This is what I would have thought too - I understood that using the API would allow the user to go about their business on the app while it processed in the background, whereas using a workflow meant that the user would need to wait for it to complete.
My interpretation of this would be for a faster, smoother user experience using the API, but it seems to be that the opposite is true, according to @StevenM - would love to hear the Bubble team’s thoughts on this - I totally agree with @vincent56 that I’m sure the Bubble team are learning at the same time as us - it would be great to get to an agreed ‘best-practice situation’ which works for everyone.
I had previously taken that best-practice to mean reusable elements and API workflows wherever possible - I’m happy to stand corrected…