Why this matters

APIs are the front doors to your systems. Without a good front door, you get drafts, confusion, and raccoons. In software-speak: latency spikes, breaking changes, and upset users.

Two patterns keep the draft out:

• API Gateway: a single entry point that routes, secures, and shapes requests to many services.
• Backend-for-Frontend (BFF): a purpose-built backend that serves a specific client (mobile, web, partner) with exactly the data and shape it needs.

Think of the gateway as the building’s doorman. BFFs are the personal concierges for different VIPs. Together, they make complex systems feel simple.