Deploy and Test as a Prototype

An API prototype is created for the purpose of early promotion and testing. You can deploy a new API or a new version of an existing API as a prototype. It gives subscribers an early implementation of the API that they can try out without a subscription or monetization, and provide feedback to improve. After a period of time, publishers can make changes the users request and publish the API.

1. Log in to the API Publisher and select the API (e.g., PhoneVerification 2.0.0) that you want to prototype.
   

2. Click the Lifecycle tab of the API and change the its state to PROTOTYPED. After creating a new version, you typically deploy it as a prototype for the purpose of testing and early promotion.
   
   

   Tip : The Propagate Changes to API Gateway option is used to automatically change the API metadata in the API Gateway according to the information published in the API Store.

   Tip : You can also prototype an API by going to its Implement tab in the API Publisher and clicking the Deploy as a Prototype button .

3. Log in to the API Store, click the Prototyped APIs menu and then click the newly prototyped API.
    

4. The APIs Overview page opens. Note the following:
   
   • There are no subscription options.
   • There are two sets of URLs (with and without the version). This is because you marked the 2.0.0 version as the default version in step 4 of the previous tutorial.
   • Other features like documentation, social media and forums are available.
   
   

5. Click the API Console tab and note that the POST method is not available as we removed that in the new version.
    
   Let's invoke the prototyped API.

6. In the API Console of the prototyped API, expand the GET method, give the parameter values and invoke the API.
    

7. Note the response that appears in the console. You do not have to subscribe to the API or pass an authorization key to invoke a prototyped API. 
   

8. Similarly, try to invoke the 1.0.0 version of the API without an access token and note that you get an authentication error as "Missing credentials."
   

In this tutorial, you have prototyped an API and tested it along with its older and published versions. In the next tutorial, you publish the prototyped API and deprecate its older versions.