Products
Add APIs and choose coupling
Open a plan's APIs tab, add APIs, and choose Gateway-bound or Catalog-bound. Your choice sets whether rate limits apply and how access is secured.
You add APIs to a plan on its APIs tab, and at the top of that tab you choose how the plan is coupled. Coupling decides whether the plan runs on one gateway with rate limits, or draws APIs from your API Catalog across gateways.
What do Gateway-bound and Catalog-bound mean?
They are the two coupling modes shown as cards at the top of the APIs tab. Your choice sets where the APIs come from, whether rate limits apply, and how access is secured.
| Mode | APIs come from | Rate limits | Access control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway-bound | One API gateway | Available | Handled by the gateway, plus scopes when an authorization server is configured |
| Catalog-bound | The API Catalog, across one or more gateways | Not available | Scope-based, when an authorization server is configured |
Gateway-bound is described in the dashboard as tightly coupled to a single API gateway, which enables rate limits and usage analytics via that gateway. Catalog-bound is described as loosely coupled across gateways, where you can package many APIs but rate limits and built-in usage analytics are not available.
How do I add APIs and choose coupling?
Open the plan, go to the APIs tab, pick a coupling card, then add the APIs. Save the plan when you are done.
- Open your product, open the plan, and select the APIs tab.
- At the top, choose Gateway-bound or Catalog-bound.
- For Gateway-bound, select the gateway, then add its APIs to the plan.
- For Catalog-bound, add APIs from the API Catalog; they can span more than one gateway.
- Click Save Changes on the plan.
If your account has no gateway connected, Catalog-bound is selected for you, because it is the only available option. The Gateway-bound card then shows a Connect an API Gateway link.
What does each mode unlock or disable?
Picking a mode changes the rest of the plan. Gateway-bound turns on rate limits; Catalog-bound turns them off and leans on scopes for access.
- Gateway-bound binds every API in the plan to one gateway and enables the Limits tab for rate limits.
- Catalog-bound clears the gateway binding, disables the Limits tab, and lets the plan hold APIs from across your catalog.
- Either mode supports scope-based access control once an authorization server is configured. The footer on the APIs tab notes that scope-based access control is available in either mode when an Authorization Server is configured, with a Configure an Authorization Server link when none is connected.
On a Catalog-bound plan with no authorization server, the coupling card shows a documentation-only state, meaning the plan is metadata for the portal rather than an enforced access boundary. With an authorization server, it shows a scope-enforced state. See Scopes for how scope-based access control works.
How do I switch a plan's coupling?
Click the other card. On an empty plan the switch is immediate. On a plan that already has a gateway, rate limits, or APIs, a confirmation opens so you can see what changes before you commit.
The confirmation is titled Switch to Catalog-bound? or Switch to Gateway-bound? and previews the gateway binding, rate limits, and API count. Switching to Catalog-bound detaches the gateway and clears rate limits, and gateway-sourced APIs are dropped because Catalog-bound plans hold catalog-sourced APIs only. Confirm with the Switch button, then Save Changes.
Troubleshooting
The plan tells you what is blocking a save. Match the message to the fix:
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Save is disabled with "Choose a coupling mode to save this plan." | Pick Gateway-bound or Catalog-bound at the top of the APIs tab. |
| Save is disabled with "Add at least one API from the selected gateway to save this plan." | On a Gateway-bound plan, add at least one API that belongs to the selected gateway. |
| The Gateway-bound card is dashed and shows "Connect an API Gateway →" | No gateway is connected. Connect one, or use Catalog-bound. |
| The Limits tab is greyed out with "Rate limits are not available for Catalog-bound plans. Switch to Gateway-bound on the APIs tab to configure rate limits." | Switch the plan to Gateway-bound to enable rate limits. |
| A "no scopes" badge lists APIs on the tab | Those APIs have no OAuth scopes assigned. Open the Access Control tab to assign scopes. |
| The APIs tab is read-only | The plan has active or pending subscriptions. Create a new plan version to change its APIs or coupling. |