APIs have become the backbone of modern software development, by facilitating seamless communication between applications and systems.

But building an effective API requires more than just good coding skills. It also requires careful monitoring and analysis to ensure optimal performance, security, and adoption. Additionally, creating accurate and in-depth reports can be time-consuming and complicated, especially when dealing with large data sets.

That’s where Kong Konnect Analytics comes in, providing users with a powerful API analytics solution that enables them to monitor service vital signs, track key statistics, and identify usage patterns in real time. One of Kong Konnect Analytics’ most important features is its custom reporting capability, which allows users to create API usage reports tailored to their specific needs.

An easier way to create API usage reports

We’re thrilled to announce that Kong Konnect Analytics’ custom reporting feature just got a major upgrade that makes it much easier to create API usage reports the way you need them. Here are some highlights of these improvements:

• A new and more intuitive user interface
• A new chart preview capability to efficiently create reports
• Support for grouping and filtering by Runtime Group and Gateway Service
• Advanced filtering to focus on the dimensions that are important to you

With these new features, users can create custom reports faster and more efficiently than ever before. The new user interface makes it easy to navigate and find the right data, while the new chart preview lets you see your data in real time as you build your report.

Moreover, the new grouping and filtering options make it easy to focus on the data that matters most to you, allowing you to drill down into specific areas of your APIs. And the advanced filtering options give you even greater control over your data, enabling you to customize your reports to meet your specific needs.

Figure 1: Kong Konnect Analytics Custom Report 

To access these features, simply log in to your Konnect account and navigate to the Analytics section. From there, you can create custom reports using the new and improved interface.

Example report

Here’s an example of a report you can create.

Amy is an API Product Manager who has just joined ACME Corporation and is responsible for the success of the entire API portfolio. An important part of Amy’s job is to understand API usage and identify the leading API consumers.

Let’s create a report that shows who consumes the APIs created by Amy’s team and by how much over the last 30 days.

To create a custom report that provides information on total API traffic across different applications (including public web applications, mobile applications, or internal services that consume your API), configure the following options as such in the UI:

• Name: API Usage by Application (last 30 days)
• Chart type: Vertical bar chart
• Date/Time: Last 30 days
• Select a metric: Request Count
• Group by: Service
• Then by: Application

Your custom analytics report should look like the following:

Figure 2:  Custom report to analyze total traffic across different applications

Knowing only who your API consumers are doesn’t explain which of them drive the most traffic to your APIs but it allows you to engage with them, gather feedback, and build stronger relationships. This helps you better understand their needs and effectively tailor your APIs to address their requirements.

Be sure to check out our documentation for more examples and tips on how to use custom reporting functionality to its fullest potential.

At Kong, we believe access to real-time data and key performance indicators is crucial to making informed decisions based on user demand. We’re excited about this upgrade and hope you are too.

Start your Kong Konnect free trial today to experience the benefits of our powerful API analytics solution.