Business requirements
Products, markets, user roles, financial rules, restrictions and the expected outcome.
Documentation / API Requirements
What to prepare before connecting an API
Gather project, access, data, security and test-scenario information before integration begins. This helps define the scope in advance and avoid rework.
Scope
products and markets
Access
keys and environments
Data
formats and statuses
Acceptance
scenario testing
Requirements package
What to agree before work begins
01
Project requirements
Products, markets, currencies, providers, users and operating processes.
02
Data exchange rules
Requests, fields, identifiers, statuses, errors and events.
03
Access and security
Access keys, request signatures, allowed IP addresses, roles and activity logs.
04
Testing and acceptance
Test data, successful and error scenarios, result verification and launch criteria.
Overview
Agreed requirements reduce delivery time and rework
Before work begins, both parties should have the same understanding of project objectives, data sources, operation statuses, system responsibilities, security rules and acceptance criteria. The integration can then follow an agreed design rather than assumptions.
Integration rules
Data exchange methods, request and response structures, identifiers, statuses, notifications, errors and limits.
Acceptance criteria
Test scenarios, expected data, reports, operational monitoring and the criteria for moving to launch.
Project data
Project and connected-system information
First establish the overall context: which products are being connected, which systems are involved, where the primary data is stored and who owns each process.
Project scope and objectives
Products: casino, sports betting, payments, KYC, CRM, bonuses, reporting or back office.
Countries, licenses, currencies, languages, brands and usage channels.
User types, roles, limits, statuses and core operating scenarios.
Priorities, launch stages, critical functions and commercial constraints.
Systems and data ownership
A list of internal and external systems involved in the process.
The system of record for player, balance, transaction, bet, bonus or KYC-check data.
Available APIs, databases, message queues, notifications, files and legacy interfaces.
Responsible teams, operational contacts and escalation procedures for complex issues.
Integration requirements
API data exchange requirements
Documentation should make it possible to complete the integration without guesswork. For each operation, define its purpose, input data, result, possible errors and retry rules in advance.
Endpoints and request methods
Base API URL, request paths, HTTP methods, parameters, headers and the purpose of each operation.
Request and response formats
Data types, required fields, date formats, amount precision, permitted null values and examples.
Operation statuses
The full operation lifecycle from creation to completion, permitted transitions and final states.
Errors and actions
Error codes, clear reasons, whether a retry is allowed and the action required from the receiving system.
Event notifications
Event structure, signing, delivery, receipt acknowledgement, redelivery and processing order.
Duplicate protection
Unique operation identifier, recognition of repeated requests and safe recovery after a failure.
Limits and load
Request rate, timeouts, concurrent operations, response size and expected peak load.
Version changes
API version, backward compatibility, notice period and change-management procedure.
Security and access
Security and access-management requirements
Before production data is transferred, agree authentication methods, request signing, network restrictions, user permissions, key storage and activity logging.
API access
API keys, OAuth, JWT, service accounts, token lifetimes and scheduled rotation.
Request signing
HMAC verification, request time and a unique value for replay protection.
Network access
Allowed IP addresses and domains, secure connections, VPN, network rules and separation of test and production environments.
Roles and permissions
Service and staff permissions are assigned according to the principle of least privilege.
Data protection
Encryption, masking of sensitive values, retention periods, deletion and rules for handling personal data.
Activity log
Request identifier, actor, time, changes, errors and the history of critical operations.
Testing and acceptance
Testing and acceptance requirements
The test environment should reproduce not only successful operations but also errors, delays, retries, limits and final reporting.
Test environment
Separate endpoints, access keys, notification receivers, restrictions and data-reset rules.
Test data
Players, currencies, payment methods, providers, statuses and values for repeatable scenarios.
Successful scenarios
The complete workflow from the first request to the final status and its appearance in reporting.
Error scenarios
Invalid data, timeouts, repeated operations, insufficient balance, declines and provider errors.
Logs and diagnostics
Request identifier, exact time, original status and the data required for joint investigation.
Acceptance
An agreed list of scenarios, expected results and owners responsible for sign-off.
Readiness checklist
Minimum checklist before development begins
Integration planning can begin once the scope, data exchange rules, access, test environment and responsible parties have been agreed.
Integration scope approved
Products, markets, systems, functions and launch stages have been documented.
API documentation available
Endpoints, data formats, statuses, errors, notifications and examples are documented.
Test access issued
Keys are active, and allowed IP addresses and notification endpoints have been agreed.
Security agreed
Authentication methods, signing, roles, key storage and logging have been defined.
Test scenarios prepared
Successful, error, repeated and failure scenarios are available.
Owners assigned
Product, development, testing, security and support owners have been identified.
Need to review requirements readiness?
Provide the documentation, system list, process descriptions and available environments. APIACE will help identify missing information before development begins.