For API inventory workflows

Build an API inventory from source code.

See the routes your backend exposes, where they are defined, and how to turn that inventory into an OpenAPI baseline—all inside VS Code.

Free VS Code extensionLocal-first scanningOpenAPI YAML and JSON
APISCOUT / API EXPLORERLOCAL
Explorer3
GET /accounts
POST/accounts
GET /accounts/:id
SOURCE-BACKED
GET/accounts

router.get("/accounts",

requireAuth, handler);

src/routes/accounts.ts:18

OpenAPI export ready

The problem

A partial endpoint list is not an API inventory.

Traffic capture only shows what was exercised. Hand-maintained docs decay. Teams need a repeatable way to establish an inventory from the implementation before they can govern, document, or test it.

Built for DevSecOps engineers, security engineers, and platform teams who need to understand the implementation before they trust the documentation.

Why this happens

The gap appears where teams are moving quickly.

01

The service catalog with no endpoint detail

A platform team knows which services exist but cannot say which paths each exposes without contacting its maintainers. Inventories assembled from gateway logs and spreadsheets rarely map routes back to owning code.

02

The spreadsheet handoff

Security receives a route list copied from a sprint ticket — no source locations, no version context, no reliable way to identify what changed since.

03

Growth outpacing the habit

Modern services expose APIs across many modules and versions. Endpoint count grows faster than informal documentation practices, and any process requiring separate portals is rarely kept current.

How APIScout solves it

Start with the implementation, then create the handoff artifact.

APIScout runs inside VS Code and reads the backend source tree locally. It turns route discovery into an inspectable inventory, then exports OpenAPI when the API needs to move into documentation, testing, or security workflows.

  1. Step 01

    Scan a backend project locally.

    01
  2. Step 02

    Review discovered endpoints with source-file context.

    02
  3. Step 03

    Export the inventory as OpenAPI for other teams and tools.

    03
Source codeAPIScout inventoryOpenAPI YAML or JSON

Benefits by role

Visibility is useful before it becomes a security requirement.

Developer benefits

Build the inventory where development happens, and keep the path back to source when an endpoint needs clarification.

Team benefits

Replace one-off endpoint lists with an exportable baseline that platform, security, and application teams can all review.

Security benefits

A source-backed inventory narrows the gap between what is implemented and what is included in security testing.

In practice

Make API visibility a normal step.

Create an inventory at service onboarding and refresh it after routing changes.

A service list is not an API inventory.

Record source ownership and API audience alongside the export.

Endpoints collected without owners become someone else's problem.

Use one OpenAPI baseline for both documentation and security scope.

Don't rely on gateway or traffic data alone for coverage.

FAQ

Questions teams ask before they install.

What makes an API inventory actionable?

It identifies paths and methods, preserves implementation context, and exports into the documentation and testing tools the team already uses.

Can security teams use APIScout?

Yes. Security and DevSecOps can use the source-backed export as scoping input while developers keep the in-editor workflow.

Why does local-first matter for inventory?

It keeps discovery next to the codebase and avoids making a source upload a prerequisite for basic inspection.

When APIScout is not enough

Discovery is the beginning of the workflow.

An inventory is not a runtime asset registry. Complement it with gateway, deployment, and traffic signals to account for deployed, third-party, or dynamically registered APIs.

How ApyGuard extends the workflow

Test the API surface you discovered.

Use the exported inventory to seed ApyGuard scans, including APIs that run in private networks and non-production environments.

OpenAPI exportApyGuard importAutomated testing
Test this API in ApyGuard

APIScout for VS Code

Start with the API your code actually exposes.

Install the free, local-first extension to discover backend endpoints, inspect their source context, and export an OpenAPI baseline when the workflow needs one.

Install APIScout — Free