Providing a simple icon or image for each individual API helps enrich the metadata that will be used to distribute and publish APIs to portals, directories, and catalogs. Images provide a simple way to connect with consumers and other stakeholders regarding the value an API provides to their business.
API images should represent the resources and capabilities being made available via the API. Ideally images reflect the wider domain, line of business or team behind producing an API, and images or icons are consistent across APIs, while still reflecting the unique value each API delivers–in a symbolic and visual way.
There are plenty of places to obtain icons for different industries and topic areas. Once you’ve mapped the API landscape, or as each API is coming off the assembly line, it doesn’t take much energy to apply an image as part of the additional metadata provided, helping enrich the API onboarding experience.