efficiently. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/30/producing-apis-through-data-gov/ Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:07:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/30/producing-apis-through-data-gov/ One way agencies can offer APIs for their data is to use the built–in functionality of Data.gov. The information that is hosted as interactive datasets have an API layer which agencies can make available through documentation in the developer’s section of the agency’s website. The guide below will help you do this. Process Upload a dataset /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/29/usability-testing-gov-apis-best/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:37:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/29/usability-testing-gov-apis-best/ Good APIs can transform intimidating data sets into something that people can use. Good government APIs can create a better connection between government and citizens. The Digital Government Strategy has spurred Federal adoption of APIs, and the Digital Services Innovation Center and DATA.GOV teams are supporting these efforts by releasing a swath of guidance and /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/api-analytics/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:11:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/api-analytics/ Similar to website analytics, API analytics focus on reliably reporting the metrics which are most useful to its stakeholders. There are a many ways of collecting, reporting, and consuming API analytics but all revolve around the industry–accepted norm that some form of analytics are crucial to any API program. The most basic metrics will track /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/api-design-and-documentation/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:49:20 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/api-design-and-documentation/ Design At their core, developers want APIs for very straightforward, pragmatic ends. You should always design your APIs and document them with the goal of making it easier for developers to use them. Doing so results in greater adoption and a healthier, more successful API. The least efficient way to support developers would be to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/how-to-make-apis-an-overview/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:47:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/how-to-make-apis-an-overview/ After choosing a set of information or services to offer via API, some of your next steps are to plan and implement the API. You’ll still need to prepare documentation, tools, and other elements that make a complete package for the API, but at the center is the actual Web service itself. In many situations, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/resources-and-tools-for-apis/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:41:05 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/resources-and-tools-for-apis/ Hosted API Tools Labs.Data.gov is a repository of shared services to prototype and provide developer resources to government agencies. Each tool uses Web services and lightweight, open source code to provide powerful functionality. Agencies are encouraged to improve any project and submit pull requests in order to share the improvements with others. API Standards Template With the open /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/how-to-get-started-with-apis/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:28:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/how-to-get-started-with-apis/ Audit Research existing APIs Regardless of your agency’s level of progress in API production, your first step is to create a developer hub that links to any of your agency’s existing APIs. This can help identify current efforts and connect you with others in your agency already working on APIs. Follow up with a deeper /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/api-basics/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:24:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/api-basics/ Common Technical Choices Protocol API protocol is the set of rules that govern how an API functions. The protocol outlines the structure and definitions of the API. The two common forms are REST and SOAP. REST is the dominant choice for API protocol because it uses the http protocol that powers the Web. REST supports more /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/benefits-of-apis/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:19:48 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/12/benefits-of-apis/ Understanding the benefits of API production allows you to coordinate with system owners and other stakeholders to modernize the agency’s systems and unlock the sizable potential. Here are just some of these opportunities. Efficiency Providing API access allows for content to be created once and automatically published or made available to many channels. Your agency’s /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/19/case-study-how-dol-created-software-development-kits-sdks/ Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:16:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/19/case-study-how-dol-created-software-development-kits-sdks/ What It Is The U.S. Department of Labor sought to go beyond merely making data available to developers and take ease of use of the data to the next level by giving developers tools that would make using DOL’s data easier. The target audience was not just experienced developers, but even those who may be /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/19/case-study-how-gsa-launched-social-media-registry/ Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:14:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/19/case-study-how-gsa-launched-social-media-registry/ In September, the General Services Administration (GSA) launched a registry of all federally-managed social media accounts. We want to explain a little of the history behind the registry and talk about a few things that make it a truly remarkable innovation from GSA. Before I start, I want to emphasize when I say “we” from /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/07/26/introduction-to-apis/ Thu, 26 Jul 2012 09:56:58 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/07/26/introduction-to-apis/ There’s an easier way to get content and data into the hands of citizens. Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, are web services that allow people to more easily consume content and data in multiple ways–via mobile devices, mobile apps, innovative mash-ups, and much more. Simply put, “APIs are a better way to get government information