A snapshot fixes the boundary
Specify the cutoff date, version and included systems. The buyer can evaluate a stable package and you can reproduce the delivery. Corrections still need a versioning process; replacing files silently makes subsequent findings hard to interpret.
Updates need an operating process
A feed requires a schedule, schema-change policy, quality checks and a procedure for missed deliveries. Consider whether every new record passes the same permissions and privacy review as the original release. Freshness is useful only when new observations matter to the buyer.
Compare the total commitment
Evaluate maintenance, review, secure transport and support obligations alongside revenue. An API is a transport mechanism, not evidence of recurring demand. A limited pilot with explicit completion criteria can expose delivery costs before a longer commitment is negotiated.
Practical guidance, not legal advice or a buyer specification. Examples are illustrative. Reviewed October 20, 2026.