HTTP API
HTTP API is a new flavor of API Gateway. Benefits of using the API include delivering enhanced features, improved performance, and an easier developer experience. In addition, HTTP APIs come with reduced request pricing.
For private integrations, HTTP APIs offer additional integration endpoints for a VPC link,
such as ALBs, NLBs, and AWS Cloud Map
Private Integration
Because HTTP APIs offer three different private integration targets, you should consider which integration target best suits your use case. Depending on the backend service, one or more targets can be used by creating multiple VPC endpoints.
Table 2 – HTTP API Private Integration
Integration target | Listener | Use cases |
---|---|---|
NLB | TCP or TLS listener |
TLS passthrough is possible High throughput |
ALB | HTTP or HTTPS listener |
Layer 7 routing Content-based routing |
AWS Cloud Map |
Namespace/Service AWS Cloud Map parameters (optional) |
Service discovery |
Sample Architecture Patterns
ALB Architecture (Amazon ECS)
HTTP API private integration allows NLB and ALB for integration targets for load balancers. If you have any backend service fronted with ALBs, you can use the existing setup without re-architecture. Because ALBs allow different routing options, such as path-based routing, this option provides flexibility on the ALB routing level. To create listener rules to achieve path-based routing, see Listener rules for your Application Load Balancer.
Figure 6 shows private integration with Application Load Balancer in HTTP API. The ALB uses path-based routing rules to route traffic to two different Amazon ECS services.

Figure 6 – HTTP API private integration with Application Load Balancer
AWS Cloud Map Architecture (Microservices)
With the AWS Cloud Map target option, you can use AWS Cloud Map to discover services like Amazon ECS and Amazon EC2-based services. Using AWS Cloud Map as a front-end service for microservices, you can leverage a private integration with an AWS Cloud Map target in HTTP APIs to route requests to different endpoints.

Figure 7 – HTTP API private integration with AWS Cloud Map