Endpoints of API gateways - OpenAPI Explorer - Alibaba Cloud Documentation Center

An endpoint is the entry point for accessing an Alibaba Cloud service. It defines the network address, including the protocol, hostname, and port, that you use to make API requests to services, such as Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, Elastic Compute Service (ECS), and Object Storage Service (OSS).

Endpoint classification

Endpoint types by network environment

Endpoints can be classified based on the network environment from which they are accessed.

Network environment	Description	Characteristics
Public endpoint	An address that can be accessed over the Internet.	Allows access from any location, including on-premises data centers, other cloud providers, or personal devices. Data is transferred over the Internet. Ideal for scenarios requiring cross-region or external access.
VPC endpoint	An address that can only be accessed from within an Alibaba Cloud VPC.	Data is transferred entirely within Alibaba Cloud's internal network, providing enhanced security and privacy. Traffic within the VPC internal network typically has lower latency than Internet traffic. Reduces Internet traffic costs.

Endpoint types by deployment model

Endpoints can also be categorized based on how the underlying service is deployed.

Deployment model	Description	Characteristics
Central endpoint	The service is deployed in one or a few core regions, and all user requests are processed in these regions.	Users can access the service using the same endpoint from any supported region. May introduce higher latency for users who are geographically distant from the core region.
Regional endpoint	The service is deployed in multiple regions, and user requests are processed within the specific region they are sent to.	Resources are isolated between regions. Reduces network latency and improves access speed. Enhances service availability and disaster recovery capabilities.

Endpoint formats

Central endpoints

Central endpoints: The format is [product_code].aliyuncs.com for single-region deployments and [product_code].[region_id].aliyuncs.com for multi-region deployments.

VPC endpoints: The format is [product_code].vpc-proxy.aliyuncs.com. However, since this can vary by service, you should always verify the correct endpoint for your specific cloud service. For more information, see the "View the endpoints of a cloud service" section in this topic.

Regional endpoints

Public endpoints: The format is [product_code].[region_id].aliyuncs.com. For example, the endpoint for ECS in the China (Hangzhou) region is ecs.cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com.

VPC endpoints: The format is [product_code]-vpc.[region_id].aliyuncs.com. For example, the endpoint for ECS in the China (Hangzhou) region is ecs-vpc.cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com.

How to choose an endpoint

Use case	Recommended endpoint
Accessing services from the Internet or across different regions.	Use a public endpoint. Note You cannot connect to a VPC endpoint in another region, even if you establish VPC peering connections or use Cloud Enterprise Network (CEN) for communication between VPCs. For example, you cannot connect to ecs-vpc.cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com from an ECS instance in the cn-chengdu region.
Communication between resources within the same region, such as an ECS instance accessing an ApsaraDB RDS instance.	Use a VPC endpoint.
Quickly testing or developing from a local environment.	Use a public endpoint.
An application on an ECS instance without a public IP address needs to call other cloud services in the same region.	Use a VPC endpoint.

View the endpoints of a cloud service

View the Endpoints topic in the API Reference section of the service documentation in Help Center.
Go to the OpenAPI Portal, navigate to the desired cloud service, and find the supported endpoints on its main page.