API Metrics: What Should Banks Be Tracking?

APIs have become an important distribution channel for banking products and services, extending well beyond their original role of connecting systems and enabling access to consumer-permissioned financial data. For banks, the data generated by API activity can provide valuable intelligence for use across the organization. Some metrics can reveal demand for specific capabilities, emerging commercial opportunities, and dependencies on third parties. Others expose performance issues, security concerns, and infrastructure needs. This report details which metrics are important for financial institutions. 

Banks can get more value from API analytics by treating KPIs as signals that require context rather than as stand-alone directives. Developer portals can provide important insight into external adoption and usability, while internal analytics can reveal API reuse, integration efficiency, and gaps in documentation or discoverability. Banks should assess the maturity of their API infrastructure, track both external and internal activity, and make relevant metrics accessible through dashboards tailored to different business functions. 

Key questions discussed in this report:

• Which API key performance indicators should banks track to measure developer adoption, business value, and operational performance?
• How can API analytics help banks identify product demand, commercial opportunities, partner dependencies, and technical issues?
• How should banks use internal and external API metrics to guide technology investment and broader business strategy?

Companies Mentioned:

Plaid, Stripe