APIs are indeed “net services” in that they are programmable offerings invoked over the net the use of HTTP. however, a right “API” normally includes a few manner for a developer to find out about the service (through medical doctors, or a few form of developer portal), and a manner for the developer to sign up thru self-carrier, in place of attending meetings and making phone calls.
Similarly, APIs are designed for use at the net, as opposed to on a non-public network, so that they normally encompass a few form of safety mechanism (regularly OAuth), a few mechanisms that restrict the wide variety of API calls a customer is allowed to make, and additional mechanisms to shield in opposition to threats and accumulate analytics at the site visitors.