How to Use API Protection in MobileBOT™ Defense Using AI

Last updated July 12, 2026 by Appdome

This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Add API Protection in Mobile apps.

What is API Protection?

API Protection is Appdome’s comprehensive framework for protecting mobile API communication. It combines multiple MobileBOT™ Defense capabilities to secure API requests, verify session integrity, identify device and application risks, and provide trusted security signals to backend services and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs). By protecting every stage of API communication, API Protection helps organizations prevent unauthorized access, API abuse, automated attacks, and session-based threats.

How Appdome Protects Mobile Apps with API Protection?

Appdome’s API Protection combines multiple MobileBOT™ Defense capabilities to secure communication between mobile applications and backend APIs. Together, these capabilities validate session integrity, evaluate device and application risks, protect request payloads, and provide trusted security information to backend services and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs).

API Protection helps organizations protect mobile APIs against unauthorized access, session manipulation, API abuse, automated attacks, replay attacks, and request tampering while allowing backend systems to make informed security decisions. The following sections describe each capability included in API Protection.

Protected API

Screenshot 2026 07 05 At 14.17.56

The Protected API field defines which API endpoints are protected by the API Protection framework.

Only requests matching the configured Protected API endpoint are processed by API Protection and receive the configured security capabilities, including Session Risk, Payload Protection, and additional request validation mechanisms.

Session Risk

Screenshot 2026 07 05 At 14.20.19

The Session Risk feature evaluates protected API requests and determines the security posture of each session. Session Risk uses multiple request validation mechanisms together with device and application security signals to classify protected API requests as either:

  • Safe
  • At-Risk

The resulting session classification can then be consumed by backend services and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs).

API Session Keys

API Session Keys configure the identifiers used by Session Risk.

For each Protected API, configure the following session keys:

  • Safe Session Key
  • At-Risk Session Key

These values are inserted into protected requests and allow backend services and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to identify whether a request originated from a trusted or at-risk session.

For detailed configuration instructions, see:

How to Use API Session Keys with MobileBOT™ Defense Using AI

Unauthorized API Access Signals

Unauthorized API Access Signals define which device and application security signals contribute to Session Risk classification.

Supported security signals include:

  • Root
  • Magisk
  • Frida
  • Emulator
  • MITM
  • and other supported security detections.

The selected signals are evaluated by Session Risk when classifying protected API requests.

For detailed configuration instructions, see:

How to Use Unauthorized API Access Signals with MobileBOT™ Defense Using AI

Payload Protection

Screenshot 2026 07 05 At 14.23.33

The Payload Protection capabilities ensure the integrity and authenticity of protected API requests before they reach backend services. Together, these capabilities allow backend systems to verify request authenticity, validate payload integrity, securely associate requests with the appropriate security configuration, and detect request tampering.

Payload Signing Key

Payload Signing protects request integrity by cryptographically signing protected API requests. Backend services can validate signed requests before processing them. This helps ensure that request payloads cannot be modified without detection.

ConfigID

ConfigID is a unique identifier that enables backend services to determine which encryption and integrity keys were used to protect each API request. By identifying the appropriate security configuration, ConfigID allows backend systems to seamlessly support and validate requests across multiple application versions and security configurations.

Session Fingerprint (TTL)

Session Fingerprint (TTL) is a unique, time-bound security identifier included in protected API requests.

The Session Fingerprint authenticates session headers and helps ensure that requests originate from a trusted source within a valid time window, reducing the risk of replay attacks and unauthorized request reuse.

Appdome Signed Payload

The Appdome Signed Payload contains cryptographically signed request information that backend services can validate to verify request authenticity and integrity.

Appdome ThreatID™

Appdome ThreatID™ provides trusted security metadata that identifies the security posture of the protected request and mobile application. Backend systems can use ThreatID to apply security policies, correlate security events, and make informed security decisions. For more information:

How to Use Appdome ThreatID™ with MobileBOT™ Defense


Advanced API Protection

Advanced Api Protection

These optional capabilities extend API Protection by providing additional authorization, request validation, payload customization, and bot mitigation mechanisms for advanced deployment scenarios.

Packet Filtering Authorization

Packet Filtering Authorization provides backend services with trusted telemetry generated by authorized network security layers, such as antivirus solutions or enterprise security gateways. The transmitted metadata, including certificate information such as Certificate Common Names (CNs) and SHA1 fingerprints, enables Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to recognize traffic that has been legitimately inspected or modified by trusted filtering solutions, helping to prevent false positives while maintaining strong security policies.

