diff --git a/group_vars/all/18_api.yml b/group_vars/all/18_api.yml
index 5dd167098a..7b4b893809 100644
--- a/group_vars/all/18_api.yml
+++ b/group_vars/all/18_api.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # Central SPOT for proprietary / external (non-self-hosted) API credentials.
 # Each entry is empty by default. Override per provider in the (vault-
 # encrypted) inventory; read ONLY via lookup('api', '<provider>.<key>') and
-# gate ONLY on lookup('api_enabled', '<provider>') (see utils/api.py).
+# gate ONLY on lookup('api_enabled', '<provider>') (see utils/cache/api.py).
 # nocheck: unused-var: consumed by the api lookup plugins (plugins/lookup/api.py, plugins/lookup/api_enabled.py) via lookup('api', ...), not referenced directly in YAML/Jinja.
 API:
   anthropic:
diff --git a/plugins/lookup/api.py b/plugins/lookup/api.py
index a10e26c2f2..59adfca6b7 100644
--- a/plugins/lookup/api.py
+++ b/plugins/lookup/api.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from typing import Any
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
 
-from utils.api import resolve_api
+from utils.cache.api import resolve_api
 
 
 class LookupModule(LookupBase):
diff --git a/plugins/lookup/api_enabled.py b/plugins/lookup/api_enabled.py
index c5f189070b..f7cd906e7e 100644
--- a/plugins/lookup/api_enabled.py
+++ b/plugins/lookup/api_enabled.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from typing import Any
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
 
-from utils.api import provider_enabled, resolve_api
+from utils.cache.api import provider_enabled, resolve_api
 
 
 class LookupModule(LookupBase):
diff --git a/tests/lint/ansible/variables/test_api_accessed_via_lookup.py b/tests/lint/ansible/variables/test_api_accessed_via_lookup.py
index 803ab4177d..4d724bbfb1 100644
--- a/tests/lint/ansible/variables/test_api_accessed_via_lookup.py
+++ b/tests/lint/ansible/variables/test_api_accessed_via_lookup.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Rationale
 =========
 A bare ``API.github.client_id`` resolves against whatever the scope happens to
 hold, and an inventory override replaces the declaration rather than merging
-into it -- ``utils/api.py`` carries the mechanism and the consequences.
+into it -- ``utils/cache/api.py`` carries the mechanism and the consequences.
 ``lookup('api', '<provider>.<key>')`` and ``lookup('api_enabled', '<provider>')``
 merge the override over ``group_vars/all/18_api.yml``, so an override narrows
 values and never the provider set. Routing every access through them also keeps
diff --git a/tests/unit/python/utils/test_api.py b/tests/unit/python/utils/test_api.py
index 1a48d495b9..4ab80741b3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/python/utils/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/unit/python/utils/test_api.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import unittest
 
-from utils.api import declared_api, provider_enabled, resolve_api
+from utils.cache.api import declared_api, provider_enabled, resolve_api
 
 
 class TestResolveApi(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/utils/api.py b/utils/cache/api.py
similarity index 100%
rename from utils/api.py
rename to utils/cache/api.py