Foursquare Launches Redesigned Developer Website

Everyone’s favorite check-in service Foursquare is rolling out a major redesign of its developer site today, with a focus on making it easier for new developers to find their way around. The website now offers better organized links to guides and resources, a revamped Getting Started Guide and a new “Showcase” section which promotes some of Foursquare’s own favorite apps.

The company originally launched its developer website back in December 2010 and is now seeing nearly 2,000 requests per second to its API from a community that includes over 10,000 developers. In fact, there are so many applications being built on top of the Foursquare platform, that the company launched its very own app store last year just to keep them all organized. Of those apps, only nine have the honor of being listed as Foursquare’s favorite case studies in the Developer Showcase: Instagram, Thrillist, Localmind, Foodspotting, GoSocial by American Express, Tasti D-Lite, Quora, The Conan Blimp and Locamoda. (Of course, some of these represent brand partnerships, so it’s not surprising to see them featured here.)

Foursquare has been steadily progressing over the course of the past year or so, moving beyond the check-in with the addition of several new features. From integrations with deal providers, the social recommendations via Explore and Radar, event checkins and more, it’s clear Foursquare has been busy addressing the big question some users once had: why check-in? The answer: because now you actually get something from your use of the app – and it’s not just a discount on your next latte for becoming “mayor.”

With over a billion checkins now behind it, it’s going to be hard for a new “checkin” app to take on Foursquare, but that hasn’t prevented some brave (foolhardy?) companies from trying. Heck, even Facebook had to pivot its location-based Places product, thanks to Foursquare’s continued dominance in this space.

Today’s update to the developer website follows the recent overhaul of the consumer-facing site from earlier this month which brought the ability to checkin via the Web, improvements to Foursquare lists, and new ways to explore your city.