I actually love the idea of being able to interact with websites via a standard API rather being forced to use web-based UI they provide.
That's what HTTP is. You're free to write a client that isn't a browser that sends and receives the same API messages as any HTTP client app does. Most people use browsers, but there's also things like iOS and Android apps that consume the same APIs as browsers, or Postman that directly communicates with the APIs, etc.
The APIs that sit in top of HTTP are even sort of standardized in the sense that HTTP verbs mean the same everywhere (in theory, but some devs get it wrong.)
Thr only hard bit that no one has really solved in a nice way is how you discover the APIs in the first place. There's things like WSDL but it's horrible.
That's what HTTP is. You're free to write a client that isn't a browser that sends and receives the same API messages as any HTTP client app does. Most people use browsers, but there's also things like iOS and Android apps that consume the same APIs as browsers, or Postman that directly communicates with the APIs, etc.
The APIs that sit in top of HTTP are even sort of standardized in the sense that HTTP verbs mean the same everywhere (in theory, but some devs get it wrong.)
Thr only hard bit that no one has really solved in a nice way is how you discover the APIs in the first place. There's things like WSDL but it's horrible.