# Automated integration > Add tags to your APIs. Use the same tags to query and mutate data. Orbital builds and maintains integrations automatically. Source: https://orbitalhq.com/features/instant-integration ![](/assets/hero-01-automated-integration-Cjn21HLG.webp) Automated integration # **Declarative** API integration Add semantics to the schemas you already publish. Describe what you need, and Orbital builds the integration. No resolvers, glue code or mapping files. **Adapts as your APIs change.** [Get Started](/docs)[Try Playground](https://playground.taxilang.org) - ### Use what you already run OpenAPI, Protobuf, Avro, Kafka, databases, S3 and more - connected from the schemas you already publish. - ### Nothing breaks when APIs change Integrations adapt automatically as APIs, schemas and requirements change. - ### Ship an endpoint in minutes Turn any data request into a REST endpoint, stream or scheduled batch job. - ### See everything you’re connected to Every connected source is automatically catalogued, searchable and mapped - including its schema, operations and relationships. ## **Stop building integration.** Traditional platforms help you build integration. **Orbital builds and maintains integration itself.** Integration design and execution happen outside the LLM, so it’s fast, predictable and governed. ### Traditional integration - Build custom integrations and pipelines - Maintain mappings, resolvers and client code - Rework integrations as systems change - Operate the middleware you create ### With Orbital - Add semantics to your existing APIs and schemas - Describe the data or action you need - Integration adapts automatically as APIs evolve - Push to Git to deploy ## Just **ask** Ask for the data or action you need - in [TaxiQL](/docs/querying/writing-queries) or plain language. Orbital works out the integration. ### Query with TaxiQL Describe the data or action you need with TaxiQL. You define the result; Orbital works out the integration. Queries are strongly typed against the semantics in your schemas, with validation and developer tooling as you write. [Writing queries](/docs/querying/writing-queries) ![A TaxiQL query in the Orbital editor, describing the shape of the response rather than the calls needed to build it.](/assets/query-code-DcJbgDsB.png) ### Chat to query Ask for what you need in plain language. Orbital's query assistant uses the semantics in your schemas to turn the request into TaxiQL. Review or refine the query, then run it just like any other TaxiQL query. [Writing queries](/docs/querying/writing-queries) ![A TaxiQL query in the Orbital editor, describing the shape of the response rather than the calls needed to build it.](/assets/query-code-DcJbgDsB.png) ### See what's happening Inspect every integration Orbital runs. See which services were called, how the data moved, and where each field in the result came from. [Explore observability](/features/observability) ![Orbital’s query execution plan, showing each service call made to satisfy a query and how long it took.](/assets/query-plan-C29DTOW8.png) - ### End-to-end type safety Taxi and TaxiQL provide end-to-end type safety across all your data sources, APIs and Kafka topics. [Learn more about Taxi, our open source schema language](https://docs.taxilang.org/) - ### VS Code extension Auto-completion, linting, formatting, and inline documentation helps developers build and ship directly from within VS Code. [Install the Taxi VS Code extension](https://taxilang.org/taxi-vs-code/editor-plugins/) ## **Not just APIs** Orbital works across APIs, databases, files and streams. Use the same semantic model for live queries, batch pipelines and event-driven integration. Query across APIs, databases, S3 buckets and more, all in a single request. Orbital works out where each field comes from and calls the systems it needs. Define batch jobs as TaxiQL queries. Read from S3, databases or uploaded files, enrich from your APIs, then write the result out. Read from Kafka, enrich each event with data from APIs or databases, then publish it to another topic, WebSocket or secured stream. ``` // Send a query for data to Orbital,// and it builds the integration on demand,// using metadata embedded in your API specsfind { Movies(ReleaseYear > 2018)[] }as { // Consumers define the schema they want. // Orbital works out where to fetch data from title : MovieTitle // .. read from a db review : ReviewScore // .. call a REST API to find this awards : AwardTitle[] // ... and a gRPC service to find this.