---
layout: post
title: Deploying Smarter API Documentation
url: http://apievangelist.com/2011/06/17/deploying-smarter-api-documentation/
image: https://s3.amazonaws.com/kinlane-productions2/api-evangelist-logos/api-evangelist-butterfly-vertical.png
author:
  name: kinlane
tags:
  - Documentation
---
kinlane-productions2.s3.amazonaws.com [![](http://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/posterous/posterous-logo.jpg)](http://www.posterous.com "Posterous")[Posterous](http://www.posterous.com "Posterous") recently launched a [new API](http://apievangelist.com/2011/06/10/posterous-from-saas-to-paas-using-an-api/ "new API") giving users access to all the functionality available through the Posterous web interface.

Instead of just delivering documentation for the [Poserous API](http://posterous.com/api "Posterous API"), they went a step further and made the documentation smarter, and more interactive.

Think API explorer meets [API documentation](http://www.apievangelist.com/ecosystem-building-blocks-detail.php?Building_Block_ID=120 "API Documentation"). The Posterous API documentation provides a list of all API services, endpoints, and methods, but it doesn't stop there.

![](http://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/posterous/posterous-api-make-request.png)When logged into your Posterous account, the API documentation automatically includes your api\_token, which is necessary for making API calls.

Once authenticated you can make any call against the API right in the documentation. Each endpoint allows entry of necessary fields, displays a request URL, and a JSON response message.

This type of interactive API documentation allows developers to learn and explore how an API works in a live environment, making real calls.

This approach to delivering API documentation steps up the game a little bit, and the same old type of documentation may not do anymore.

###### Related articles

*   [Posterous, From SaaS to PaaS Using an API](http://apievangelist.com/2011/06/10/posterous-from-saas-to-paas-using-an-api/) (apievangelist.com)
*   [API Tools & Service Providers](http://apievangelist.com/2011/06/13/api-tools-service-providers/) (apievangelist.com)
*   [Google API House Cleaning](http://apievangelist.com/2011/05/27/google-api-house-cleaning/) (apievangelist.com)