Work with Anypoint Code Builder
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Describe the role of Anypoint Code Builder in creating APIs and integrations.
- Explain how Anypoint Code Builder supports a design-first approach to API development.
Meet Anypoint Code Builder
When you design APIs and integrations, switching between tools can slow you down. Anypoint Code Builder (ACB) solves that by bringing everything you need into one place, streamlining the design and development process.
Anypoint Code Builder is MuleSoft’s integrated development environment (IDE), built on Visual Studio Code. It gives developers and integration teams a single, connected workspace where they can design and test APIs without ever leaving their editor.
With ACB teams can:
- Write and validate OpenAPI specs (OAS).
- Simulate and test endpoints before implementation using built-in mocking tools
- Publish and reuse assets through Anypoint Exchange
This connected experience supports a design-first approach, where teams focus on defining and validating the API before building the underlying logic. That makes it easier to gather early feedback, reduce rework, and keep development aligned with business goals.
Explore the API Design Workflow in Anypoint Code Builder
Anypoint Code Builder supports every phase of API design and integration. Here’s how you can move from concept to published spec, all in one workspace:
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Start from scratch or reuse: Create a new API spec or customize an existing one from Anypoint Exchange.
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Define and validate: Use the YAML editor to write your API spec, with real-time validation for structure and syntax.
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Simulate behavior: Preview how your API will behave using built-in tools that mimic real interactions based on your examples.
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Publish and iterate: Send your final spec to Exchange for reuse, extension, or handoff to developers.
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Share for feedback: Generate a preview URL so stakeholders can test and comment, with no backend code needed.
This workflow helps teams move faster and stay in sync, all in the same space.
Design-First in the Real World
“Design-first” development means defining what an API should do before building how it works. Rather than writing backend logic and adjusting it later, teams agree on the API’s structure and behavior upfront. This approach helps prevent misunderstandings and deliver faster results.
ACB makes design-first development easy to adopt. Developers can use it to define API specifications, simulate responses, and share them with stakeholders, all before writing a single line of backend code. That means feedback can be gathered early, when changes are easier to accomplish.
A design-first approach helps teams work in parallel. While backend developers focus on building the API, frontend developers can start coding right away using simulated endpoints. This speeds up development and helps everyone stay aligned.
When teams use ACB to design first, they’re better equipped to:
- Deliver APIs that reflect real business needs, not technical assumptions
- Prevent duplicate or wasted development work
- Onboard new teammates faster with clear, up-to-date specs
- Create APIs that are easier to evolve, reuse, and govern
ACB is available in both a browser-based cloud environment and a local desktop version, so you can choose the setup that works best for your workflow. Whether you're experimenting with new designs or collaborating across teams, ACB gives you the flexibility to build APIs your way.
A Day at Mule United Airport
At Mule United Airport (MUA), a developer is designing a new flight booking API. Instead of jumping straight into code, they open Anypoint Code Builder and define the API in YAML, including parameters like departure city and travel date.
They use ACB’s simulation tools to preview how the API will behave and share the simulated response with stakeholders. The airline operations team quickly spots a few missing fields—insights that would have been harder to catch later. Because the API is still in design, the developer makes a quick update and refreshes the simulated output on the spot.
That fast, flexible workflow helps the team avoid delays, reduce confusion, and deliver an API that meets real-world needs from the start.
Ready to Build Smarter APIs?
You’ve explored the core building blocks of the Anypoint Platform, including discovering and reusing APIs in Exchange, managing integrations with Anypoint Management Center, and designing APIs with a flexible, design-first approach.
Together, these tools give teams a smarter, faster way to deliver connected experiences. Instead of reinventing the wheel, developers can build on what already works. And to replace the guesswork that goes into figuring out what business stakeholders want, they can share and refine real API designs early in the process.
Anypoint Platform is built for the way modern teams work—collaborative, agile, and always evolving. Whether you're creating something new or improving what you already have, it's designed to help you go further, faster.
Want to dig deeper?
Check out the MuleSoft Help Center or explore other resources on Anypoint Code Builder and API integration in the Resources section.