---
title: "WSO2 API Manager Overview"
description: "A high-level map of WSO2 API Manager's capabilities for designing, governing, and monetizing APIs across cloud, on-premise, and hybrid architectures."
canonical_url: https://wso2.com/api-platform/docs/api-manager/overview/
md_url: https://wso2.com/api-platform/docs/api-manager/overview.md
tags:
  - api-manager
  - api-management
  - governance
author: WSO2 API Platform Documentation Team
last_updated: 2026-06-11
content_type: "concept"
---

# WSO2 API Manager Overview

WSO2 API Manager is a complete platform for building, integrating, and exposing your digital services as managed APIs. Irrespective of cloud, on-premise, or hybrid architectures, API Manager provides the tools to drive your digital transformation strategy from design to deployment.

Visit [the API Manager documentation website](https://apim.docs.wso2.com/en/latest/) to explore detailed guides, tutorials, and component references. 

This page provides a high-level map of the API Manager's capabilities to help you understand the ecosystem.

## Core Capabilities

The platform is divided into several key functional areas to manage the entire API lifecycle:

### Design and Manage APIs
Build, iterate, and apply policies to your APIs and API products.

* **API Design Toolkit:** Create, document, and mock REST, GraphQL, and AsyncAPI specifications.
* **AI-Powered Design:** Generate APIs from natural language and create specialized AI APIs using the Design Assistant.

### Discover APIs
Explore and subscribe to APIs and MCP (Model Context Protocol) Servers.

* **API Developer Portal:** The central hub for application developers. Discover available APIs, subscribe applications, and manage API keys and credentials in one place.

### Run APIs
Deploy and manage the runtime environment for your API traffic.

* **API Gateway:** Secure, manage, and scale your standard API traffic (includes Classic and Federated Gateways).
* **AI Gateway:** An enterprise-grade gateway specifically for AI workloads. Secure, monitor, and control access to LLMs with multi-provider routing, cost controls, and centralized governance. 

### Govern APIs
Oversee the security, usage, and automation of your API ecosystem.

* **API Security:** Manage authentication, authorization, and tokens using the built-in Key Manager, and enforce design-time audits.
* **Analytics and Monetization:** Track API usage, monitor performance, gain actionable insights, and configure billing for your API products.
* **APIOps:** Automate your API lifecycle using CI/CD pipelines and the API Controller command-line tool.

### Administration
Configure and manage the core system, users, and tenants. Manage system-wide policies (like rate limiting), register external Gateways and Key Managers, and oversee global configurations.

## What's Next?
Follow [the 15-minute quick start guide](https://apim.docs.wso2.com/en/4.7.0/get-started/api-manager-quick-start-guide/) to get started with API Manager.