API names

Master this essential documentation concept

Quick Definition

API names are unique identifiers assigned to fields, objects, and components in software systems that enable programmatic access and integration. They serve as stable reference points for documentation professionals to accurately describe system elements and maintain consistency across technical content, even as user-facing labels may change.

How API names Works

graph TD A[Documentation Process] --> B[API Name Identification] B --> C{API Name Type} C --> D[Object API Names] C --> E[Field API Names] C --> F[Method API Names] D --> G[Documentation Reference] E --> G F --> G G --> H[Technical Documentation] G --> I[User Guides] G --> J[Code Examples] G --> K[Release Notes] L[System Changes] --> M[UI Label Updates] L --> N[Functionality Changes] M -. No Impact .-> G N --> O[API Name Changes] O --> P[Documentation Updates Required] P --> G

Understanding API names

API names, or Application Programming Interface names, are standardized identifiers that uniquely represent fields, objects, methods, and other components within software systems. Unlike display labels which may change for user experience reasons, API names remain consistent to ensure stable programmatic access and integration capabilities.

Key Features

  • Uniqueness: Each API name must be unique within its namespace to prevent conflicts
  • Persistence: API names rarely change, providing stability for documentation and integrations
  • Consistency: Follow specific naming conventions (often camelCase or snake_case)
  • Programmatic access: Enable developers to reference specific elements in code
  • System independence: Allow cross-platform and cross-system references

Benefits for Documentation Teams

  • Precision: Enables exact reference to system components without ambiguity
  • Stability: Documentation remains valid even when UI labels change
  • Traceability: Facilitates mapping between documentation and actual implementation
  • Automation: Allows documentation tools to query systems directly using API names
  • Internationalization: Provides consistent reference points regardless of language localization
  • Version control: Helps track changes to system components across releases

Common Misconceptions

  • API names are not the same as display labels shown to end-users
  • API names don't automatically change when functionality changes
  • API names aren't typically designed for human readability (though good ones follow logical patterns)
  • Not all API names are publicly accessible; some may be internal-only
  • API names aren't universally standardized across different platforms or vendors

Transforming API Name Knowledge from Videos to Searchable Documentation

When implementing Salesforce, your team likely records training sessions that cover critical API names — those unique identifiers essential for custom development and integrations. While these videos capture valuable information about which API names to use for specific objects and fields, this format creates significant challenges for developers who need quick reference.

Consider a scenario where a developer needs to find the correct API name for a custom opportunity field mentioned in last month's implementation training. Scrubbing through a 60-minute video to locate a 30-second explanation wastes valuable development time and increases the risk of errors in code.

Converting these training videos into searchable documentation transforms how your team works with API names. Developers can instantly locate specific API name references, copy exact field identifiers without transcription errors, and understand the context for their usage. This approach creates a reliable source of truth for API names that's accessible exactly when needed during development cycles.

Implementation teams that maintain searchable documentation on API names report fewer integration errors and significantly faster development cycles compared to those relying solely on video training.

Learn how to transform your Salesforce training videos into searchable API name documentation →

Real-World Documentation Use Cases

Cross-referencing UI Elements with Technical Implementation

Problem

Documentation teams struggle to maintain accuracy when describing user interface elements that have different display names than their underlying technical identifiers.

Solution

Create a mapping system between user-facing labels and API names to ensure technical accuracy while maintaining user-friendly documentation.

Implementation

1. Identify all UI elements that need documentation 2. Query the system for corresponding API names 3. Create a reference table linking display labels to API names 4. Use API names in technical sections and code examples 5. Reference UI labels in user-facing instructions 6. Implement a validation system to check documentation against API name changes

Expected Outcome

Documentation that remains technically accurate even when UI labels change, reducing maintenance overhead and increasing developer trust in the documentation.

Automating Documentation Generation for API Changes

Problem

Manually tracking and documenting API name changes across system updates is time-consuming and error-prone.

Solution

Implement an automated system that detects API name changes between versions and generates appropriate documentation updates.

Implementation

1. Set up a comparison tool to identify API name changes between releases 2. Create templates for different types of API name changes (additions, removals, modifications) 3. Automatically generate change documentation based on detected differences 4. Implement a review workflow for technical writers to verify and enhance the generated content 5. Integrate with release note generation systems

Expected Outcome

Significantly reduced time to document API changes, improved accuracy, and consistent documentation of technical modifications across releases.

