Cisco APIC Getting Started Guide, Release 6.2(x)

View an API interchange

Updated: January 12, 2026

Overview

Use this procedure to access the built-in API Inspector and view internal API messages between the GUI and the operating system. You can filter and search these messages to automate key network operations or develop external applications using the API.

When you perform a task in the APIC graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI creates and sends internal API messages to the operating system to execute the task. By using the API Inspector, which is a built-in tool of the APIC, you can view and copy these API messages. A network administrator can replicate these messages in order to automate key operations, or you can use the messages as examples to develop external applications that will use the API.

Procedure

In the upper right corner of the APIC window, click the System Tools icon to view the drop-down list.

In the drop-down list, choose the Show API Inspector.

The API Inspector opens in a new browser window.

In the Filters toolbar of the API Inspector window, choose the types of API log messages to display.

The displayed messages are color-coded according to the selected message types. This table shows the available message types:


Name	Description
trace	Displays trace messages.
debug	Displays debug messages. This type includes most API commands and responses.
info	Displays informational messages.
warn	Displays warning messages.
error	Displays error messages.
fatal	Displays fatal messages.
all	Checking this checkbox causes all other checkboxes to become checked. Unchecking any other checkbox causes this checkbox to be unchecked.

In the Search toolbar, you can search the displayed messages for an exact string or by a regular expression.

This table shows the search controls:


Name	Description
Search	In this text box, enter a string for a direct search or enter a regular expression for a regex search. As you type, the first matched field in the log list is highlighted.
Reset	Click this button to clear the contents of the Search text box.
Regex	Check this checkbox to use the contents of the Search text box as a regular expression for a search.
Match case	Check this checkbox to make the search case sensitive.
Disable	Check this checkbox to disable the search and clear the highlighting of search matches in the log list.
Next	Click this button to cause the log list to scroll to the next matched entry. This button appears only when a search is active.
Previous	Click this button to cause the log list to scroll to the previous matched entry. This button appears only when a search is active.
Filter	Check this checkbox to hide nonmatched lines. This checkbox appears only when a search is active.
Highlight all	Check this checkbox to highlight all matched fields. This checkbox appears only when a search is active.

In the Options toolbar, you can arrange the displayed messages.

This table shows the available options:


Name	Description
Log	Check this checkbox to enable logging.
Wrap	Check this checkbox to enable wrapping of lines to avoid horizontal scrolling of the log list.
Newest at the top	Check this checkbox to display log entries in reverse chronological order.
Scroll to latest	Check this checkbox to scroll immediately to the latest log entry.
Clear	Click this button to clear the log list.
Close	Click this button to close the API Inspector.

Example

This example shows two debug messages in the API Inspector window:


13:13:36 DEBUG - method: GET url: http://192.0.20.123/api/class/infraInfra.json 
response: {"imdata":[{"infraInfra":{"attributes":{"instanceId":"0:0","childAction":"",
"dn":"uni/infra","lcOwn":"local","name":"","replTs":"never","status":""}}}]}

13:13:40 DEBUG - method: GET url: http://192.0.20.123/api/class/l3extDomP.json?
query-target=subtree&subscription=yes 
response: {"subscriptionId":"72057598349672459","imdata":[]}

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