---
title: The API discovery process
description: The ABS AI Engine processes the ASE access logs and discovers new and unknown APIs in your environment. A root API JSON is defined in ASE to enable API discovery by ABS. If the root API JSON has a JWT object configured with values set for all the keys, then the APIs discovered by the ABS will have the JWT object. For more information on API discovery, see API discovery and configuration.
component: pingintelligence
version: 5.2
page_id: pingintelligence:pingintelligence_reference_guide:pingintelligence_sideband_api_discovery_process
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingintelligence/5.2/pingintelligence_reference_guide/pingintelligence_sideband_api_discovery_process.html
revdate: June 7, 2024
---

# The API discovery process

The ABS AI Engine processes the ASE access logs and discovers new and unknown APIs in your environment. A root API JSON is defined in ASE to enable API discovery by ABS. If the root API JSON has a JWT object configured with values set for all the keys, then the APIs discovered by the ABS will have the JWT object. For more information on API discovery, see [API discovery and configuration](../managing_pingintelligence_for_apis/pingintelligence_api_discovery_configuration.html).

The following table explains the behavior of ASE when the root API JSON has an incomplete JWT object. It also describes its impact on the APIs discovered by ABS in your environment.

| Scenarios                                                                                                                                                                                        | Behavior of ASE                                | API discovery                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| When a JWT object is not configured in `root` API JSON.                                                                                                                                          | ASE processes the `root` API JSON file.        | A JWT object gets added to the discovered APIs with all the keys but empty values. For example:```
"jwt": {
          "username": "",
          "clientid": "",
          "location": ""
        }
``` |
| When a JWT object is configured in the `root` API JSON file, but with no keys. For example:```
"jwt":{}
```                                                                                      | ASE does not process the `root` API JSON file. | The API is not discovered.                                                                                                                                                                             |
| When a JWT object is configured with all the keys present but no values set. For example:```
"jwt": {
          "username": "",
          "clientid": "",
          "location": ""
        }
``` | ASE processes the `root` API JSON file.        | A JWT object gets added to the discovered APIs with all the keys but empty values. For example:```
"jwt": {
          "username": "",
          "clientid": "",
          "location": ""
        }
``` |
| When a JWT object is configured but not all keys are set. For example:```
"jwt": {
          "username": "",

          "location": ""
        }
```                                             | ASE does not process the `root` API JSON file. | The API is not discovered.                                                                                                                                                                             |

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|   | The API JSON file shipped with ASE is compatible with earlier versions of API JSON files. ASE automatically adds an empty JWT object to the API JSON file to maintain compatibility. |