Hilton API Portal
Problem
There were separate API reference sites for internal Hilton developers, partners, and any other developers building apps that would consume Hilton’s APIs. The sites were not updated regularly and sometimes contained conflicting information.
The content was poorly organized with confusing navigation. Past efforts to address issues had led to frequent duplication and inconsistencies. There were a number of linked PDFs and documents in embedded PDF viewers, which created issues with discoverability and usability.
The previous sites included a lot of introductory “Development 101” information and tutorials that were not specific to Hilton’s API. There was minimal overview information for non-technical users to learn about what capabilities were available.
Application developers who wanted to begin using the APIs were required to go through a multi-step process across more than one website to request API access.
Solution
All content was consolidated into one site. Access controls would allow users to see only information available for their organization and position. A thorough content audit was conducted. Redundant, obsolete, and superfluous information was removed.
Information for non-technical users was enhanced and organized to mirror the structure of the technical API documentation. Elementary API developer information and tutorials were removed. Some links to similar information were provided on a Resources page. A Sample App section was added to familiarize novice users with methods for consuming Hilton’s API.
A new tool was employed to generate the API reference documentation directly from code libraries. This ensured that information was accurate and could be updated more frequently.
The process to request API access was reduced to a one-page form.
Information Architecture
The site was organized into four sections:
How to Use – this section includes all relevant information about using this site and consuming the API.
Sample App – this is a sample application, including code, to help developers become familiar with Hilton’s API.
API Catalog – this is the reference documentation for the API.
Production Support – this is where API consumers can find contact information and procedures for getting support.
How to Use
The How to Use section of the site includes all of the information about how this site is structured, how to find specific information in the catalog, patterns and best practices for using the API, and tools and resources for API developers.
Sample App
Here a developer can find detailed steps walking through the process of creating an application that will consume Hilton’s API: getting access to the API, authenticating the application, and performing some basic tasks using API calls.
API Catalog
This section contains the API reference documentation. Each section includes information about a set of functions available in the API. It includes both overview information that explains the functionality in non-technical terms and the in-depth technical details needed by developers to write code to consume the functionality.
Production Support
Businesses with applications that consume Hilton’s API depend on those applications. If they have an issue related to the API they need to be able to resolve the issue quickly. This section provides users with instructions for determining what kind of support is needed and how to contact those resources.
Take a look at the current site: Hilton API Developer Portal
(Note that changes may have occurred after the project I worked described above.)