} ``` ``` // Define simple schemas for CSV files, then// read from S3, databases, or upload directly to Orbital@Csvclosed model InventoryReport { name: ProductName category: Category stock: StockLevel price: Price} ``` ``` // A stream of data over Kafka@KafkaServiceservice FilmReviewUpdates { stream reviews: Stream} // Stream data from Kafka, and enrich it// from APIs:stream { NewReviewSubmittedEvent } as { id: FilmId // From the event title : Title // Looked up from a DB reviews: Review[] // Fetched from an API call}[] ``` [Try this example in the Taxi Playground](https://playground.taxilang.org/examples/database-enrich-against-api)[Try this example in the Taxi Playground](https://playground.taxilang.org/examples/csv-enrichment)[Try this example in the Taxi Playground](https://playground.taxilang.org/examples/kafka-db-api) ![](/assets/andrew-kew-DbOojK19.jpg) > Data Semantics unlocks your company’s true data value, and Orbital makes it effortless. > > Using Taxi & Orbital for our re-platforming project, we cut time to market from months to days and reduced operational resources by two-thirds. > > If you’re not using this solution yet, you’re falling behind. Andrew Kew Head of Platform Engineering - APIs, Microservices and Integration ![](/assets/alex-cheeseman-CuGA5oP0.jpg) > We delivered a critical project in weeks, not months, using a single developer instead of a team. > > Our run costs are also much lower, as we’re not running hundreds of integration microservices. > > Orbital has become a key part of our strategic architecture for the bank. [ Alex Cheeseman Director of Engineering, Architecture & Change - Metro Bank ](https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/) Integrations ## Works with the stack you already have. Connect the APIs, databases, streams and files you already run. [Taxi](https://taxilang.org) adds shared semantics across them, so Orbital can query and orchestrate them together. - [OpenAPI](/docs/describing-data-sources/open-api) - [Protobuf](/docs/describing-data-sources/protobuf) - [gRPC](/docs/describing-data-sources/protobuf) - [SOAP and XML](/docs/describing-data-sources/soap) - [Avro](/docs/data-formats/avro) - [Kafka](/docs/describing-data-sources/kafka) - [Postgres](/docs/describing-data-sources/databases) - [MySQL](/docs/describing-data-sources/databases) - [SQL Server](/docs/describing-data-sources/databases) - [MongoDB](/docs/describing-data-sources/databases) - [DynamoDB](/docs/describing-data-sources/aws-services#dynamo-db) - [AWS Lambda](/docs/describing-data-sources/aws-services#lambda) - [AWS S3](/docs/describing-data-sources/aws-services#s3) - [AWS SQS](/docs/describing-data-sources/aws-services#sqs) - [CSV](/docs/data-formats/csv) [View all supported sources](/docs/describing-data-sources/configuring-connections) ## Frequently asked questions Got another gnarly question? We’d love to hear it. Come and chat on [Slack](https://join.slack.com/t/orbitalapi/shared_invite/zt-697laanr-DHGXXak5slqsY9DqwrkzHg). Traditional platforms give you tools to build integrations: flows, mappings, resolvers and deployment artefacts that your team then owns and maintains. With Orbital, you describe the meaning of your data and the result you need. Orbital plans and executes the integration for you. No changes to your service implementations are required. Orbital works from the API specs, schemas and data sources you already have. Add semantic metadata to describe what your data means and how it relates, then query across those systems together. Publish the updated schema and Orbital replans integrations against the new model. Compatible changes can be absorbed automatically. If a change means the requested result can no longer be produced safely, Orbital surfaces the problem rather than guessing. No. An LLM can turn a plain-language request into TaxiQL, but integration planning and execution happen outside the LLM. That keeps execution predictable, governed and fast, whether the query was written by a developer or generated by the query assistant. No. Developers can write TaxiQL directly, or ask for data and actions in plain language using Orbital’s query assistant. The assistant produces TaxiQL that you can inspect, edit and run through the same execution engine as any other query. Yes. Orbital shows the execution plan, the services and operations called, and the lineage of the data returned. You can trace individual fields back to their source and see how the result was assembled across systems. ## **Your first integration** by this afternoon Start with an API or schema you already have. Add semantics, write a query, and Orbital builds the integration. [Start for free](/docs)[Talk to us](/contact) ![](/assets/banner-cta-graph-axsXt434.webp)