For API responses, use the `requests` library to make calls and handle JSON data with `response.json()`. Implement error handling for various HTTP statuses and validate data before processing.

Handling API responses effectively in Python is essential for building robust applications that interact with external services. The requests library is a popular choice for making HTTP calls, as it simplifies the process of sending requests and handling responses. After making a request, check the HTTP status code to determine whether the request was successful. Use response.raise_for_status() to raise an error for any HTTP errors, or check response.status_code for specific status codes. When dealing with JSON responses, use response.json() to parse the JSON data easily into a Python dictionary. However, always validate the structure and data types of the JSON response before processing, as unexpected formats can lead to errors. Implement exception handling to gracefully manage issues such as connection errors, timeouts, or invalid JSON responses. Additionally, consider implementing retries for transient errors using libraries like tenacity. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your application handles API responses effectively and reliably.