It has not yet been a year since Microsoft introduced Custom APIs in Dataverse, but the popularity of this new code-first approach that helps developers to create APIs has been rising.

So, what is Custom API and why is it a boon for Dynamics 365 CRM developers?

Custom API helps you in creating Custom Action messages in Dynamics 365 CRM. It is a code-first approach that provides various benefits over earlier mechanisms for creating APIs. Before this feature was introduced, custom process actions were used to define an API. But the developers had to implement all the logic using plug-ins or workflow assembly when defining the API signature, frequently due to the underlying technology. Custom API acknowledges this need. Using new Custom API features, developers can avoid some of the limitations of custom actions, including the need for Classic Workflow actions. The developer just needs to create a plug-in which will provide the main operation for the message.

Let’s dive deeper and see what Custom API has in store for us developers!