Creating Interactive Code Examples with API Names

Problem

Static code examples become outdated quickly and don't demonstrate the relationship between user actions and API implementation.

Solution

Develop interactive documentation that shows real-time connections between UI interactions and the underlying API names being utilized.

Implementation

1. Design interactive interfaces that mirror the actual product 2. Instrument the interfaces to display API names when elements are interacted with 3. Show corresponding code samples that update based on user interactions 4. Provide toggle options to show/hide API names at different technical levels 5. Include validation to ensure examples stay current with the actual implementation

Expected Outcome

Documentation that bridges the gap between user experience and technical implementation, helping both developers and technical users understand the relationship between UI and API.

Maintaining Backward Compatibility Documentation

Problem

When API names change or are deprecated, users of older versions need clear migration paths and compatibility information.

Solution

Create version-aware documentation that tracks API name changes and provides explicit migration guidance.

Implementation

1. Maintain a historical database of API names across versions 2. Document each API name change with rationale and version information 3. Create migration guides that map old API names to new ones 4. Provide code transformation examples for common use cases 5. Implement warning systems in documentation when viewing deprecated API names 6. Offer compatibility tables showing which API names work across which versions

Expected Outcome

Reduced user frustration during upgrades, clearer migration paths, and better support for users maintaining systems across multiple versions.

Best Practices

✓ Establish a Consistent API Name Reference Format

Create and follow a standardized format for referencing API names within documentation to ensure clarity and searchability.

✓ Do: Use a distinct typographical style (like `monospace` or **bold**) consistently for all API names. Include the full namespace path when first introducing an API name, and provide contextual information about its purpose.
✗ Don't: Don't mix formatting styles for API names across documentation. Avoid using API names without proper introduction or context. Don't omit namespace information when it's needed for disambiguation.

✓ Maintain an API Name Registry

Create and maintain a centralized registry of all API names used in your documentation with metadata about their purpose, usage, and relationships.

✓ Do: Build an automated or semi-automated system to track API names across your codebase and documentation. Include version information, deprecation status, and relationships to other API elements. Update this registry with each release.
✗ Don't: Don't rely on manual tracking of API names. Avoid disconnected lists that aren't linked to the actual implementation. Don't neglect to update the registry when API names change.

✓ Link API Names to Real-World Usage

Connect abstract API names to concrete usage examples that demonstrate their practical application in solving user problems.

✓ Do: Provide complete, working code examples showing API names in context. Create scenario-based documentation that shows how multiple API names work together. Include expected outputs and potential error conditions.
✗ Don't: Don't document API names in isolation without usage context. Avoid overly simplified examples that don't reflect real-world usage. Don't omit error handling and edge cases.

✓ Implement Automated API Name Validation

Use automated tools to validate that all API names referenced in documentation exist in the current version of the product and are correctly formatted.

✓ Do: Create documentation linting tools that check API name accuracy. Integrate validation into the documentation build process. Generate warnings for deprecated or changed API names.
✗ Don't: Don't rely solely on manual review to catch API name errors. Avoid publishing documentation without validation against the current codebase. Don't leave references to renamed or removed API names.

✓ Document API Name Lifecycle and Governance

Clearly explain the processes around API name creation, modification, and deprecation to help users understand stability expectations.

✓ Do: Document your API name versioning policy. Clearly mark deprecated API names with migration paths. Explain the governance process for introducing breaking changes to API names.
✗ Don't: Don't change API names without clear documentation and migration paths. Avoid removing API names without proper deprecation cycles. Don't introduce inconsistently named new API names that break established patterns.

How Docsie Helps with API names

Modern documentation platforms streamline the management of API names throughout the documentation lifecycle, ensuring accuracy and reducing maintenance overhead. These platforms offer specialized features for technical documentation teams working with API-driven systems.

  • Automated API name extraction and validation from source code repositories
  • Visual indicators for deprecated or changed API names within documentation
  • Version-aware content that can display appropriate API names based on the selected product version
  • Relationship mapping between API names and their implementations
  • Customizable templates with proper formatting for different API name types
  • Change tracking to identify documentation that needs updating when API names change
  • Integration with API testing tools to verify examples
  • Collaborative workflows allowing developers and writers to maintain API name accuracy
  • Search optimization for API names to improve findability
  • Analytics to identify most-referenced API names and potential documentation gaps
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