Custom Key/Header

Custom Key/Header allows developers to add custom key-value pairs to protected API requests. These custom values can be used by backend services or Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to identify applications, apply organization-specific security policies, or transmit additional trusted metadata required by the protected API.

Flex Enforcement

Flex Enforcement provides additional flexibility when applying API Protection policies by allowing organizations to adapt protection behavior to specific application or backend requirements. It enables API Protection deployments to accommodate different implementation scenarios while maintaining the integrity and security of protected API communications.

Prevent Mobile API Scraping

Prevent Mobile API Scraping protects mobile APIs against automated data harvesting and Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) extraction attempts. By cryptographically binding every protected API request to a trusted host identity, the feature helps prevent non-human agents, proxies, and scraping tools from intercepting or replaying sensitive API traffic.

Add to Bot Defense Payload

Add to Bot Defense Payload allows developers to include additional user-defined metadata or custom security signals within the encrypted MobileBOT™ Defense payload transmitted to backend services and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs). This enables organizations to extend the information available for backend validation and security policy enforcement without modifying application code.

Use Bot Defense Pin to Host Identity

Use Bot Defense Pin to Host Identity leverages the active MobileBOT™ Defense session to ensure that secure API communication is established only with a verified and trusted host identity. By binding the connection to the trusted host defined by the MobileBOT™ Defense policy, the feature helps prevent communication with unauthorized or spoofed endpoints.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's API Protection Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Add API Protection , you’ll need:

How to Implement Add API Protection in Mobile Apps Using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Mobile Apps that Add API Protection without an SDK or gateway:

  1. Designate the Mobile App to be protected.

    1. Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.

    2. Mobile App Formats: .ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android
    3. API Protection is compatible with: Obj-C, Java, JS, C#, C++, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, and more.
  2. Select the defense: API Protection.

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the API Protection feature as shown below:
        fusion set that contains API Protection

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the API Protection feature

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the API Protection feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.

      3. When you select the API Protection you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains API Protection.

        Fusion Set applied API Protection

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added API Protection protection
        Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      4. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below): fusion Set Detail Summary image

        Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary

      5. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
        1. Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
        2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
    1. Add the API Protection feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > API & Bot Protection tab > MobileBOT™ Defense section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On > API Protection.
        API Protection option

        Figure 4: Selecting Add API Protection

    2. Initiate the build command either by clicking Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 4) or via your CI/CD as described in Section 2.1.4.
    Congratulations!  The API Protection protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the API Protection feature in Mobile Apps

    After building API Protection, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the API Protection protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the API Protection protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: API Protection shown in Certificate secure

    Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate

    Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that API Protection has been added to each Mobile app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that API Protection and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for API Protection Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when API Protection is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for API Protection in Mobile Apps, use AddObserverForName in Notification Center, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for API Protection shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for API Protection are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Add API Protection Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name API Protection
Threat-Event Mode
OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging.
ON, IN-APP DETECTION Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce).
ON, IN-APP DEFENSE Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection).
Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check x
Visible in ThreatScope™ x
Developer Parameters for Adding API Protection Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME
Threat-Event DATA reasonData
Threat-Event CODE reasonCode
Threat-Event SCORE
currentThreatEventScore Current Threat-Event score
threatEventsScore Total Threat-events score
Threat-Event Context Keys
Timestamp The exact time the threat event was triggered, recorded in milliseconds since epoch
message Message displayed for the user on event
externalID The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events
osVersion OS version of the current device
deviceModel Current device model
deviceManufacturer The manufacturer of the current device
fusedAppToken The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app
kernelInfo Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine.
carrierPlmn PLMN of the device. Only available for Android devices.
deviceID Current device ID
reasonCode Reason code of the occurred event
deviceBrand Brand of the device
deviceBoard Board of the device
buildUser Build user
buildHost Build host
sdkVersion Sdk version
threatCode The last six characters of the threat code specify the OS, allowing the Threat Resolution Center to address the attack on the affected device.

With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), Mobile developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Mobile applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when API Protection is detected.


The following is a code sample for native Mobile apps, which uses all values in the specification above for API Protection:


Important! Replace all placeholder instances of <Context Key> with the specific name of your threat event context key across all language examples. This is crucial to ensure your code functions correctly with the intended event data. For example, The <Context Key> could be the message, externalID, OS Version, reason code, etc.



Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Mobile Apps by using API Protection. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.

Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with API Protection

After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:

Related Articles:

How Do I Learn More?

If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.

Thank you!

Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.

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