API Abuse
The strategic exploitation of API interfaces to bypass commercial restrictions, extract proprietary data, automate interactions at scale, or undermine competitors.
Tactics
Bypassing Tiered Pricing
Accessing enterprise-level features via lower-tier or free plans by directly invoking privileged endpoints.
Competitive Intelligence Harvesting
Extracting structured data from competitor APIs to map pricing, inventory, or feature sets in real time.
Automation of Restricted Actions
Using APIs to automate purchases, reservations, or engagements that are limited or rate-controlled in standard user flows.
Shadow Integration
Building unauthorized tools or services on top of another platform’s API to capture users, data, or traffic.
Undermining Platform Monetization
Accessing paid content or services through backend APIs, avoiding revenue mechanisms while retaining full functionality.