3 APIs to build with this weekend
Tags: api, webdev, beginners
Published: 2020-10-23 11:29:07

---
title: 3 APIs to build with this weekend
published: true
description: A summary of three interesting APIs that you can start using today
tags: API, webdev, beginners
---

APIs are fun to tinker with while learning and can also save you huge amounts of time while building new products or features.

Every week I scour the web for new and interesting APIs. Here are 3 I found recently:


## [Smart Reply API](http://4fivelabs.com/smart-reply/)
This API essentially auto creates replies to messages for you. You give it a message (text message, comment, email, etc.) and it generates a reply for you. If you've use Gmail, you'll likely have seen a Smart Reply type feature in action already.

```
// Example request and response

// GET request with these params
{
    "text": "I love your shirt.",
    "domain": "socialmedia",
    "language": "en",
    "limit": "1"
}

// Response
{
    4 items
        "generationId": 10 "language": "en"
    "smartReplies": [1 item
        0: {
            2 items "reply": "Thanks! It's from J. Crew!"
            "score": 0.9463478434695229
        }
    ]
    "text": "I love your shirt."
}
```


## [Sendblue](https://docs.sendblue.co/)
This simple API essentially lets you send iMessages. If you try sending to a number that doesn't support iMessage, it's sent as a regular SMS.


```
// Example request and response

// POST request with these params
{
    number: '+19998887777',
    content: 'Hello world!',
    statusCallback: 'https://example.com/message-status/1234abcd',
}

// Posted to the callback URL
{
    "accountEmail": "support@sendblue.co",
        "content": "Hello world!",
        "is_outbound": true,
        "status": "DELIVERED",
        "error_code": null,
        "error_message": null,
        "message_handle": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx",
        "date_sent": "2020-09-10T06:15:05.962Z",
        "date_updated": "2020-09-10T06:15:14.115Z",
        "from_number": "+15122164639",
        "number": "+19998887777",
        "to_number": "+19998887777",
        "was_downgraded": false,
        "plan": "blue"
    }
```



## [SerpApi](https://serpapi.com/)
This API returns Google search results as JSON. The powerful part is that it lets you specify which countries to return the search results from.


```
// Example request and response

// GET request with these params
{
    q: "Coffee",
    location: "Austin, Texas, United States",
    hl: "en",
    gl: "us",
    google_domain: "google.com",
    api_key: "secret_api_key"
}

// Response
{
    "search_metadata": {
        "id": "5f74b763ca38dc4c78553613",
        "status": "Success",
        "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/22885aeb222d98c2/5f74b763ca38dc4c78553613.json",
        "created_at": "2020-09-30 16:50:43 UTC",
        "processed_at": "2020-09-30 16:50:43 UTC",
        "google_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=Coffee&oq=Coffee&uule=w+CAIQICIaQXVzdGluLFRleGFzLFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXM&hl=en&gl=us&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8",
        "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/22885aeb222d98c2/5f74b763ca38dc4c78553613.html",
        "total_time_taken": 2.76
    },
    "search_parameters": {
        "engine": "google",
        "q": "Coffee",
        "location_requested": "Austin, Texas, United States",
        "location_used": "Austin,Texas,United States",
        "google_domain": "google.com",
        "hl": "en",
        "gl": "us",
        "device": "desktop"
    },
    "search_information": {
        "organic_results_state": "Results for exact spelling",
        "total_results": 3090000000,
        "time_taken_displayed": 0.88,
        "query_displayed": "Coffee"
    },
    "local_map": {
        "link": "https://www.google.com/search?gl=us&hl=en&q=Coffee&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rldoc=1&rlha=0&rllag=30267376,-97742553,138&tbm=lcl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwip4-2cq5HsAhVvkuAKHVHlCaEQtgN6BAgdEAc",
        "gps_coordinates": {
            "latitude": 30.267376,
            "longitude":
                -97.742553,
            "altitude": 138
        }
    },
    "local_results": {
        "more_locations_link": "https://www.google.com/search?gl=us&hl=en&q=Coffee&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rldoc=1&rlha=0&rllag=30267376,-97742553,138&tbm=lcl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwip4-2cq5HsAhVvkuAKHVHlCaEQjGp6BAgdEFA",
        "places": [{
                "position": 1,
                "title": "Starbucks",
                "place_id": "10605736027611436825",
                "lsig": "AB86z5XTJ_Io_anVBu2fU6Zaqu3b",
                "place_id_search": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?device=desktop&engine=google&gl=us&google_domain=google.com&hl=en&location=Austin%2C+Texas%2C+United+States&lsig=AB86z5XTJ_Io_anVBu2fU6Zaqu3b&ludocid=10605736027611436825&q=Coffee&tbm=lcl",
                "rating": 4.1,
                "reviews": 480,
                "price": "$$",
                "type": "Coffee shop",
                "address": "600 Congress Ave Ste. G-270",
                "thumbnail": ,
                "service_options": {
                    "dine_in": false,
                    "takeout": true,
                    "delivery": true
                },
                "gps_coordinates": {
                    "latitude": 30.268272,
                    "longitude":
                        -97.74294
                }
            },
            {
                "position": 2,
                "title": "Houndstooth Coffee",
                "place_id": "11265938073076301333",
                "lsig": "AB86z5Vdw6C2pJpM0xQ6JUx2KONU",
                "place_id_search": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?device=desktop&engine=google&gl=us&google_domain=google.com&hl=en&location=Austin%2C+Texas%2C+United+States&lsig=AB86z5Vdw6C2pJpM0xQ6JUx2KONU&ludocid=11265938073076301333&q=Coffee&tbm=lcl",
                "rating": 4.6,
                "reviews": 703,
                "price": "$$",
                "type": "Coffee shop",
                "address": "401 Congress Ave #100c · In Frost Bank Tower",
                "thumbnail": ,
                "service_options": {
                    "dine_in": false,
                    "takeout": true,
                    "delivery": false
                },
                "gps_coordinates": {
                    "latitude": 30.26618,
                    "longitude":
                        -97.742905
                }
            }

// ...... (too long to share the full response, but you get the point)
```


I'm not affiliated with any of these APIs, but I have started [a newsletter where I share new & interesting APIs I come across](https://metapine.com). If you've recently come across an API that other developers would find interesting, please let me know