API
A defined interface through which one software system exposes its data and functions for another system to use programmatically.
In more detail
An application programming interface is the contract a system offers to other software: here are the operations you can call, the inputs they take, and the outputs they return. It lets programs use each other's capabilities directly, without a human clicking through a screen, which is the foundation of both integrations and automation.
APIs are what make reliable automation possible. An action taken through a well-defined API is far more robust than one driven by clicking through a user interface, because the interface is a stable, documented contract rather than a screen that can be redesigned. Where a system offers a good API, that is the right way to automate against it.
Where this shows up at Ceven
Ceven acts on connected systems primarily through their APIs, which is the reliable path, and falls back to screen-driven access only for systems that expose no API. It also offers its own capabilities to other software through a hosted MCP server, so Ceven is reachable programmatically the way a well-designed API would be.