As organizations grow, managing hundreds of APIs across multiple teams and environments becomes challenging. API governance, a set of rules and processes, helps maintain API security, consistency, discoverability, and compliance. This governance extends beyond simple naming conventions to include role-based access control, secret detection, and lifecycle management. Without governance, inconsistencies arise in naming, documentation, and security practices, which is manageable for small teams but not at scale. API governance tools automate checks for security vulnerabilities, exposed secrets, and missing documentation. These tools also ensure adherence to organizational standards for API design and authentication. Key features to look for include robust access control, single sign-on integration, and automated user provisioning. Security checks for exposed secrets and compliance checks against defined standards are crucial. Documentation governance ensures endpoints have adequate descriptions and examples. Ultimately, good governance should streamline development by providing predictable standards and automated checks.