Make separate systems work together
Suppose an online shop sends an order to a delivery company and later shows the customer a tracking update. The shop and delivery company use separate systems; an integration connects them so staff do not need to copy every order by hand.
An API may let the shop send an order or ask for its status. A webhook may tell the shop when the delivery status changes. An integration can also use file transfers or other methods. The API is one possible connection point; the integration is the whole arrangement that makes the systems work together.
The connection needs more than a cable
The teams must agree which information to share, how fields match, who may access it, and what happens if a system is unavailable. If the delivery company calls a parcel an “item” and the shop calls it a “package”, the integration must still map the right details. It should avoid lost or repeated orders and make failures visible to people who can fix them.
A data pipeline is a related idea that moves and processes data, often for reporting or analysis. Continuous integration in CI/CD means regularly combining code changes; it is a different use of the word.