Building API Clients Faster with apiexplorer.io and Martini

Let’s face it—getting started with API integrations is often the worst part of any project.

You want to build something fast, maybe mock a CRM flow or test a data sync idea. But instead, you’re stuck:

• Scavenging for decent sandbox APIs
• Fighting inconsistent docs
• Writing glue code just to test a POST request
• Wasting time debugging things that should just work

I got sick of that. So we built apiexplorer.io: a free playground of production-grade, fully documented, immediately-usable demo APIs. And when you pair it with Martini, our low-code API automation platform, you can go from “idea” to “working API client” in… well, lunch break territory.

Here’s how I use both in my workflow.

✅ Step 1: Realistic Demo APIs Without the Headaches

The problem with most mock APIs is that they’re either toy-level (/todos) or they gate everything behind auth walls and endless config.

apiexplorer.io fixes that. Once you sign up (free, no card), you get an API key and access to:

• REST APIs for CRM, Billing, Orders, HCM, Inventory, and more
• Live API Explorer with cURL + fetch snippets
• Postman collections + OpenAPI schemas
• A frontend app for previewing the data

Want to mock a customer profile system? Build a sales dashboard? Prototype lead assignment automation? You’re covered. You don’t even need to use Lonti tools for this—it works great with Postman or your own stack.

⚙️ Step 2: Consume the API in Martini

I use Martini to build integrations, workflows, and services visually (but with full code access when I want it).

Once I’ve grabbed my API key, here’s what I do:

1. In Martini, open the HTTP Client
2. Paste an endpoint like this: GET https://demo-api.apiexplorer.io/api/lonti_demo_api_crm/1.0/contact?limit=20
3. Add headers:
   • Accept: application/json
   • X-Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
4. Click “Test”

Boom—live data.

From here, I can transform the payload, map fields, or embed this call into a workflow, webhook, or even an exposed API.

🔁 Step 3: Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

What’s cool about Martini is that any HTTP request I build can be turned into a reusable service.

Let’s say I build a “Get Contacts” call. I can:

• Reuse it across 5+ workflows
• Call it from an API published in Martini
• Trigger it via automation or webhook
• Or even wire it into a Bellini UI if I’m building frontend stuff

No duplicated logic. No boilerplate. Just a clean pipeline of services I can plug anywhere.

🎯 Real Example: From Demo API to Live Integration

I recently built a quick proof-of-concept that:

• Pulled new leads from the CRM API (via apiexplorer.io)
• Enriched them with external data
• Routed them to an internal support queue
• Notified users via Slack and updated our internal DB

Time to build: ~1.5 hours

Time spent on mocking/debugging the API layer: 0

That’s the whole point. This stack gets out of your way so you can build what matters.

TL;DR: A Better Stack for Prototyping with APIs

Here’s why I think apiexplorer.io + Martini is worth a try:

• You get realistic APIs with clean structure and live data
• No setup, no fluff—just test and go
• Martini lets you orchestrate APIs visually, with full-code flexibility if needed
• You can reuse everything across services, workflows, and frontend apps

I’m not saying it’s magic. But it’s a lot closer than what most of us deal with on a daily basis.

Original source: Building API Clients Faster with apiexplorer.io and Martini