API 2 is here!

If you've been watching the API mailing list over the last few weeks (and if not, why not?!) you'll have seen us announce the availability of the second version of our API.

The API is the way third party apps and services access FreeAgent, so if you've used a mobile phone app or web service which integrates with FreeAgent, you've used the API.

As a FreeAgent user, the main change is that you will no longer have to share your FreeAgent username and password with an app. When you use an app which has been developed against API v2 and which you want to link to your account, the app will send you to FreeAgent where you can grant access. There's a new Authorised Apps settings section in FreeAgent where you see which apps are connected to FreeAgent, and disable apps you no longer use.

For those of a geekier persuasion, the highlights are:

• OAuth 2.0, which is the same authentication system Facebook and Google use for their APIs
• More resources, including Bank Transaction Explanations, Recurring Invoices, Estimates with more to come.
• JSON responses as well as XML
• Sandbox accounts where developers can test their apps

We have a brand new Developer Dashboard at dev.freeagent.com where developers can sign up to integrate their app with FreeAgent. While you're over there, have a look at the documentation: dev.freeagent.com/docs.

We will be saying goodbye to API 1 in the not-too-distant future, so if you're a developer with an existing app you'll need to modify it over the next few months. Of course, we'll give plenty of warning before we turn off API 1.

Over on the engineering blog look out for some posts on some of the more technical aspects of API 2.

Our hope is the new API will enable a new generation of apps and services that integrate with us, enhancing the ecosystem and offering customers more choice in extending the capabilities of FreeAgent.