How do public APIs differ from private APIs?

Public APIs are designed to be accessible to all developers, which allows external users, such as third-party developers and businesses, to interact with the services provided by a company or organization. This openness fosters innovation and collaboration, as developers can build applications and services on top of the functionality offered by public APIs. They typically have less restrictive access and can be used for a wide variety of applications.

In contrast, private APIs are intended for internal use only within an organization. They may have stringent authentication and authorization requirements to ensure that only authorized personnel can access the data and functionality. Therefore, the distinction lies in the availability and intended audience, with public APIs being openly available to anyone, while private APIs are secured for internal purposes.

The other options reflect misunderstandings of these API types. Private APIs can indeed require authentication to restrict access, and they might not be documented as extensively as public APIs. Public APIs are not limited to internal use, and private APIs may or may not have comprehensive documentation depending on the organization's needs.