Learning & Development standard

What Is xAPI (Tin Can API)? The Modern Learning Data Standard

xAPI is the modern successor to SCORM. Instead of only tracking courses in an LMS, it can record almost any learning experience, anywhere.

xAPI, short for Experience API and formerly known as Tin Can API, is an eLearning standard that records statements about what a learner did. Each statement follows a simple grammar: actor, verb, object. For example, "Priya completed the safety simulation" or "Marcus watched the onboarding video."

Those statements are sent to a Learning Record Store, or LRS, which is a database purpose-built for learning data. The LRS can live inside an LMS or stand on its own, and it can collect experiences from mobile apps, simulations, virtual reality, coaching sessions, and on-the-job tools, not just from courses.

In one linexAPI records "actor, verb, object" statements about any learning experience and stores them in a Learning Record Store.

Why xAPI exists

The 70-20-10 model reminds us that most workplace learning happens on the job, not in formal courses. SCORM can only see the formal 10 percent that runs inside an LMS. xAPI was designed to capture the rest: the simulation a learner practiced, the article they read, the task they completed in a live system.

The catch: data without a plan

Because xAPI can track almost anything, teams often turn it on and drown in granular statements that answer no clear question. A single virtual reality module can generate thousands of statements per learner. xAPI rewards a data strategy first and a technical strategy second. Decide what you need to prove, then track only what supports it.

xAPI versus SCORM at a glance

Question	SCORM	xAPI
Where can it track?	Inside a browser-based LMS	Almost anywhere, online or offline
What data?	Fixed set (completion, score, time)	Developer-defined, open-ended
Where is data stored?	In the LMS	In a Learning Record Store
Best for	Compliance and course completion	Rich, cross-platform behavior data

Key takeaways

xAPI tracks experiences as actor, verb, object statements.
It works beyond the LMS, including mobile, offline, and simulations.
Data lands in a Learning Record Store rather than the LMS alone.
Define your reporting questions before you collect statements.

Frequently asked questions

Is xAPI the same as Tin Can API?

Yes. Tin Can API was the original project name. It was formally renamed the Experience API, or xAPI, and the two terms refer to the same standard.

Do I still need an LMS if I use xAPI?

Often yes. xAPI needs a Learning Record Store to collect data, and many teams still use an LMS to launch and manage formal courses. cmi5 bridges the two.

When should I choose xAPI over SCORM?

Choose xAPI when learning happens outside a single LMS, when you need behavioral detail, or when you want to connect learning data to on-the-job performance.

Related terms

SCORM cmi5 LMS Just-in-time learning

Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Recourse publishes these guides to help learning, customer education, and change teams. Figures and product details are drawn from public sources and vendor materials and can change.