Table of Contents
Overview
In the rapidly evolving landscape of API development, efficiency and speed have become critical success factors. Kong introduces create-api.dev, a lightweight AI-powered tool designed to revolutionize OpenAPI specification generation. Built by Kong’s research and development team, this innovative solution eliminates traditional barriers such as account creation and complex configurations, delivering a frictionless experience for API designers and developers. The tool represents Kong’s initial exploration into how artificial intelligence can enhance the entire API lifecycle, from initial design concepts to production deployment.
Key Features
This cutting-edge tool delivers a streamlined approach to OpenAPI specification creation through several innovative capabilities.
- AI-Powered OpenAPI Generation: Utilizes Google’s Gemini model with large context windows specifically optimized for OpenAPI specifications, incorporating Kong’s internal API design guidelines to ensure high-quality outputs that follow industry best practices.
- Zero-Barrier Access: Completely eliminates login requirements and setup procedures, enabling immediate use for rapid prototyping, experimentation, and collaborative work without any preliminary commitment or registration process.
- Instant Deployment: Provides immediate access through a web interface with no installation requirements, allowing users to generate comprehensive OpenAPI specifications within seconds of describing their API requirements.
- Advanced Collaboration Features: Seamlessly integrates sharing capabilities that enable real-time collaboration through shareable links, making it easy to distribute specifications across development teams, stakeholders, and external partners.
- Kong AI Gateway Integration: Leverages Kong’s AI Gateway infrastructure for enhanced security, performance optimization, and quality assurance through multi-layered AI guardrails and safety measures.
How It Works
The process behind create-api.dev demonstrates a sophisticated yet user-friendly approach to AI-driven API specification generation. Users begin by inputting their API requirements through natural language descriptions directly into the tool’s intuitive web interface. The underlying AI engine, powered by Google’s Gemini model, processes this input using Kong’s proprietary system prompts that incorporate proven API design patterns and best practices developed by Kong’s engineering teams. The AI analyzes the provided information in real-time, considering factors such as endpoint structure, data models, authentication requirements, and response formats. Within moments, the system generates a comprehensive OpenAPI specification that adheres to industry standards and Kong’s quality guidelines. Users can then export the generated specification in standard formats or share it instantly through unique URLs, facilitating seamless handoffs to development teams and stakeholders.
Use Cases
This versatile tool addresses multiple scenarios across the API development lifecycle, making it valuable for various professional contexts.
- Rapid API Prototyping: Accelerates the initial design phase by quickly converting conceptual API ideas into structured OpenAPI specifications, enabling faster validation and iteration cycles during the early stages of development.
- Technical Documentation Creation: Streamlines the creation of comprehensive API documentation by generating detailed specifications that serve as the foundation for developer guides, integration manuals, and technical reference materials.
- Cross-Team Collaboration: Facilitates communication between product managers, designers, developers, and stakeholders by providing a common specification format that clearly defines API functionality and requirements before implementation begins.
- Educational and Training Purposes: Serves as an excellent learning tool for developers new to API design, demonstrating proper OpenAPI specification structure and best practices through AI-generated examples.
- Legacy API Modernization: Assists in documenting existing APIs by generating modern OpenAPI specifications based on current functionality descriptions, supporting digital transformation initiatives.
Pros \& Cons
Understanding the tool’s strengths and current limitations helps set appropriate expectations for potential users.
Advantages
- Exceptional Accessibility: Removes all barriers to entry with no registration, setup, or payment requirements, making it accessible to individual developers and large organizations alike.
- Professional Quality Output: Incorporates Kong’s proven API design expertise and industry best practices, ensuring generated specifications meet professional standards and follow established conventions.
- Lightning-Fast Generation: Produces comprehensive OpenAPI specifications within seconds, dramatically reducing the time traditionally required for manual specification creation.
- Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure: Built on Kong’s robust AI Gateway platform, providing reliability, security, and performance suitable for professional and enterprise use cases.
Disadvantages
- Limited Customization Options: Currently focuses on rapid generation rather than detailed customization, which may require manual refinement for highly specific or complex API requirements.
- Early Development Stage: As Kong’s initial foray into AI-enhanced API tooling, the platform may lack some advanced features found in more mature, specialized API design platforms.
- Dependency on AI Accuracy: Generated specifications require human review and validation, particularly for complex business logic or specialized industry requirements that may not be captured accurately by AI.
How Does It Compare?
When evaluating create-api.dev against the current landscape of API design and documentation tools in 2025, several key distinctions emerge across different market segments.
Compared to Stoplight Studio, which offers comprehensive visual API modeling with pricing starting at \$99 per month, create-api.dev focuses specifically on AI-driven rapid generation rather than visual design workflows. While Stoplight excels in providing extensive customization through its drag-and-drop interface and style guide enforcement, Kong’s tool prioritizes speed and accessibility for initial specification creation, making it ideal for early-stage API design before transitioning to more comprehensive platforms.
Against SwaggerHub’s enterprise-focused approach starting at \$84 per month for team plans, create-api.dev serves a different market need by providing immediate, cost-free access to AI-powered specification generation. SwaggerHub’s strength lies in its robust collaboration features, version control, and enterprise governance capabilities, while Kong’s solution addresses the specific pain point of getting from concept to initial specification quickly without the overhead of platform onboarding.
Versus emerging AI-powered platforms like Apidog, which provides comprehensive API lifecycle management with pricing from \$9 per month, create-api.dev distinguishes itself through its singular focus on specification generation and Kong’s established expertise in API infrastructure. While Apidog offers broader functionality including testing and documentation, Kong’s tool excels in the specific use case of rapidly converting ideas into professional-quality OpenAPI specifications.
Compared to traditional open-source solutions like OpenAPI Generator, create-api.dev offers a fundamentally different approach by starting with natural language input rather than requiring existing code or detailed technical specifications. This makes it more accessible to non-technical stakeholders and accelerates the initial design phase, though users may still leverage OpenAPI Generator for subsequent code generation tasks.
Against Postman’s API Platform, which has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem for API development, create-api.dev serves as a lightweight alternative for teams that need quick specification generation without committing to a full platform ecosystem. Postman’s strength in testing and collaboration makes it suitable for ongoing development workflows, while Kong’s tool excels in the initial design and specification creation phase.
Final Thoughts
Create-api.dev represents a thoughtful approach to addressing a specific pain point in the API development workflow: the transition from concept to structured specification. Kong’s decision to focus on a single, well-executed function rather than attempting to replicate existing comprehensive platforms demonstrates strategic thinking about how AI can most effectively enhance developer productivity. The tool’s integration of Kong’s API design expertise with advanced AI capabilities creates a unique value proposition that bridges the gap between initial ideas and professional-quality API specifications.
While create-api.dev may not replace full-featured API design platforms for complex, ongoing projects, it serves as an excellent starting point that can significantly accelerate the early stages of API development. The tool’s accessibility and quality output make it particularly valuable for organizations looking to standardize their API design practices or teams needing to quickly prototype and validate API concepts before committing to more comprehensive development workflows.
The platform’s positioning as Kong’s first step toward AI-enhanced API lifecycle management suggests exciting potential for future developments that could further integrate AI capabilities across design, testing, and deployment phases. For teams seeking a quick, professional, and accessible way to generate OpenAPI specifications, create-api.dev offers a compelling solution that leverages both cutting-edge AI technology and proven API design expertise.