diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.test.ts b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.test.ts
index e90c0b6b85..b2f84f05aa 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.test.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.test.ts
@@ -26,13 +26,38 @@ describe('createApiExtension', () => {
       factory: () => ({ foo: 'bar' }),
     });
 
-    const extension = createApiExtension({
-      factory,
+    expect(
+      createApiExtension({
+        factory,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({
+      $$type: '@backstage/ExtensionDefinition',
+      kind: 'api',
+      attachTo: { id: 'core', input: 'apis' },
+      disabled: false,
+      configSchema: undefined,
+      inputs: {},
+      output: {
+        api: expect.objectContaining({
+          $$type: '@backstage/ExtensionDataRef',
+          id: 'core.api.factory',
+          config: {},
+        }),
+      },
+      factory: expect.any(Function),
     });
 
-    expect(extension).toEqual({
-      $$type: '@backstage/Extension',
-      id: 'apis.test',
+    expect(
+      createApiExtension({
+        factory,
+        namespace: 'ns',
+        name: 'n',
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({
+      $$type: '@backstage/ExtensionDefinition',
+      kind: 'api',
+      namespace: 'ns',
+      name: 'n',
       attachTo: { id: 'core', input: 'apis' },
       disabled: false,
       configSchema: undefined,
@@ -53,7 +78,6 @@ describe('createApiExtension', () => {
     const factory = jest.fn(() => ({ foo: 'bar' }));
 
     const extension = createApiExtension({
-      api,
       inputs: {},
       factory({ config: _config, inputs: _inputs }) {
         return createApiFactory({
@@ -65,8 +89,8 @@ describe('createApiExtension', () => {
     });
     // boo
     expect(extension).toEqual({
-      $$type: '@backstage/Extension',
-      id: 'apis.test',
+      $$type: '@backstage/ExtensionDefinition',
+      kind: 'api',
       attachTo: { id: 'core', input: 'apis' },
       disabled: false,
       configSchema: undefined,
diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.ts b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.ts
index 7b6dded022..fb9acf0076 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/extensions/createApiExtension.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { AnyApiFactory, AnyApiRef } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
+import { AnyApiFactory } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
 import { PortableSchema } from '../schema';
 import {
   ExtensionInputValues,
@@ -28,30 +28,24 @@ import { Expand } from '../types';
 export function createApiExtension<
   TConfig extends {},
   TInputs extends AnyExtensionInputMap,
->(
-  options: (
-    | {
-        api: AnyApiRef;
-        factory: (options: {
-          config: TConfig;
-          inputs: Expand<ExtensionInputValues<TInputs>>;
-        }) => AnyApiFactory;
-      }
-    | {
-        factory: AnyApiFactory;
-      }
-  ) & {
-    configSchema?: PortableSchema<TConfig>;
-    inputs?: TInputs;
-  },
-) {
+>(options: {
+  factory:
+    | AnyApiFactory
+    | ((options: {
+        config: TConfig;
+        inputs: Expand<ExtensionInputValues<TInputs>>;
+      }) => AnyApiFactory);
+  namespace?: string;
+  name?: string;
+  configSchema?: PortableSchema<TConfig>;
+  inputs?: TInputs;
+}) {
   const { factory, configSchema, inputs: extensionInputs } = options;
 
-  const apiRef =
-    'api' in options ? options.api : (factory as { api: AnyApiRef }).api;
-
   return createExtension({
-    id: `apis.${apiRef.id}`,
+    kind: 'api',
+    namespace: options.namespace,
+    name: options.name,
     attachTo: { id: 'core', input: 'apis' },
     inputs: extensionInputs,
     configSchema,