Merge pull request #306388 from ProfessorKendrick/240240-apic

240240 APIC Tutorial - intro to APIC integration with APIM

Author: JamesJBarnett

articles/api-center/TOC.yml

@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
       href: ./tutorials/register-apis.md
     - name: 3 - Add environments and deployments
       href: ./tutorials/configure-environments-deployments.md
+    - name: 4 - Link an API Management instance
+      href: ../api-management/tutorials/link-api-center.md
   expanded: true
 - name: API inventory
   items:
@@ -121,4 +123,4 @@
   - name: Azure updates
     href: https://aka.ms/apic/updates
   - name: MCP Center
-    href: https://mcp.azure.com
+    href: https://mcp.azure.com

articles/api-management/TOC.yml

@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
       href: api-management-howto-developer-portal-customize.md
     - name: 10 - Manage APIs in Visual Studio Code
       href: visual-studio-code-tutorial.md
+    - name: 11 - Link to an API Center
+      href: tutorials/link-api-center.md
   expanded: true
 - name: Deployment and operations
   items:

articles/api-management/tutorials/link-api-center.md

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+---
+title: Create or link an API Center from the Azure portal
+description: "How to create a new API Center or link an existing API Center to an API Management service from the Azure portal."
+author: ProfessorKendrick
+ms.author: kkendrick
+ms.service: azure-api-management
+ms.topic: tutorial  
+ms.date: 10/20/2025
+
+#customer intent: As an API Management administrator, I want to create or link an API Center so that I can discover, reuse, and govern APIs across linked services.
+
+---
+
+# Tutorial: Create or link an API Center to API Management
+
+This tutorial shows how to integrate an Azure API Management instance with an Azure API Center. When linked, the API Management instance's APIs — and optional API definitions — are continuously synchronized into the API Center inventory. API Center is a central catalog and governance hub for APIs and related artifacts, and API Management customers use it to discover and reuse APIs, share definitions across teams, and apply consistent governance and lifecycle policies.
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> 
+> Only one API Center can be linked to a single API Management instance.
+
+In this tutorial, you:
+
+> [!div class="checklist"]
+> * Create a new API Center and link it to an API Management instance
+> * Link an existing API Center and synchronize APIs
+> * View synchronized APIs and remove the link if needed
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before you start, make sure you meet the following requirements.
+
+- An Azure account with an active subscription is required. If you don't already have one, you can [create an account for free](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account).
+- An existing API Management service in the subscription where you want to manage APIs
+- Contributor (or Owner) permissions on the API Management resource and permission to create resources in a resource group
+
+## Create a new API Center and link your APIs
+
+These steps show how to create a new API Center and link it to an API Management instance so APIs are synchronized.
+
+1. From the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com), open your API Management service.
+1. In the left-hand menu, go to **APIs** > **API Center**.
+    :::image type="content" source="media/link-api-center/api-management-menu.png" alt-text="The API Management instance in Azure portal with API Center emphasized in the left-hand menu.":::
+1. In the center pane, under *Use API Center for API discovery, reuse, and governance*, select **Create new**.
+1. On the **Create API Center** page, select **Create new link**.
+1. Provide values for the following fields:
+
+    | Field | Details |
+    |---|---|
+    | Resource group | Select an existing resource group or create a new one. |
+    | Location | Choose a region. Regions available for API Center may differ from the region of your API Management instance. |
+    | Name | Provide a unique name for the API Center instance. |
+    | Pricing plan | Select a plan. |
+    | Lifecycle | Select the lifecycle state to associate with APIs when they're synchronized. This metadata can be changed later. |
+
+1. Select Create. 
+
+    - When the operation finishes, you should see a *Request succeeded* message and a confirmation that your API Management service and API Center are synchronized.
+
+## Use an existing API Center
+
+These steps show how to link an API Management instance to an API Center that already exists.
+
+1. From the API Center section of your API Management service, select **Use existing API Center**.
+1. From the dropdown, choose the API Center you want to link.
+1. Select **Synchronize APIs** to start synchronization between the API Management service and the selected API Center.
+
+## View linked API Center and synchronized APIs
+
+Use this section to verify the integration state and to view APIs that synchronized from API Management.
+
+1. In the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com), open the API Center resource.
+2. In the API Center left-hand menu, go to **Platforms** > **Integrations**. 
+    The state for the integration with API Management should say *Linked and syncing*. 
+1. To view synchronized APIs, go to **Assets** > **APIs**.<br />
+    An icon appears indicating that the APIs are linked.
+    :::image type="content" source="media/link-api-center/api-center-menu.png" alt-text="An API Center instance in Azure portal with APIs emphasized in the left-hand menu and link icons emphasized in the main panel":::
+
+## Remove link to API Center
+
+Follow these steps to remove the link between API Management and the API Center or to delete the API Center resource.
+
+1. In the API Center resource, find the linked API Management instance.
+1. In the left-hand menu, go to **Platforms** > **Integrations**.
+2. Select the trash can icon to delete the link.
+
+## Clean up resources
+
+Delete any resources you created for this tutorial to avoid incurring charges.
+
+If you created an API Center for this tutorial and no longer need it, delete the API Center resource and any resource group you created to avoid charges.
+
+## Related content
+
+[Synchronize APIs from an API Management instance](../../api-center/synchronize-api-management-apis.md)