---
title: "Quick detour: what is an API request?"
course: "FE101 · Build your first website"
unit: "Going async"
lesson: 22 of 36
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/build-your-first-website/quick-detour-what-is-an-api-request
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Quick detour: what is an API request?

Lesson 22 of 36 in **Build your first website** (FE101), unit "Going async". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Explain what an API is in simple terms and why developers use APIs
- Describe the basic request → response flow between a client and a server
- Explain why API requests can take time (network delay, server processing)
- Describe what would happen if a program had to wait for every network request before continuing

## Teaching notes
Don't code. Use visual illustrations. Mention the name HTTP briefly but do not dive into it at all. Don't go into HTTP or URLs or PARAMS. You can use real public APIs as examples (https://api.frankfurter.app/latest?amount=30&from=USD&to=EUR). No coding in this lesson, don't mention async yet as the solution, just make sure it's clear why doing everything sync would be a problem when you use network

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 22 complete: Quick detour: what is an API request?."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Sync vs async" (lesson 23 of 36), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/build-your-first-website/sync-vs-async.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: map() and filter()
Next lesson: Sync vs async