Manually add an API

  • 06/13/2025

APPLIES TO: All API Management tiers

This article shows how to manually add an API to Azure API Management. When you want to create mock responses from the API, you can create a blank API. For information about creating mock API responses, see Mock API responses.

If you want to import an existing API, see the Related content section of this article.

In this article, you learn how to create a blank API. You'll specify httpbin.org (a public testing service) as a backend API.

Prerequisites

Go to your API Management instance

  1. In the Azure portal, search for and select API Management services.

    Select API Management services

  2. On the API Management services page, select your API Management instance.

    Select your API Management instance

Create an API

  1. Under APIs in the left menu, select APIs.

  2. Select + Add API.

  3. Select the HTTP tile:

    Screenshot that shows the HTTP tile in the Azure portal.

  4. Enter the backend Web service URL (for example, https://httpbin.org) and other settings for the API. The settings are explained in the Import and publish your first API tutorial.

  5. Select Create.

At this point, you have no operations in API Management that map to the operations in your backend API. If you call an operation that's exposed through the backend but not through API Management, you get a 404 error.

Note

By default, when you add an API, even if it's connected to a backend service, API Management won't expose any operations until you allow them. To allow an operation of your backend service, create an API Management operation that maps to the backend operation.

Add and test an operation

This section shows how to add a /get operation to map it to the backend http://httpbin.org/get operation.

Add an operation

  1. Select the API you created in the previous step.
  2. Select + Add operation.
  3. In URL, select GET and enter /get in the text box.
  4. In Display name, enter FetchData.
  5. Select Save.

Test the operation

Test the operation in the Azure portal. (You can also test it in the developer portal.)

  1. Select the Test tab.
  2. Select FetchData.
  3. Select Send.

The response that the http://httpbin.org/get operation generates appears in the HTTP response section. If you want to transform your operations, see Transform and protect your API.

Add and test a parameterized operation

This section shows how to add an operation that takes a parameter. In this example, you map the operation to http://httpbin.org/status/200.

Add an operation

  1. Select the API that you created earlier.
  2. On the Design tab, select + Add operation.
  3. In URL, select GET and enter /status/{code} in the text box.
  4. In Display name, enter GetStatus.
  5. Select Save.

Test the operation

Test the operation in the Azure portal. (You can also test it in the developer portal.)

  1. Select the Test tab.

  2. Select GetStatus. In code, enter 200.

  3. Select Send.

    The response that the http://httpbin.org/status/200 operation generates appears in the HTTP response section. If you want to transform your operations, see Transform and protect your API.

Add and test a wildcard operation

This section shows how to add a wildcard operation. A wildcard operation enables you to pass an arbitrary value with an API request. Instead of creating separate GET operations as shown in the previous sections, you could create a wildcard GET operation.

Caution

Be cautious when you configure a wildcard operation. This configuration might make an API more vulnerable to certain API security threats.

Add an operation

  1. Select the API you created earlier.
  2. On the Design tab, select + Add operation.
  3. In URL, select GET and enter /* in the text box.
  4. In Display name, enter WildcardGet.
  5. Select Save.

Test the operation

Test the operation in the Azure portal. (You can also test it in the developer portal.)

  1. Select the Test tab.

  2. Select WildcardGet. Try the GET operations that you tested in previous sections, or try a different supported GET operation.

    For example, in Template parameters, change the value next to the wildcard (*) name to headers. The operation returns the incoming request's HTTP headers.

  3. Select Send.

    The response that the http://httpbin.org/headers operation generates appears in the HTTP response section. If you want to transform your operations, see Transform and protect your API.

Note

It can be important to understand how the host for the backend API you're integrating with handles trailing slashes on an operation URL. For more information, see this API Management FAQ.

Append other APIs

You can compose an API of APIs exposed by different services, including:

  • The OpenAPI Specification
  • A SOAP API
  • A Web App hosted in Azure App Service
  • Azure Function App
  • Azure Logic Apps
  • Azure Service Fabric

Append a different API to your existing API using the following steps.

Note

When you import another API, the operations are appended to your current API.

  1. Go to your Azure API Management instance in the Azure portal.

    Go to Azure API Mgmt instance

  2. Select APIs on the Overview page or from the menu on the left.

    Select APIs

  3. Click ... next to the API that you want to append another API to.

  4. Select Import from the drop-down menu.

    Select import

  5. Select a service from which to import an API.

    Select service