API collections

An API collection is a group of API endpoints that share a common access pattern. You can use collections to manage endpoints together. For example, group Salesforce endpoints used by Sales team recipes into one collection.

The API collections page displays all API collections within a workspace. Go to Platform > API platform > API collections to access the API collections page.

SUMMARY

• API collections group endpoints with a shared access pattern.
• Each collection is created as a recipe, proxy, or AI gateway collection, which determines how you define and manage its endpoints.
• Collections include OpenAPI v3.0 documentation and support syncing to Postman.

API collections page

Collection types

There are three types of API collections:

• API proxy collection: Forwards requests to your existing backend with minimal processing.
• API recipe collection: Uses Workato recipes to define custom logic and expose it as API endpoints.
• AI gateway collection: Exposes endpoints to LLMs or GPTs for secure AI-driven automation.

Choose a collection type

Choose a collection type based on how you plan to expose or build your backend.

Choose a proxy collection to use an existing backend service. Workato forwards incoming requests to your existing API service with minimal processing. Use this type when you need to handle high-volume traffic with low latency and don't require orchestration or concurrency controls.

Choose a recipe collection when you plan to build your own backend using Workato recipes. Each endpoint maps to one recipe that defines how to retrieve or process data. Use this type to build custom logic, integrate with REST APIs, and manage concurrency or error handling.

Choose an AI gateway collection when you plan to expose endpoints to LLMs, GPTs, or other AI agents. This enables AI applications to act on your behalf through secure, authorized requests. Use this type when you need to control access between AI agents and Workato, and when you plan to serve OpenAPI specifications optimized for AI consumption.

The right mix of proxy, recipe, and AI gateway collections helps you optimize your API platform (opens new window) usage.

Use the following diagram to determine which type of API collection fits your use case:

flowchart TD A["Do you plan to expose endpoints?"] --> B{"Are the endpoints called by an AI agent?"} B -- Yes --> G["Use AI gateway collection"] B -- No --> C{"Do you plan to forward requests or define logic?"} C -- Forward --> D["Use API proxy collection"] C -- Define logic --> H["Use API recipe collection"] classDef default fill:#67eadd,stroke:#67eadd,stroke-width:4px,color:#000; classDef WorkatoBlue fill:#5159f6,stroke:#5159f6,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff; class G,D,H WorkatoBlue

Sync to Postman

You can sync an API collection to Postman to increase visibility and encourage adoption across internal and external developer communities.

Refer to Sync to Postman for more information.